Category: Text Sermon

Our lord’s view of himself and his work—I

Our lord’s view of himself and his work—I – Chambers, Oswald The Fact of Christ But who say ye that i am? (RV ). Jesus Christ is not a being with a dual personality, he is a unique personality with two manifestations: son of god and son of man. He gives clear indication of how […]

The Plerosis

The Plerosis – Chambers, Oswald The Self-Fulfilling of Jesus We have to place the lord Jesus Christ to our faith where the new testament places him. We are apt to look upon Jesus Christ as some marvellous power of god with no identity of its own, forgetting altogether that the new testament Jesus Christ, who […]

THE MAN GOD USES – CHAPTER III – Oswald J Smith

THE MAN GOD USES – CHAPTER III – Oswald J Smith THE SEPARATED LIFE IT is doubtful if there ever was a time when the note of Separation needed to be sounded more than to-day. The world has become so churchy and the Church so worldly that it is hard to distinguish the one from […]

It Is finished

It Is finished – Chambers, Oswald John 19:30 The transfiguration was the great divide in the life of our lord. He stood there in the perfect, spot- less holiness of his manhood; then he turned his back on the glory and came down from the mount to be identified with sin, that through his death […]

the Kenosis

the Kenosis – Chambers, Oswald The Self-Limitation on the Part of the Logos in the Act of Incarnation At one time the subject of the kenosis was always being discussed by theologians what was it that Jesus emptied himself of ? How did he limit himself ? Or did he limit himself at all? Nowadays, […]

THE MAN GOD USES – CHAPTER II – Oswald J Smith

THE MAN GOD USES – CHAPTER II – Oswald J Smith THE MAN GOD USES I HAVE been trying to think during these past days of the qualities that will enable God to use men in Christian service; and so far as I can discover there are at least eight that are essential. Moreover, I […]

THE MAN GOD USES – CHAPTER I – Oswald J Smith

THE MAN GOD USES – CHAPTER I – Oswald J Smith A BIRTHDAY PRAYER ON November 8th, 1927, my thirty-eighth birthday, I prayed this prayer: “Lord, make me a man after Thine own heart.” Work faded out of sight; things that before seemed important disappeared; everything in which I was interested took a secondary place, […]

The transfiguration

The transfiguration – Chambers, Oswald The Great Divide The great divide is the name given to the ultimate height of land in the rocky mountains where the waters separate and run one way to the atlantic, the other to the pacific. The mount of transfiguration is the great divide in the life of our lord. […]

A cleaner way to hell – Thomas Brooks

A cleaner way to hell – Thomas Brooks It was the saying of a precious saint that he was more afraid of his duties than of his sins; for his duties often made him proud but his sins always made him humble. It was good counsel Luther gave, “We must take heed not only of […]

A Christian’s graces – Thomas Brooks

A Christian’s graces – Thomas Brooks “What do you have that you have not received?” 1 Cor. 4:7 What grace do you have that you have not received?All the light,and all the life,and all the love,and all the joy,and all the fear,and all the faith,and all the hope,and all the patience,and all the humility, etc., […]

A bubble, a shadow, a dream! – Thomas Brooks

A bubble, a shadow, a dream! – Thomas Brooks “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away.” Job 9:25 TIME is a precious talent which we are accountable for. Cato and other heathen held that account must be given, not only of our labor but also of our leisure. At the great […]

A Cry for Repentance and Revival – OSWALD J. SMITH

A Cry for Repentance and Revival – OSWALD J. SMITH God has been doing some incredible things the last few weeks at the Church at Ellerslie. He seems to be stirring and preparing us for revival. The church has been gathering each Tuesday night for the last few weeks to pray for several hours and […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER X – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER X – OSWALD J. SMITH SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES OF PRICELESS VALUE MAY 22nd IT is coming to me more and more to challenge my work; to test and prove everything. I feel quite certain that one of the outstanding reasons for failure lies in the fact that we do not […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER IX – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER IX – OSWALD J. SMITH MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD’S POWER OCTOBER 17th DAY by day we have been meeting as usual for prayer. Today we began at 9:30 this morning and continued until after 3:00. We have been asking God to break us for many weeks. About 2:00 this afternoon […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER VIII – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER VIII – OSWALD J. SMITH HEART YEARNINGS FOR REVIVAL IT was in the years 1917 and 1918 that the yearnings for revival expressed in these messages were born of God. Nothing of a spectacular nature took place for the work was of a wholly local character, nor did it […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER VII – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER VII – OSWALD J. SMITH FAITH FAITH is the key that unlocks the door of God’s power. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down.” And in revival work one of the indispensable prerequisites is a living, vital Faith. “All things are possible to him that believeth.” The man […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER VI – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER VI – OSWALD J. SMITH OBSTACLES There is only one obstacle that can block up the channel and choke God’s power, and that is SIN. Sin is the great barrier. It alone can hinder the work of the Spirit and prevent a Revival. “If I regard iniquity in my […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER V – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER V – OSWALD J. SMITH CONVICTION THERE is one thing that was always prominent in the great Revivals of past days, viz., a deep and a true conviction of sin. And it is one of the vital elements that is lacking today. How disappointing are the methods of present-day […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER IV – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER IV – OSWALD J. SMITH THE ENDUEMENT OF POWER The Holy Spirit is able to make the Word as successful now as in the days of the apostles. He can bring in souls by hundreds and thousands as well as by ones and twos. The reason why we are […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER III – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER III – OSWALD J. SMITH SOUL-TRAVAIL WE read in Isa. 66:8, that “as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children;” and this is the most fundamental element in the work of God. Can children be born without pain? Can there be birth without travail? Yet how many […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER II – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER II – OSWALD J. SMITH THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REVIVAL      AS far back as I can remember my heart has burned within me whenever I have heard or read accounts of the mighty work of God in the great Revivals of past years. The heroic missionaries of the […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER 1 – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – CHAPTER 1 – OSWALD J. SMITH THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT IT was in 1904. All Wales was aflame. The nation had drifted far from God. The spiritual conditions were low indeed. Church attendance was poor. And sin abounded on every side. Suddenly, like an unexpected tornado. the Spirit of […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – Foreword – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – Foreword – OSWALD J. SMITH Foreword by Jonathan Goforth MR. SMITH’S book, “The Revival We Need,” for its size is the most powerful plea for revival I have ever read. He has truly been led by the Spirit of God in preparing it. To his emphasis for the need of […]

THE REVIVAL WE NEED- Preface – OSWALD J. SMITH

THE REVIVAL WE NEED – Preface – OSWALD J. SMITH   Five years ago there came into my life a spiritual experience that revolutionized my work, and resulted in a Ministry characterized by some of the manifestations that usually accompany Revivals. It was in this atmosphere that these messages were born; and while the writing […]

A Man Who Was Desperate – Alan Redpath

A Man Who Was Desperate – Dr. Alan Redpath   Genesis 32:6 Notes on a message given by Pastor Alan Redpath in The Moody Church on July 17, 1955. I will not let thee go except thou bless me…What is thy name?…Jacob…and he blessed him there” (Genesis 32:6). “No more Jacob, but Israel” was the blessing […]

Prayer: The Christian’s Weapon – Alan Redpath

Prayer: The Christian’s Weapon – Dr. Alan Redpath Notes of an address given by Pastor Alan Redpath at the Church House, Westminster, during the World Evangelical Alliance Week of Prayer, 1950.   I am sure that there is an increasing recognition on the part of the church as a whole that evangelism must take a predominant […]

The self-consciousness of Jesus—II

The self-consciousness of Jesus—II – Chambers, Oswald His TemptationMatthew 4:1–11 In the silent years our lord learned how to be; at his baptism he had revealed to him what he had to do; in the temptation what to avoid. Always remember that what is exhibited in the life of our lord is for our instruction […]

Resting In Jesus – Alan Redpath

Resting In Jesus – Dr. Alan Redpath Notes of a message preached by Pastor Alan Redpath on Sunday, March 3, 1957. Matthew 11:28-30 ; Hebrews 4:10 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek […]

The Art Of Winning A Soul For Jesus – Alan Redpath

The Art Of Winning A Soul For Jesus – Dr. Alan Redpath Notes of a message preached by Pastor Alan Redpath on Sunday, January 20, 1957. Acts 8:26-40 Perhaps to many of you, this subject of witness and soulwinning brings almost a blush to your face in the recognition that you have never really seriously attempted […]

The self-consciousness of Jesus—I

The self-consciousness of Jesus—I – Chambers, Oswald His Baptism All things are delivered unto me of my father: and no man knoweth the son, but the father; neither knoweth any man the father, save the son, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him. Matthew 11:27. There is a self-consciousness that is more or […]

A Lesson On Discipleship – Dr. Alan Redpath

A Lesson On Discipleship – Dr. Alan Redpath Matthew 8:19-21 ; Luke 9:57-62 A sermon preached by Pastor Alan Redpath on Sunday, March 29, 1959. In this passage from the Word of God, we find three very interesting people who are brought face to face with the challenge of discipleship. We have no business to assume […]

A Lesson On Tranquility – Alan Redpath

A Lesson On Tranquility – Dr. Alan Redpath   Mark 4:35-41 A sermon preached by Pastor Alan Redpath on Sunday, August 3, 1958. It had been a busy day in the life of our Lord. He had been preaching, healing, and teaching, and at the end of the day, He and His disciples took a ship […]

The silent years to thirty

The silent years to thirty – Chambers, Oswald Luke 2:40–52 A child’s life has no dates, it is free, silent, dateless. A child’s life ought to be a child’s life, full of simplicity. By the silent years to thirty we mean to picture forth the experience of the sanctified soul; we have attained to nothing […]

A Lesson On Prayer – Alan Redpath

A Lesson On Prayer – Alan Redpath   Psalms 86 Sermon preached by Pastor Alan Redpath on Sunday, June 15, 1958. Our subject is prayer, and I feel that within Psalm 86 are some fundamental lessons on this great theme that everyone of us needs to learn. It is uncertain when David actually wrote these words; […]

Toward Spiritual Maturity – Alan Redpath

Toward Spiritual Maturity – Dr. Alan Redpath A series by Pastor Alan Redpath given over the course of 1958   Part 1: Some Practical Hints on the Quiet Time (January 1958: The Moody Church News, Volume 43 Number 01) We all know, theoretically at least, that the Christian life can only grow as it cultivates the habit of […]

A Lesson On Gratitude – Alan Redpath

A Lesson On Gratitude – Dr. Alan Redpath   Luke 17:11-19 Sermon preached by Pastor Alan Redpath in The Moody Church on Sunday, June 1, 1958. What a difference it makes in life when we not only talk about thanks giving, but when thanks giving issues in thanks living! For our meditation we are to consider Luke […]

The Purpose Of Bethlehem – Alan Redpath

The Purpose Of Bethlehem – Dr. Alan Redpath Sermon preached by Pastor Alan Redpath in The Moody Church on Sunday morning, December 22, 1957.   “But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law that he might redeem them that were under the law, […]

His humanity and Incarnation

His humanity and Incarnation – Chambers, Oswald The only life of the lord Jesus is the new testament. There are phases of the life of our lord presented in the new testament that no other life, so-called, deals with. If you start with the theory that Jesus Christ was a man who became god, you […]

Bringing Sons unto Glory

Bringing Sons unto Glory – Chambers, Oswald Bringing Sons unto GloryStudies in the Life of Our LordOswald Chambers Copyright 1944, Oswald Chambers Publications AssociationScripture versions quoted: KJV ( Av); RV For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the author […]

The Cross And Fruitfulness – Alan Redpath

The Cross And Fruitfulness – Dr.Alan Redpath Message preached by Pastor Alan Redpath at the closing service of the Foreign Missionary Rally, May 5, 1957.   “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”—John 12:24 I have only four words for my […]

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XX  –  Spirit: the domain and dominion of spiritMan’s Universe (continued)         1 Corinthians 15:45N.B. we deal here particularly with spirit in the spiritual man. 1. Spirit in its freedom from the flesh (extraordinary) (a) ecstasy (acts 10:10; 22:17; 2 Corinthians 12:24; revelation 4:2; sometimes […]

Your affectionate friend and servant in Christ Jesus – Thomas Parker

Your affectionate friend and servant in Christ Jesus – Thomas Parker From my study at North∣gate-head,  June 24. 1656. ECCLES. 12:13 I Am this day to take my leave, not only of you (my good people) but of the Pulpit also; To bid farewell to that High Calling, the great Harvest of Heaven, wherein I […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon XIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon XIII – John Owen  A fast sermon:— Christian duty under the hidings of God’s face. – Isa. 8:17 Preached January 1, 1676.      The end of our meeting here this day is to bemoan, if God would help us, the withdrawing of God from among us, and to beg […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon XII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon XII – John Owen Sermon XII. Enoch’s walk with God. – Gen. 5:24. [The date of this sermon appears to be October 8, 1675.] “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” — Gen. 5:24.      This Enoch here spoken of hath the most considerable […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon XI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon XI – John Owen  The humiliation and condescension of Christ. – Phil. 2:5–8. Preached November 9, 1681.      “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made […]

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XIX –  Spirit: the domain and dominion of spiritMan’s UniverseJob 12:10Natural nousBewildered nousSpiritual nous 1. Spirit as soul-making power (a) particular form (genesis 2:7; 6:17) (b) personal form (numbers 16:22; 27:16; zechariah 12:1; isaiah 19:3; psalm 2:10) (c) physical form ( job 32:8; genesis […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon X – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon X – John Owen  The death of the righteous. – Isa. 57-1-2. Preached July 1, 1681.      “The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall […]

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XVIII –  Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit                             Mundane Universe Spirit as physical force 1. World of matter (psalm 104:30; 33:6; 2 peter 3:5) 2. World of nature (genesis 1:2; job 26:13) 3. World of self ( john 6:63; James 2:26; Ezekiel 1:20; […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon IX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon IX – John Owen  National sins and national judgments. – Isa. 3:8-9. Preached April 11, 1679.      “For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The show of their countenance doth […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon VIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon VIII – John Owen The mutual care of believers over one another. –  Eph. 4:15, 16. Preached September 6, 1678.      “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon VII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon VII – John Owen  Perilous times. – 2 Tim. 3:1–5. Preached May 21, 1575.      “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, […]

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit

Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XVII –  Spirit: the domain and dominion of spirit                       Process of the TrinityN.B. “the entire province of life , both in its lowest formsor stages And in its highest, is the province of spirit.” 1. An instructive parallel (1 Corinthians 2:114) 2. What the […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon VI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon VI – John Owen  The obligation to increase in godliness. Preached May 29, 1674.      “Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon V – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon V – John Owen Holiness urged from the liability of all things to dissolution. Preached July 11, 1673.      “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” — 2 Pet. 3:11.     My design […]

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XVI –   Ourselves: I; Me; Mine                         Ourselves and Conscience CONSCIENCE  is the innate law in nature whereby man knows he is known.N.B. t he half truth And half error of such phrases As “conscience is thevoice of god” And “conscience can be educated ” will be dealt […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon IV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon IV – John Owen Spiritual strength; — its reality, decay, and renovation. Preached January 9, 1672.      “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon III – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon III – John Owen Faith’s answer to divine reproofs. Preached January 5, 1672.      “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon II – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon II – John Owen The wisdom of making the Lord our refuge. Preached February 27, 1669. “Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge.” — Ps.14: 6.      There is a peculiar mark put upon this psalm, in that it is twice in the […]

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XV     –   Ourselves: I; Me; Mine                           Ourselves as “Ourselves.” “Self ”   The passages alluded to in this outline are exclusively from the new testament; the student can supply old testament illustrations for his own use. 1. Self (Luke 18:914) (a) greatness (mark 12:2931; comp. 2 Thessalonians […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon I – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series 1854 – Sermon I – John Owen The furnace of divine wrath. – Ezek. 22:17–22.      “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, the house of Israel is to me become dross: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead, in the midst […]

Posthumous Sermons: Series Published for the First Time 1854 – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Series Published for the First Time 1854 – John Owen Posthumous sermons: series published for the first time in MDCCCLIV Also three discourses, published in 1798. ************************** Prefatory note. The following Sermons have never hitherto been published. It was observed that the other posthumous discourses of our author had been drawn mostly from manuscripts […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons XIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons XIII – John Owen The use of faith, in a time of general declension in religion.408  “The just shall live by his faith.” — Hab. 2:4.       I am now come to the last thing that was proposed to be spoken to, and with which I shall shut up […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons XII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons XII – John Owen The use of faith, if popery should return upon us.407  “The just shall live by his faith.” — Hab. 2:4.      Our inquiry is, how we may live by faith, with reference unto those difficulties we have, or may have, to conflict with in the days […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons XI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons XI – John Owen The use of faith under reproaches and persecutions.406  “The just shall live by his faith.” — Hab. 2:4.      You may remember, I spake occasionally from that of the psalmist, Ps. 97:2, “Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his […]

CHRIST’S PERFECTING BY SUFFERING

CHRIST’S PERFECTING BY SUFFERING – Alexander Maclaren It became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bring ing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.’ — Hebrews 2:10. It does not ‘become’ us to be hasty or confident in determining what ‘becomes’ God. […]

MANHOOD CROWNED IN JESUS

MANHOOD CROWNED IN JESUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘… We see not yet all things put under Him, but we see Jesus.’ — Hebrews 2:8, 9. One of our celebrated astronomers is said to have taught himself the rudiments of his starry science when lying on the hill-side, keeping his father’s sheep. Perhaps the grand psalm to […]

DRIFTING

DRIFTING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.’ — Hebrews 2:1. ‘LET them slip’; that conveys a vivid picture of a man holding some treasure with limp fingers, and allowing it to drop from […]

OWING OURSELVES TO CHRIST

OWING OURSELVES TO CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto Me even thine own self beside.’ — Philemon 1:19. The incomparable delicacy of this letter of Paul’s has often been the theme of eulogium. I […]

MAINTAINING GOOD WORKS

MAINTAINING GOOD WORKS – Alexander Maclaren These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. — Titus 3:8. There is so much about ‘good works’ in the so-called Pastoral Epistles (the two to Timothy, and this to Titus), that some critics who think […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons X – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons X – John Owen  The use and advantage of faith in a time of public calamity.405 “The just shall live by his faith.” — Hab. 2:4.      This is the first time these words are mentioned in the Scripture, but they are three times quoted by the apostle Paul: he […]

ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS

ZEALOUS OF GOOD WORKS – Alexander Maclaren WE have seen in previous sermons on the preceding context how emphatically the Apostle reiterates that the end of the gospel is the production of Christlike and Christ-pleasing character. For this purpose our Lord came, and in Him the grace of God broke through the clouds which wrapped […]

CHRIST’S GIFT OF HIMSELF

CHRIST’S GIFT OF HIMSELF – Alexander Maclaren ‘Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself at peculiar people.’ — Titus 2:14. We have seen in former sermons on the preceding context that the Apostle has been setting forth the appearing of the grace of God as having […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons IX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons IX – John Owen The excellency of Christ.404 – Psalm 45:3   “Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.” — Ps. 45:3.      In the 2d verse we have a description of the person of Christ, and of the ground of God’s blessing and […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons VIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons VIII – John Owen The excellency of Christ.403 – Psalm 45:1–3        “Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.” — Ps. 45:2.      I have given you an account of the general design and scope of […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons VII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons VII – John Owen The excellency of Christ.402 – Psalm 45:1–3        “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons VI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons VI – John Owen The excellency of Christ.401 – Psalm 45:1–3        To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.      “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons V – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons V – John Owen The duty of a pastor.397 “And I will give you pastors according to my heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” — Jer. 3:15.      All the names of the officers of the church under the New Testament have a double signification, — a general and […]

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XIV    Ourselves: I; Me; Mine                       Ourselves as “Known.” “Me” 1. The sensuous me (Ecclesiastes 12:13) (a) my body (Romans 12:1) (b) my bounty (Hebrews 13:15) (c) my blessings (Romans 12:13) 2. The social me (Ecclesiastes 7:29) (a) my success (Matthew 5:1316) (b) my sociability ( john 5:4044) […]

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine

Ourselves: I; Me; Mine – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XIII  –   Ourselves: I; Me; Mine       Ourselves as “Knower.” I the “Ego”   1. Some distinctions of importance (a) individuality (b) personality (c) egotism and egoism 2. Some determinations of interest ( john 3:2) (a) the ego is inscrutable (Isaiah 26:9; psalm 19:12) (b) the ego […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons IV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons IV – John Owen  Ministerial endowments the work of the Spirit396 “But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” — 1 Cor. 12:11.      You are a church of ancient standing, and therefore are acquainted both with the duty and […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons III – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons III – John Owen The ministry the gift of Christ.395 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” — Eph. 4:8.      The design of these words is to show that the gift of the ministry, and of ministers, — […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons II – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons II – John Owen Sermon II.394 On the everlasting covenant. “Although my house be not so with God,” etc. — 2 Sam. 23:5.      I do remember I have spoken in this place formerly from these words; and delivered somewhat concerning the covenant of God, so far as the exposition of […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons I – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons I – John Owen Sermon I.392 – The everlasting covenant, the believer’s support under distress. “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 […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons Published 1756 – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part III – Sermons Published 1756 – John Owen “He being dead yet speaketh.” — Heb. xi. 4. ********************************************* Prefatory note. All the information needed in regard to the following thirteen Discourses is given in an advertisement prefixed to them when they were first published, in 1756. It is as follows:— “To the Reader, — […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXX – John Owen  The evil and danger of offences.391 “Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!” — Matt. 18:7.      It is very evident that our Lord Jesus Christ lays very […]

Heart: the radical region of life

Heart: the radical region of life – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XII    Heart: the radical region of life             The Rendezvous of Perfect Life   1. The inner (a) highest love (psalm 73:26; mark 12:3031) (b) highest licence (Ezekiel 28:2) (c) darkened (Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:18) (d) hardened (Isaiah 6:10; Jeremiah 16:12; 2 Corinthians 3:14) 2. The […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXIX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXIX – John Owen The Christian’s work of dying daily.389      That which I have been treating upon from these words is, to declare the ways and duties whereby a believer may come to die, not only safely, which all believers shall, but also cheerfully and comfortably, — so […]

Heart: the radical region of life

Heart: the radical region of life – Chambers, Oswald Chapter XI   Heart: the radical region of life                The Radiator of Personal Life (continued) 1. Voluntary (c) Love (1 timothy 1:5; proverbs 23:26; judges 5:9; Philippians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 7:3) (d) Hate (Leviticus 19:17; psalm 105:25) 2. Versatility (e) Memory (Isaiah 65:17; Jeremiah 3:16; 2 chronicles […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXVIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXVIII – John Owen The Christian’s work of dying daily.387       I made an entrance upon this portion of Scripture the last Lord’s day, and I judged the subject very suitable, because of the warnings God hath variously given us to be exercising ourselves unto this duty. God […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXVII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXVII – John Owen The Christian’s work of dying daily.385  “I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” 1 Cor. 15:31.      These words have a great vehemency and emphasis in them, and discover an uncommon earnestness upon the spirit of the […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXVI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXVI – John Owen  Perilous times.383 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” — 2 Tim 3:1.      You know, my way and manner upon these occasions is to speak as plainly and familiarly as I can unto what is of our present concernment; and […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXV – John Owen The beauty and strength of Zion.381  “Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever; […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXIV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXIV – John Owen   God’s withdrawing his presence, the correction of his church.380 “O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.” — Isa. 63:17.      These are words that […]

Heart: the radical region of life

Heart: the radical region of life – Chambers, Oswald Chapter X   Heart: the radical region of life                    The Radiator of Personal Life   1. Voluntary (a) Determination (exodus 35:21; Esther 7:5; Ecclesiastes 8:11; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Romans 6:17) (b) Design (1 kings 8:1718; 10:2; psalm 21:2; proverbs 6:18; Isaiah 10:7; acts 11:23; Romans 10:1) 2. […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXIII – John Owen Sermon XXIII.378 – A Christian, God’s temple. “For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from […]

Heart: the radical region of life

Heart: the radical region of life – Chambers, Oswald Chapter IX       Heart: the radical region of life   1. Center of physical life (a) lifeless objects (Deuteronomy 4:11; Matthew 12:40; Jonah 2:3; Ezekiel 26:5; 27:6) (b) lowest life power (genesis 18:5; judges 19:5) (c) life power (psalm 38:10; Luke 21:34) (d) life of the whole […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXII – John Owen Sermon XXII.377 – Christ’s pastoral care. “Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.” — Mic. 7:14.     […]

Soul: the essence, existence and expression

Soul: the essence, existence and expression – Chambers, Oswald Chapter VIII    Soul: the essence, existence and expression                               Past, Present and Future of the Soul   1. Pre-existence (a) spurious speculations (Deuteronomy 29:29; revelation 5:3) (b) startling scriptures ( Jeremiah 1:5; Malachi 3:1; Romans […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XXI – John Owen Sermon XXI.375 Gospel charity. “And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Col. 3:14.      The word ἀγάπη, which we here translate “charity,” is the only word used in the [New Testament to signify “love.” And I wish we had always rendered […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XX – John Owen Sermon XX.374 – God the saints’ rock. “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” — Ps. 61:2.      In my former discourse upon this text, I told […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XIX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XIX – John Owen God the saints’ rock.373 “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” — Ps. 61:2.      There are two things in the words:— First, The state wherein the […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XVIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XVIII – John Owen Sermon XVIII.371 – The divine power of the gospel. –  Rom. 1:16.      3. We are not to be ashamed of the professors of the gospel. Our Lord Christ hath laid it down as an everlasting rule, that in them he is honoured or dishonoured […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XVII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XVII – John Owen  The divine power of the gospel.370 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” — Rom. 1:16.       The […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XVI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XVI – John Owen  Human power defeated.367 “The stout-hearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep; and none of the men of might have found their hands. — Ps. 76:5.      The common circumstances of this psalm, concerning the penman, title, and the like, I shall not at all inquire […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XV – John Owen The sin and judgment of spiritual barrenness.  Ezek. 47:11.      We shall now proceed to the uses.      Use 1. Wonder not if you see a diversity of success in preaching of the word. Some receive it with joy; the most despise it as a thing […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XIV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XIV – John Owen The sin and judgment of spiritual barrenness. “But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.” — Ezek. 47:11.      This prophecy contains a vision of the glorious, holy, gospel state of the church, under the […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XIII – John Owen Providential changes, an argument for universal holiness. – 2 peter 3:11      I shall now add some cautions as to the pursuit of the first direction:—      [1.] Take heed of a degeneration into self-righteousness. Intendments of holiness have more than once been ruined […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XII – John Owen Providential changes, an argument for universal holiness. – 2 peter 3:11      Use 1. Of trial or examination.      Hath Christ for many years now been in an especial manner come amongst us? Do these alterations relate to him and his interest, and so […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon XI – John Owen Providential changes, an argument for universal holiness. – 2 peter 3:11      2. The second ground is, because every such day is a lesser day of judgment, — a forerunner, pledge, and evidence of that great day of the Lord which is to come. God’s […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon X – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon X – John Owen Providential changes, an argument for universal holiness. “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” — 2 Pet. 3:11.       That this second epistle was written unto the same persons […]

Soul: the essence, existence and expression

Soul: the essence, existence and expression – Chambers, Oswald Chapter VII    Soul: the essence, existence and expression Fleshly Presentation of the Soul 1. In embryo (a) before consciousness (psalm 139:15; Hosea 12:3; genesis 25:22; Luke 1:41) (b) breath consciousness (genesis 2:7; Isaiah 2:22) (c) blood circulation (genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10 14) 2. In evolution (d) […]

THE HAPPY HOPE

THE HAPPY HOPE – Alexander Maclaren Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.’ — Titus 2:13. THERE are two appearances spoken of in this context – the appearance of ‘the grace of God that bringeth salvation’; and parallel with that, though at the same […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon IX – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon IX – John Owen Of walking humbly with God. – Mic. 6:8.      We have at large considered the nature of this duty.      III. Let us now proceed to prove the proposition at first laid down, and shut up the whole; viz., —      Humble walking […]

THE PURPOSE OF GRACE

THE PURPOSE OF GRACE – Alexander Maclaren To appreciate the full force of these words, we must observe that they are the Apostle’s statement of the ultimate design of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, and of all the wonderful powers and gifts which Christ brought with Him. In our text, the end for […]

Soul: the essence, existence and expression

Soul: the essence, existence and expression – Chambers, Oswald Chapter VI     Soul: the essence, existence and expression Fundamental Powers of the Soul   1. Contraction (a) first power. Self-comprehending (Deuteronomy 13:67; 1 Samuel 18:1) (b) second power. Stretching beyond itself (psalm 27:12) 2. Expansion (c) third power. Self-living ( job 2:6; john 10:11) (d) fourth […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon VIII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon VIII – John Owen Of walking humbly with God. – Mic. 6:8.      What it is to humble ourselves to the law of God’s grace, you have heard.      (2.) I come now to show what it is to humble ourselves to the law of his providence. By […]

THE SCHOOL OF GRACE

THE SCHOOL OF GRACE – Alexander Maclaren THE Apostle has been giving fatherly admonitions as to very elementary pieces of morality, addressed to both sexes, and to all ages. He winds up with inculcating on Christian slaves some obvious duties, such as obedience and honesty. In my text he bases all these on what was […]

Soul: the essence, existence and expression

Soul: the essence, existence and expression – Chambers, Oswald Chapter V   Soul: the essence, existence  and expression   1. The term soul (generally (a) applied to men and animals (genesis 1:2021, 24, 30) (b) applied to men, not animals (genesis 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:45) (c) applied to men individually (genesis 12:13; 1 Samuel 18:1) N. […]

CHRISTIANS MAKING THE GOSPEL BEAUTIFUL

CHRISTIANS MAKING THE GOSPEL BEAUTIFUL – Alexander Maclaren ‘That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. —Titus 2:18 THAT is a wonderful hope to hold forth before any man, that he may add beauty to the gospel. And it is still more wonderful when we remember that these words were […]

PAUL’S DYING CONFIDENCE

PAUL’S DYING CONFIDENCE – Alexander Maclaren If we leave out of notice for a moment the two or three salutations and personal messages which follow, these are the last words of Paul’s last letter. So he disappears from history with this ringing cry of confidence upon his lips. There was enough in his circumstances to […]

DEMAS, LUKE, MARK

DEMAS, LUKE, MARK – Alexander Maclaren The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly Kingdom: to Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’ — 2 Timothy 4:13. THIS last of Paul’s letters is written, as is generally supposed, in his second imprisonment, and very near his […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon VII – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon VII – John Owen Of walking humbly with God. – Mic. 6:8.      What it is to walk with God hath been declared.     II. What is added thereunto of duty, in this qualification, comes nextly to be considered.      Amongst the many eminent qualifications of the […]

Man: his creatIon, calling and communion

Man: his creatIon, calling and communion – Chambers, Oswald Chapter IV     Man: his creation, calling and communionReadjustment by Redemption   1. Incarnation. Word made weak ( john 1:14) god-man (a) self-surrender of trinity ( john 17:5; mark 13:32: Ephesians 4:10) (b) self-same with trinity (Matthew 11:27; john 14:9) (c) self-sufficiency of trinity (proverbs 8:22 32) […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon VI – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon VI – John Owen Of walking humbly with God. – Mic. 6:8.      Having told you what things are previously required to our walking with God, —      2. Our next inquiry is, as to the matter or thing itself; — what it is to walk with God. […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon V – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon V – John Owen Of walking humbly with God. “And to walk humbly with thy God.” — Mic. 6:8.      The beginning of this chapter contains a most pathetical expostulation of God, by the prophet, with his people, about their sins and unworthy walking before him. Having, with an apostrophe […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon IV – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon IV – John Owen The nature and beauty of gospel worship. Eph. 2:18      5. This also adds greatly to the glory and excellency of evangelical worship, that we have in it an access unto God, “in one Spirit,” or “by one Spirit.”      I shall show in […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon III – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon III – John Owen The nature and beauty of gospel worship. “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.” Eph. 2:18.      In the foregoing verses the apostle makes mention of a double reconciliation, wrought by the blood of the cross, — the one, of […]

Man: his creation, calling and communion

Man: his creation, calling and communion – Chambers, Oswald Chapter IIIMan: his creation, calling  and communionMan’s Unmaking   1. The primal anarchy (genesis 3; Romans 5:12) (a) The serpent (genesis 3:1) (b) The serpent and eve (2 Corinthians 11:3) (c) The serpent, eve and Adam (1 timothy 2:14) Original sin -doing without god 2. The […]

Man: his creation, calling and Communion

Man: his creation, calling and Communion – Chambers, Oswald Chapter II  Man: his creation, calling  and Communion Man’s Making 1. The man of gods making (genesis 2:425) (a) the image of god ( john 4:24) (b) the image of god in angels (genesis 6:2; psalm 89:6; job 1:6; job 38:7) (c) the image of god […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon II – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon II – John Owen The strength of faith. Romans 4:20      The use of the point insisted on is, to encourage to the duty so commended and exalted; or, it contains motives unto steadfastness in believing the promises. Amongst the many that are usually insisted on to this purpose, […]

Man: his creation, calling and Communion

Man: his creation, calling and Communion – Chambers, Oswald Chapter I Although the passages quoted appear as texts, they are really portions of connected revelation . 1. Conditions before mans creation (genesis 1:1) (a) celestial creations ( job 38:47) (b) celestial catastrophe (Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18) (c) celestial condemnation ( john 8:44; Jude 6) 2. […]

Biblical Psychology

Biblical Psychology – Chambers, Oswald A Series of Preliminary StudiesOswald Chambers Introduction Source These lectures were given at the bible training col- lege, london, during 1911.1 . Publication history as articles: in gods revivalist magazine, march 1911january 1912. . As a book: published in 1912 by gods revivalist press, Cincinnati, Ohio. . Mrs. Chambers reprinted […]

vii.How to think about our Fellow-men

vii.How to think about our Fellow-men – Chambers, Oswald A new commandment i give unto you, that ye love one another; as i have loved you, that ye also love one another. John 13:34 There is no subject more intimately interesting to modern people than mans relationship to man; but men get impatient when they […]

vi. how to think about the scriptures

vi. how to think about the scriptures – Chambers, Oswald 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. Hebrews 4:12. […]

v. How to think about the atonement

v. How to think about the atonement – Chambers, Oswald God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. . . . 2 Corinthians 5:19 (see 2 Corinthians 5:1821) The modern view of the atonement is that it simply reveals the oneness of god and man; immediately we turn to the new testament we find […]

Iv. How to think about sin

Iv. How to think about sin – Chambers, Oswald Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is full grown, bringeth forth death. James 1:15 (RV) How do we think about sin habitually, as Christians? If we have light views about sin we are not students in the school […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon I – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II – Sermon I – John Owen  The strength of faith. “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. — Rom. 4:20.      In this chapter the apostle singleth out a signal example, to make good the conclusion which, by sundry convincing […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part II. Sermons Published 1721 – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part II. Sermons Published 1721 – John Owen Prefatory note.      Under the second division of the Posthumous Sermons of Owen are included all the previously unpublished discourses which appeared in the folio edition of his Sermons and Tracts, 1721. The editors of that volume state, after alluding to his sermons formerly printed, — “With […]

Posthumous Sermons: Part I , Jer. 51:5. – A Sermon Published 1690 – John Owen

Posthumous Sermons: Part I , Jer. 51:5. – A Sermon Published 1690 – John Owen Prefatory note.      The following is the first of Owen’s posthumous Sermons. It was preached on the occasion of a fast, December 22, 1681; and was published separately, in 1690, with the subjoined quaint preface by Daniel Burgess. The […]

A PRISONER’S DYING THOUGHTS

A PRISONER’S DYING THOUGHTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. — 2 Timothy […]

LIGHT AT EVENTIDE

LIGHT AT EVENTIDE – Alexander Maclaren ‘I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long- suffering and doctrine 3 For the time […]

FORM AND POWER

FORM AND POWER – Alexander Maclaren IN this, his last letter and legacy, the Apostle Paul is much occupied with the anticipation of coming evils. It is most natural that the faithful watchman, knowing that the hour of relieving guard was very near at hand, should eagerly scan the horizon in quest of the enemies […]

THE GREAT HOUSE AND ITS VESSELS

THE GREAT HOUSE AND ITS VESSELS – Alexander Maclaren ‘But In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, […]

THE FOUNDATION AND THE SEAL

THE FOUNDATION AND THE SEAL – Alexander Maclaren THERE was a great deal in the Apostle Paul’s last days to excuse despondency and sadness. For himself he was poor, and a prisoner, lonely and old, looking forward to the near approach of a bloody death. For the gospel and the Church the outlook was black […]

A FAITHFUL GOD

A FAITHFUL GOD – Alexander Maclaren I HAVE chosen this text, not as intending to deal with it only, so much as with the great thought to which it gives such emphatic expression. The faithfulness of God is a familiar enough phrase, but I suspect that the depth and scope of the thought are not […]

THE TRUE AIM OF LIFE PLEASING CHRIST

THE TRUE AIM OF LIFE PLEASING CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren PAUL had enough to do to infuse some of his own vigour into the feebler nature of Timothy. If we may judge from the prevailing tone of the Apostle’s letters to him, his young assistant lacked courage and energy; was easily beaten down, needed tonics […]

GOD’S STEWARDS

GOD’S STEWARDS – Alexander Maclaren THE Apostle has just been expressing his confidence for himself that ‘God is able to keep that which I have committed’ unto him ‘against that day.’ Here, with intentional parallelism, he repeats the leading ideas and key-words of that great confidence, but in a wholly different connection. Whether we suppose […]

SOUND WORDS

SOUND WORDS – Alexander Maclaren ANY great author or artist passes, in the course of his work, from one manner to another; so that a person familiar with him can date pretty accurately his books or pictures as being in his ‘earlier’ or ‘later’ style So there is nothing surprising in the fact that there […]

A QUIET HEART

A QUIET HEART – Alexander Maclaren THERE is some ambiguity in the original words of this text, lying in that clause which is translated in our Bibles – both Authorised and Revised – ‘that which I have committed unto Him.’ The margin of the Revised Version gives as an alternative reading, ‘that which He hath […]

WHAT KIND OF MEN CHRIST MAKES

WHAT KIND OF MEN CHRIST MAKES – Alexander Maclaren THE parts which we should naturally have expected Paul and Timothy to fill are reversed in this letter. ‘Paul the aged,’ a prisoner, and soon to be a martyr, might have been expected to receive encouragement and consolation. But Timothy seems to have been of a […]

III. how to think about man

III. how to think about man – Chambers, Oswald What is man, that thou are mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psalm 8:4 The christian faith declares the spiritual nature and dignity of man, that his creation is in the divine image and his destination is to bear the […]

II. How to think about the lord Jesus Christ

II. How to think about the lord Jesus Christ – Chambers, Oswald All things have been delivered unto me of my father: and no one knoweth the son, save the father. Mat- thew 11:27 (RV) In Matthew 11:27 the unique position of Jesus Christ to his own consciousness is clearly exhibited. The mystery of the […]

I. how to think about God

I. how to think about God – Chambers, Oswald Lord, shew us the father, and it sufficeth us . . . . He that hath seen me hath seen the father; and how sayest thou then, shew us the father? John 14:89 How do we think about god habitually? Jesus said, he that hath seen […]

With Christ In the school of philosophy

With Christ In the school of philosophy – Chambers, Oswald 1. The new thinking of pentecost . . . The things of the spirit of god. (1 Corinthians 2:14) Everywhere the charge is made against christian people, not only the generality of Christians, but really spiritual people, that they think in a very slovenly manner. […]

Where Jesus Christ tells

Where Jesus Christ tells – Chambers, Oswald 1. In the domain of struggle and sin If Jesus Christ does not mean anything to you it is because you have not entered into the domain where he tells; you may have to enter that domain through a ruthless doorway. Immediately you go through the bottom board […]

Personality—Iv

Personality—Iv – Chambers, Oswald I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless i live; yet not i, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which i now live in the flesh i live by the faith of the son of god, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 1. The sacrifice of soul […]

Personality—III

Personality—III – Chambers, Oswald Psalm 139Intercessory Introspection 1. The supernatural intimacy of god (psalm 139:16) O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. (psalm 139:1) The l39th psalm ought to be the personal experi- ence of every christian. My own introspection, or exploration of myself, will lead me astray, but when i realise not […]

Personality—II

Personality—II – Chambers, Oswald Self-Realization versus Christ-Realization Self-realization is a modern phrase be moral, be religious, be upright, in order that you may realise yourself. Nothing blinds the mind to the claims of Jesus more effectually than a good moral life based on the disposition of self-realisation. Paul says, if our gospel is veiled, it […]

Personality—I

Personality—I – Chambers, Oswald Personality is the perplexing fact of my self which is continually changing and yet remains the same. Personality is an enigma; its only answer is god. Never confound personality with consciousness; all that can be dealt with psychologically is consciousness, but a mans salvation is not limited to his consciousness. 1. […]

The ethics of enthusiasm

The ethics of enthusiasm – Chambers, Oswald Ephesians 5 Enthusiasm means, to use the phrase of a German mystic, intoxicated with god; the word has come down in the world and popularly means anything that enthuses. Christianity takes all the emotions, all the dangerous elements of human nature, the things which lead us astray, all […]

Is Christianity worthy of god?

Is Christianity worthy of god? – Chambers, Oswald YMCA hut , Zeitoun, Egypt , April 10, 1917Is Christianity worthy of god?2 Corinthians 5:18–21 The redemption is gods battle unto death with sin. Dr. Forsyth There is a presentation of Christianity which is senti-mental and weak and unworthy of god; the Christianity of the new testament […]

The Fundamental offence

The Fundamental offence – Chambers, Oswald “Now is the day of salvation,” and to do it now is the “thank you” of our acceptance of that salvation.April 9, 1917 — Zeitoun YMCA huts, Egypt The Fundamental offense   And apart from shedding of blood there is no remission. Hebrews 9:22 1. Christ is the blood of […]

Spiritual construction—III

Spiritual construction—III – Chambers, Oswald Do It!John 13:13–18 We have to recognise that we are one half mechanical and one half mysterious; to live in either domain and ignore the other is to be a fool or a fanatic. The great supernatural work of gods grace is in the incalculable part of our nature; we […]

Spiritual construction—II

Spiritual construction—II – Chambers, Oswald The Alloy 1. The divine and the human But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of god, and not of us. (2 Corinthians 4:7) In spiritual reconstruction after the war the purely spiritual line, if it ignores the human, will be […]

Spiritual construction—I

Spiritual construct Ion—I – Chambers, Oswald Nehemiah 4:1–6 So we built the wall. (Nehemiah 4:6) The first essential in spiritual construction is to clear away the rubbish. Nehemiah could not begin to build until the rubbish had been dealt with (see Nehemiah 4:2). Rubbish is waste matter, and there is the moral equivalent of rubbish […]

Spiritual evolution

Spiritual evolution – Chambers, Oswald Evolution means a gradual working out or development. There is a difference between natural evolution and spiritual evolution: in natural evolution we do not know the final goal; in spiritual evolution the goal is given before the start. . . Till we all come in the unity of the faith […]

Sermon XVI – Luke 13:1–5 – John Owen

Sermon XVI – Luke 13:1–5 – John Owen An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations;or,the only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruin by impendent judgments: in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,Luke 13:1–4. “Cry aloud, spare not; […]

The moral Individual—III

The moral Individual—III – Chambers, Oswald Conversion The literal meaning of conversion is a change of mind after watching certain facts, e. G. , we read in acts 28 that the barbarians changed their minds about Paul (acts 28:6). We are dealing with conversion here not so much on the religious side as the ethical. […]

A VETERAN’S COUNSELS TO A YOUNG SOLDIER

A VETERAN’S COUNSELS TO A YOUNG SOLDIER – Alexander Maclaren Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ By the will of God, according to the promise life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord 3 I thank God, […]

THE END OF THE COMMANDMENT

THE END OF THE COMMANDMENT – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now, the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.’ — 1 TIM.1.6. The Apostle has just said that he left Timothy in Ephesus, in order to check some tendencies there which were giving anxiety. […]

THE HEART’S HOME AND GUIDE

THE HEART’S HOME AND GUIDE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.’ — 2 THESS. iii.5. A word or two of explanation of terms may preface our remarks on this, the third of the Apostle’s prayers for the Thessalonians in this letter. […]

CHRIST GLORIFIED IN GLORIFIED MEN

CHRIST GLORIFIED IN GLORIFIED MEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘He shall come to be glorified in His saints; and to be admired in all them that believe.’ — 2 THESS. i.10. The two Epistles to the Thessalonians, which are the Apostle’s earliest letters, both give very great prominence to the thought of the second coming of […]

PAUL’S EARLIEST TEACHING

PAUL’S EARLIEST TEACHING – Alexander Maclaren ‘I charge you, by the Lord, that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren,’ — 1 THESS. v.27. If the books of the New Testament were arranged according to the dates of their composition, this epistle would stand first. It was written somewhere about twenty years after […]

CONTINUAL PRAYER AND ITS EFFECTS

CONTINUAL PRAYER AND ITS EFFECTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.’ — 1 THESS. v.16-18. The peculiarity and the stringency of these three precepts is the unbroken continuity which they require. To rejoice, to pray, to give thanks, are easy when circumstances favour, as a taper burns steadily in […]

EDIFICATION

EDIFICATION – Alexander Maclaren ‘Edify one another.’ — 1 THESS. v.11. I do not intend to preach about that clause only, but I take it as containing, in the simplest form, one of the Apostle’s favourite metaphors which runs through all his letters, and the significance of which, I think, is very little grasped by […]

WAKING AND SLEEPING

WAKING AND SLEEPING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.’ — 1 THESS. v.10. In these words the Apostle concludes a section of this, his earliest letter, in which he has been dealing with the aspect of death in reference to […]

THE WORK AND ARMOUR OF THE CHILDREN OF THE DAY

THE WORK AND ARMOUR OF THE CHILDREN OF THE DAY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for ahelmet the hope of salvation.’ — 1 THESS. v.8. This letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest book of the New Testament. It […]

SLEEPING THROUGH JESUS

SLEEPING THROUGH JESUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘ . . . Them also which sleep in Jesus . . .’ — 1 THESS. iv.14. That expression is not unusual, in various forms, in the Apostle’s writings. It suggests a very tender and wonderful thought of closeness and union between our Lord and the living dead, so […]

WALKING WORTHILY

WALKING WORTHILY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Walk worthy of God.’ — 1 THESS. ii.12. Here we have the whole law of Christian conduct in a nutshell. There may be many detailed commandments, but they can all be deduced from this one. We are lifted up above the region of petty prescriptions, and breathe a bracing mountain […]

GOD’S TRUMPET

GOD’S TRUMPET – Alexander Maclaren ‘From you sounded out the word of God.’ — 1 THESS. i.8. This is Paul’s first letter. It was written very shortly after his first preaching of the Gospel in the great commercial city of Thessalonica. But though the period since the formation of the Thessalonian Church was so brief, […]

FAITH, LOVE, HOPE, AND THEIR FRUITS

FAITH, LOVE, HOPE, AND THEIR FRUITS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope.’ — 1 THESS. i.3. This Epistle, as I suppose we all know, is Paul’s first letter. He had been hunted out of Thessalonica by the mob, made the best of his way to Athens, […]

RISEN WITH CHRIST

RISEN WITH CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.’ — COL. iii.1, 2. There are three aspects in which the New Testament treats the […]

THE SOUL’S PERFECTION

THE SOUL’S PERFECTION – Alexander Maclaren ‘Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.’ — PHIL. iii. 15. ‘As many as be perfect’; and how many may they be? Surely a very short bede-roll would contain their […]

CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

CITIZENS OF HEAVEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28. And […]

PEACE LOVE AND FAITH

PEACE LOVE AND FAITH – Alexander Maclaren ‘Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith.’ — Eph. vi.23. The numerous personal greetings usually found at the close of Paul’s letters are entirely absent from this Epistle. All which we have in their place is this entirely general good wish, and the still more general […]

MEASURELESS POWER AND ENDLESS GLORY

MEASURELESS POWER AND ENDLESS GLORY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21. Unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.’ — Eph. iii.20, 21. […]

THE PARADOX OF LOVE’S MEASURE

THE PARADOX OF LOVE’S MEASURE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The breadth, and length, and depth, and height.’ — Eph. iii.18. Of what? There can, I think, be no doubt as to the answer. The next clause is evidently the continuation of the idea begun in that of our text, and it runs: ‘And to know the love […]

THE INDWELLING CHRIST

THE INDWELLING CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; ye being rooted and grounded in love.’ — Eph. iii.17. We have here the second step of the great staircase by which Paul’s fervent desires for his Ephesian friends climbed towards that wonderful summit of his prayers — which is […]

STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT

STRENGTHENED WITH MIGHT – Alexander Maclaren That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory; to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.’ — Eph. iii.16. In no part of Paul’s letters does he rise to a higher level than in his prayers, and none of his prayers […]

‘ACCORDING TO’—II

‘ACCORDING TO’—II – Alexander Maclaren ‘According to the riches of His grace.’—Eph. i. 7. We have seen, in a previous sermon, that a characteristic note of this letter is the frequent occurrence of that phrase ‘according to.’ I also then pointed out that it was employed in two different directions. One class of passages, with […]

ACCORDING TO’-I.

ACCORDING TO’-I. – Alexander Maclaren ‘According to the riches of His grace.’—Eph. i. 7. That phrase, ‘according to,’ is one of the key-words of this profound epistle, which occurs over and over again, like a refrain. I reckon twelve instances of it in three chapters of the letter, and they all introduce one or other […]

BURDEN BEARING

BURDEN BEARING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. . . .5. For every man shall bear his own burden.’ — GAL. vi.25. The injunction in the former of these verses appears, at first sight, to be inconsistent with the statement in the latter. But Paul has […]

WHAT MAKES A CHRISTIAN CIRCUMCISIONOR FAITH

WHAT MAKES A CHRISTIAN: CIRCUMCISION OR FAITH – Alexander Maclaren ‘In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.’ — GAL. v.6. It is a very singular instance of imaginative misreading of plain facts that the primitive Church should be held up as a pattern Church. The early […]

THE SON SENT

THE SON SENT – Alexander Maclaren ‘When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them which were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.’ — GAL. iv.4, 5 (R.V.). It is generally supposed that by […]

THE EVIL EYE AND THE CHARM

THE EVIL EYE AND THE CHARM – Alexander Maclaren ‘Who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eye Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?’ — GAL. iii.1. The Revised Version gives a shorter, and probably correct, form of this vehement question. It omits the two clauses […]

NOT YOURS BUT YOU

NOT YOURS BUT YOU – Alexander Maclaren Men are usually quick to suspect others of the vices to which they themselves are prone. It is very hard for one who never does anything but with an eye to what he can make out of it, to believe that there are other people actuated by higher […]

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS – Alexander Maclaren ‘For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may […]

SIMPLICITY TOWARDS CHRIST

SIMPLICITY TOWARDS CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.’ — 2 COR. xi.3. The Revised Version, amongst other alterations, reads, ‘the simplicity that is towards Christ.’ The inaccurate rendering of the Authorised […]

ALL GRACE ABOUNDING

ALL GRACE ABOUNDING – Alexander Maclaren ‘God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all-sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.’  – 2 COR. ix.8. In addition to all his other qualities the Apostle was an extremely good man of business; and he had a field […]

SORROW ACCORDING TO GOD

SORROW ACCORDING TO GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the worldworketh death.’ — 2 COR. vii.10. Very near the close of his missionary career the Apostle Paul summed up his preaching as being all directed to enforcing two points, ‘Repentance towards God, […]

PLEASING CHRIST

PLEASING CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘We labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of Him.’ — 2 COR. v.2. We do not usually care very much for, or very much trust, a man’s own statement of the motives of his life, especially if in the statement he takes credit for lofty and […]

THE OLD HOUSE AND THE NEW

THE OLD HOUSE AND THE NEW – Alexander Maclaren There lie in the words of my text simply these two things; the Christian view of what death is, and the Christian temper in which to anticipate it. I. First, the Christian view of what death is. Now it is to be observed that, properly speaking, […]

TENT AND BUILDING

TENT AND BUILDING – Alexander Maclaren ‘For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’ — 2 COR. v.1. Knowledge and ignorance, doubt and certitude, are remarkably blended in these words. The Apostle knows what […]

LOOKING AT THE UNSEEN

LOOKING AT THE UNSEEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.’ — 2 COR. iv.18. Men may be said to be divided into two classes, materialists and idealists, in the widest sense of those two words. The mass care for, and […]

TRANSFORMATION BY BEHOLDING

TRANSFORMATION BY BEHOLDING – Alexander Maclaren ‘We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image.’ — 2 COR. iii.18. This whole section of the Epistle in which our text occurs is a remarkable instance of the fervid richness of the Apostle’s mind, which […]

The moral Individual—III –

The moral Individual—III – Chambers, Oswald Conversion The literal meaning of conversion is a change of mind after watching certain facts, e. G. , we read in acts 28 that the barbarians changed their minds about paul (acts 28:6). We are dealing with conversion here not so much on the religious side as the ethical. […]

The moral Individual—II

The moral Individual—II – Chambers, Oswald THE WORLD          WORLDLY            OTHERWORLDLYIn It                         Of It                           In It but Not of It   1. The world in it The term world is used to mean the material world, and the men and women in it we are all in it in this sense. The […]

The moral Individual—I

The moral Individual—I – Chambers, Oswald Individuality Individuality is the husk of the personal life, it is all elbows; it separates and isolates. The husk of individuality is gods created natural covering for the protection of the personal life, but unless individuality gets transfigured it becomes objectionable, egotistical and conceited, interested only in its own […]

Moral Institutions—II

Moral Institutions—II – Chambers, Oswald In Practice By in practice is meant fitness through regular exercise. If we do not fit ourselves by practice when there is no crisis, we shall find that our nature will fail us when the crisis comes. The grace of god never fails, but we may fail the grace of […]

Moral Institution—I

Moral Institution—I – Chambers, Oswald In Precept By in precept is meant necessary principles laid down beforehand. God has ordained that man is to govern man, whether he wants to or not. This keeps socialism from being it; the socialistic scheme falls to pieces because it ignores the fact that human institutions are not utilitarian, […]

The moral Imperative—II

The moral Imperative—II – Chambers, Oswald (i.e., a law universal and binding on every rational will) Why Should I Do What I Ought to Do? Authority in the final sense must spring from within. To begin with, we are educated by means of authority on the out side thou shalt and thou shalt not; but […]

The moral Imperative—I

The moral Imperative—I – Chambers, Oswald (i.e., a law universal and binding on every rational will)How Can I Do What I Ought to Do? Strictly speaking, there is no disobedience possible to an imperative law, the only alternative being destruction. In this sense the moral law is not imperative, because it can be disobeyed and […]

Biblical Ethics

Biblical Ethics – Chambers, Oswald                                   Biblical Ethics Oswald Chambers Copyright 1947 by Oswald Chambers Publications AssociationScripture is quoted from the KJV and the RV Introductions Source These lectures were given by Oswald chambers at: the bible training college, 1 191115. League of prayer meetings in Britain, 190915. Zeitoun YMCA huts, classes for soldiers in […]

Sermon XV – 1 Peter 2:3 – John Owen

Sermon XV – 1 Peter 2:3 – John Owen The chamber of imagery in the church of Rome laid open;or, an antidote against Popery.********************************************** “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” — 1 Pet. 2:3.      When false worship had prevailed in the church of old unto its ruin, God […]

ANATHEMA AND GRACE

ANATHEMA AND GRACE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.’ — 1 COR. xvi.21-24. Terror […]

THE CERTAINTY AND JOY OF THE RESURRECTION

THE CERTAINTY AND JOY OF THE RESURRECTION – Alexander Maclaren ‘But now is Christ risen from the dead … the first fruits of them that slept.’ — 1 COR. xv.20. The Apostle has been contemplating the long train of dismal consequences which he sees would arise if we only had a dead Christ. He thinks […]

A SERVANT OF MEN

A SERVANT OF MEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the […]

THE SIN OF SILENCE

THE SIN OF SILENCE – Alexander Maclaren ‘For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel! 17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward.’ — 1 COR. ix.16, 17. The original […]

LOVE BUILDETH UP

LOVE BUILDETH UP – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now, as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth 2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know 3 But if any man love God, the same […]

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.’—1 Corinthians 7:24. You find that three times within the compass of a very few verses this injunction is repeated. ‘As God hath distributed to every man,’ says the Apostle in the seventeenth verse, ‘as the Lord hath […]

SLAVES AND FREE

SLAVES AND FREE – Alexander Maclaren ‘He that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s free man: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.’ — 1 COR. vii.22. This remarkable saying occurs in a remarkable connection, and is used for a remarkable purpose. The Apostle has been […]

FORMS VERSUS CHARACTER

FORMS VERSUS CHARACTER – Alexander Maclaren ‘Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.’ — 1 COR. vii.19. ‘For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.’ — GAL. v.6. ‘For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.’ […]

THE FESTAL LIFE

THE FESTAL LIFE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven … but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.’ — 1 COR. v.8. There had been hideous immorality in the Corinthian Church. Paul had struck at it with heat and force, sternly commanding the exclusion of the sinner. […]

THE THREE TRIBUNALS

THE THREE TRIBUNALS – Alexander Maclaren ‘But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.4. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord.’ — 1 […]

TEMPLES OF GOD

TEMPLES OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?’ — 1 COR. iii.16 The great purpose of Christianity is to make men like Jesus Christ. As He is the image of the invisible God we are to be the images of the unseen Christ. The Scripture is very […]

THE TESTING FIRE

THE TESTING FIRE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble: 13. Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.’ […]

TERTIUS

TERTIUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘I, Tertius, who write the epistle, salute you in the Lord.’ — ROMANS xvi.22 (R.V.). One sometimes sees in old religious pictures, in some obscure corner, a tiny kneeling figure, the portrait of the artist. So Tertius here gets leave to hold the pen for a moment on his own account, […]

TRANSFIGURATION

TRANSFIGURATION – Alexander Maclaren ‘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 xii.2. I had occasion to point out, in a sermon on the preceding verse, that the Apostle is, […]

LOVE’S TRIUMPH

LOVE’S TRIUMPH – Alexander Maclaren ‘Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.’ — ROMANS viii.38, 39. These rapturous words are the climax of the Apostle’s long […]

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

More than Conquerors – Alexander Maclaren ‘Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.’ — ROMANS viii.37. In order to understand and feel the full force of this triumphant saying of the Apostle, we must observe that it is a negative answer to the preceding questions, ‘Who shall […]

THE GIFT THAT BRINGS ALL GIFTS

THE GIFT THAT BRINGS ALL GIFTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?’ — ROMANS viii.32. We have here an allusion to, if not a distinct quotation from, the narrative in Genesis, of […]

SUFFERING WITH CHRIST, A CONDITION OF GLORY WITH CHRIST

SUFFERING WITH CHRIST, A CONDITION OF GLORY WITH CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘…Joint heirs with Christ: if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.’ — ROMANS viii.17. In the former part of this verse the Apostle tells us that in order to be heirs of God, we must […]

SONS AND HEIRS

SONS AND HEIRS – Alexander Maclaren ‘If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.’ — ROMANS viii.17. God Himself is His greatest gift. The loftiest blessing which we can receive is that we should be heirs, possessors of God. There is a sublime and wonderful mutual possession of which Scripture speaks much […]

THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT

THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.’ — ROMANS viii.18. The sin of the world is a false confidence, a careless, complacent taking for granted that a man is a Christian when he is not. The fault, and sorrow, […]

WORLD-WIDE SIN AND WORLD-WIDE REDEMPTION

WORLD-WIDE SIN AND WORLD-WIDE REDEMPTION – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified […]

Sermon XIV – Luke 16:29 – John Owen

Sermon XIV – Luke 16:29 – John Owen The testimony of the church is not the only nor the chief reason of our believing the scripture to be the word of God. “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” — Luke 16:29.      As everlasting blessedness — men’s greatest and most […]

Disguise of the actual

Disguise of the actual – Chambers, Oswald Job 42:7–17 That low man seeks a little thing to do, sees it and does it: this high man, with a great thing to pursue, dies ere he knows it. That low man goes on adding one to one, his hundreds soon hit: this high man, aiming at […]

Locks v. Keys

Locks v. Keys – Chambers, Oswald Job 42:1–6   You tell me, doubt is devil-born i know not: one indeed i knew in many a subtle question versed, who touchd a jarring lyre first, but ever strove to make it true: perplext in faith, but pure in deeds, at last he beat his music out. […]

The passion For reality

The passion For reality – Chambers, Oswald Job 38–41   We cannot kindle when we will the fire which in the heart resides; the spirit bloweth and is still, in mystery our soul abides. But tasks in hours of insight willd can be through hours of gloom fulfilld with aching hands and bleeding feet we […]

Sermon XIII – Psalm 141:5 – John Owen

Sermon XIII – Psalm 141:5 – John Owen How we may bring our hearts to bear reproofs.*********************************** Prefatory note to the three following discourses.       In the year 1672, the government of Charles II. began to abate its severity against Dissent. Penal laws against the Nonconformists and Popish recusants were suspended. They were […]

The passion For authority

The passion For authority – Chambers, Oswald Job 32–37 In Elihu the passion for authority is represented. The average man in jobs condition is apt to break away from all authority. A lesser man than job would have become a sophist and said that every man is a law unto himself, i. E. , his […]

Sermon XII – Isaiah 4:5 – John Owen

Sermon XII – Isaiah 4:5 – John Owen The glory and interest of nations professing the gospel.************************************ Prefatory note      A great event has occurred since the last two sermons, comparatively cheerful and buoyant in their tone, were preached. Oliver Cromwell is dead. His son Richard is in his place; but cannot fill it. […]

Parables

Parables – Chambers, Oswald Job 26–31 Be near me when my light is low, When the blood creeps, and the nerves prick And tingle; and the heart is sick, And all the wheels of being slow. Be near me when the sensuous frame Is rackd with pangs that conquer trust; And time, a maniac scattering […]

The primal clash

The primal clash – Chambers, Oswald Job 21–25 If we are going to understand the ordinary run of human life we must take into account the extraordinary experiences and tragedies. One reason for the futility of pseudo-evangelism is that we have taken the mediocre man, the average man, as the one best able to expound […]

The Bitterest hurt In life

The Bitterest hurt In life – Chambers, Oswald Job 18–20 Nay but much rather let me late returning Bruised of my brethren, wounded from within. Stoop with sad countenance and blushes burning. Bitter with weariness and sick with sin, Safe to the hidden house of thine abiding Carry the weak knees and the heart that […]

Sermon XI – 2 Chronicles 15:2 – John Owen

Sermon XI – 2 Chronicles 15:2 – John Owen God’s presence with a people the spring of their prosperity;with their special interest in abiding with him.************************ Prefatory note      Before the same Parliament to which the last discourse was delivered, Dr Owen made a similar appearance on October 30, 1656. The close of the […]

Sermon X – Isaiah 14:32 – John Owen

Sermon X – Isaiah 14:32 – John Owen God’s work in founding Zion, and his people’s duty thereupon. ******************************************************** Prefatory note.      An English Parliament was summoned by Cromwell, as Lord Protector, to meet at Westminster on the 17th September 1656. At this time Admiral Blake was pursuing his victorious career, and combating on […]

THE GOSPEL THE POWER OF GOD

THE GOSPEL THE POWER OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one thatbelieveth.’ — ROMANS i.16.   To preach the Gospel in Rome had long been the goal of Paul’s hopes. He wished to do in the […]

DEBTORS TO ALL MEN

DEBTORS TO ALL MEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘I am a debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise.’ — ROMANS i.14. No doubt Paul is here referring to the special obligation laid upon him by his divine call to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. He […]

FAITH IN CHRIST

FAITH IN CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘…Faith that is in Me.’ — ACTS xxvi.18. It is commonly said, and so far as the fact is concerned, said truly, that what are called the distinguishing doctrines of Christianity are rather found in the Epistles than in the Gospels. If we wish the clearest statements of the […]

CHRIST’S REMONSTRANCES

CHRIST’S REMONSTRANCES – Alexander Maclaren ‘And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why perseoutest thou Me! it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.’ — ACTS xxvi.14. ‘Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard […]

AN OLD DISCIPLE

AN OLD DISCIPLE – Alexander Maclaren ‘… One Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.’ — ACTS xxi.16. There is something that stimulates the imagination in these mere shadows of men that we meet in the New Testament story. What a strange fate that is to be made immortal by a […]

THE GREAT QUESTION AND THE PLAIN ANSWER

THE GREAT QUESTION AND THE PLAIN ANSWER – Alexander Maclaren ‘He brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved.’ — ACTS xvi.30, 31. The keeper of a Macedonian jail was not likely to be a […]

JOHN MARK

JOHN MARK – Alexander Maclaren ‘… John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.’ — ACTS xiii.13. The few brief notices of John Mark in Scripture are sufficient to give us an outline of his life, and some inkling of his character. He was the son of a well-to-do Christian woman in Jerusalem, whose house appears […]

RHODA

RHODA – Alexander Maclaren ‘A damsel … named Rhoda.’ — ACTS xii 13. ‘Rhoda’ means ‘a rose,’ and this rose has kept its bloom for eighteen hundred years, and is still sweet and fragrant! What a lottery undying fame is! Men will give their lives to earn it; and this servant-girl got it by one little act, […]

THE MARTYRDOM OF JAMES

THE MARTYRDOM OF JAMES – Alexander Maclaren ‘Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword.’ — ACTS xii.2. One might have expected more than a clause to be spared to tell the death of a chief man and the first martyr amongst the Apostles. James, as we know, was one of the group […]

WHAT A GOOD MAN IS, AND HOW HE BECOMES SO

WHAT A GOOD MAN IS, AND HOW HE BECOMES SO – Alexander Maclaren ‘He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.’ — ACTS xi, 24. ‘A good man.’ How easily that title is often gained! There is, perhaps, no clearer proof that men are bad than the sort of […]

THE EXHORTATION OF BARNABAS

THE EXHORTATION OF BARNABAS – Alexander Maclaren [Footnote: Preached before the Congregational Union of England and Wales.] ‘Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.’ — ACTS xi.23. The first purely heathen converts had been […]

THE FIRST PREACHING ATANTIOCH

THE FIRST PREACHING AT ANTIOCH – Alexander Maclaren ‘And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they ware come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.21. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.’ — ACTS xi.20, […]

PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

PHILIP THE EVANGELIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.’ — ACTS viii.40. The little that is known about Philip, the deacon and evangelist, may very soon be told. His name suggests, though by no means conclusively, that he […]

THE SERVANT AND THE SLAVES

THE SERVANT AND THE SLAVES – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thy servant David…’; ‘Thy Holy Servant Jesus…’; ‘Thy servants…’ — ACTS iv.26, 27, 29. I do not often take fragments of Scripture for texts; but though these are fragments, their juxtaposition results in by no means fragmentary thoughts. There is obvious intention in the recurrence of the […]

Sermon IX – Daniel 7:15 – John Owen

Sermon IX – Daniel 7:15 – John Owen Christ’s kingdom and the magistrate’s power ******************************************************** Prefatory note.      The complete title of the earlier editions of the following sermon indicates the design of the author, — “Concerning the Kingdom of Christ, and the Power of the Civil Magistrate about the things of the Worship […]

THE SERVANT OF THE LORD

THE SERVANT OF THE LORD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, In turning away every one of you from his iniquities.’ — ACTS iii.26. So ended Peter’s bold address to the wondering crowd gathered in the Temple courts around him, with his companion […]

A PURE CHURCH AN INCREASING CHURCH

A PURE CHURCH AN INCREASING CHURCH – Alexander Maclaren ‘And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ — ACTS ii.47. ‘And the Lord added to them day by day those that were being saved.’ — (R. V.) You observe that the principal alterations of these words in the Revised Version […]

THE FOURFOLD SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT

THE FOURFOLD SYMBOLS OF THE SPIRIT – Alexander Maclaren ‘A rushing mighty wind.’ … ‘Cloven tongues like as of fire.’ … ‘I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.’ — ACTS ii.2, 3, 17. ‘Ye have an unction from the Holy One.’ — 1 JOHN ii.20. Wind, fire, water, oil, — these four […]

Sermon VIII – Daniel 12:13 – John Owen

Sermon VIII – Daniel 12:13 – John Owen The labouring saint’s dismission to rest:A sermon preached at the funeral of the Right Hon. Henry Ireton, Lord-deputy of Ireland, ******************************************************** Prefatory note.      This sermon on the death of Ireton, though printed, as we are told in the dedication, from the first notes which the […]

Sermon VII – Ezekiel 17:24 – John Owen

Sermon VII – Ezekiel 17:24 – John Owen The advantage of the kingdom of Christ in the shaking of the kingdoms of the world;or,providential alterations in their subserviency to Christ’s exaltation. ******************************************************** Prefatory note.      The battle of Worcester, “the crowning mercy,” as Cromwell termed it, which effectually reduced Britain under his control, was […]

The Frontiers of despair

The Frontiers of despair – Chambers, Oswald Job 16–17   Then as i weary me and long and languish, nowise availing from that pain to part desperate tides of the whole great worlds anguish forced thro the channels of a single heart, straight to thy presence get me and reveal it, nothing ashamed of tears […]

Sermon VI – Isaiah 56:7 – John Owen

Sermon VI – Isaiah 56:7 – John Owen The branch of the Lord the beauty of Zion; or, the glory of the church in its relation unto Christ.Opened in two sermons: one preached at Berwick, the other at Edinburgh. ******************************************************** Prefatory note.       All the information which can be given respecting these sermons […]

THE SILENCE OF SCRIPTURE

THE SILENCE OF SCRIPTURE – Alexander Maclaren ‘And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.’ — […]

CHRIST’S FINISHED AND UNFINISHED WORK

CHRIST’S FINISHED AND UNFINISHED WORK – Alexander Maclaren ‘Jesus … said, It is finished.’ — JOHN xix.30. ‘He said unto me, It is done.’ — REV. xxi.6. One of these sayings was spoken from the Cross, the other from the Throne. The Speaker of both is the same. In the one, His voice ‘then shook […]

CHRIST AND HIS CAPTORS

CHRIST AND HIS CAPTORS – Alexander Maclaren ‘As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked He them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He: if therefore ye seek […]

PEACE AND VICTORY

PEACE AND VICTORY – Alexander Maclaren ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ — JOHN xvi.33. So end these wonderful discourses, and so ends our Lord’s teaching before His passion. He […]

FROM AND TO

FROM AND TO – Alexander Maclaren These majestic and strange words are the proper close of our Lord’s discourse, what follows being rather a reply to the disciples’ exclamation. There is nothing absolutely new in them, but what is new is the completeness and the brevity with which they cover the whole ground of His […]

SORROW TURNED INTO JOY

SORROW TURNED INTO JOY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as […]

THE GUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH

THE GUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH – Alexander Maclaren ‘I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 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: […]

THE WORLD’S HATRED, AS CHRIST SAW IT

THE WORLD’S HATRED, AS CHRIST SAW IT – Alexander Maclaren ‘But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He […]

SHEEP AMONG WOLVES

SHEEP AMONG WOLVES – Alexander Maclaren ‘If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. […]

CHRIST’S FRIENDS

CHRIST’S FRIENDS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you. Ye have […]

THE ONENESS OF THE BRANCHES

THE ONENESS OF THE BRANCHES – Alexander Maclaren ‘This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ — JOHN xv.12, 13. The union between Christ and His disciples has been tenderly set forth […]

ABIDING IN LOVE

ABIDING IN LOVE – Alexander Maclaren ‘As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye In My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that My […]

THE TRUE BRANCHES OF THE TRUE VINE

THE TRUE BRANCHES OF THE TRUE VINE – Alexander Maclaren ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and […]

THE TRUE VINE

THE TRUE VINE – Alexander Maclaren ‘I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken […]

CHRIST’S PEACE

CHRIST’S PEACE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ — JOHN xiv.27. ‘Peace be unto you!’ was, and is, the common Eastern salutation, both in meeting and in […]

THE TEACHER SPIRIT

THE TEACHER SPIRIT – Alexander Maclaren ‘These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ — JOHN […]

THE ABSENT PRESENT CHRIST

THE ABSENT PRESENT CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also.’ — JOHN xiv.18,19. The sweet and gracious comfortings with which Christ had been soothing the […]

LOVE AND OBEDIENCE

LOVE AND OBEDIENCE – Alexander Maclaren ‘If ye love Me, keep My commandments.’ — JOHN xiv, 15. As we have seen in former sermons, the keyword of the preceding context is ‘Believe!’ and that word passes now into ‘Love.’ The order here is the order of experience. There is first the believing gaze upon the […]

THE FORERUNNER

THE FORERUNNER – Alexander Maclaren ‘… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’ — JOHN xiv.2, 3. What divine simplicity and depth are in these words! […]

THE LOVE OF THE DEPARTING CHRIST

THE LOVE OF THE DEPARTING CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘… When Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.’ — JOHN xiii.1. The latter half of St. John’s Gospel, which […]

THE SON OF MAN

THE SON OF MAN – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Who is this Son of Man?’ — JOHN xii.34. I have thought that a useful sermon may be devoted to the consideration of the remarkable name which our Lord gives to Himself — ‘the Son of Man.’ And I have selected this instance of its occurrence, rather […]

Ponderosity

Ponderosity – Chambers, Oswald Job 15 A pill to cure an earthquake. . . . G. K. Chesterton there is nothing more ludicrous than the way in which some folk try to soothe sorrow and deal with trouble in other lives. Eliphaz makes out that jobs problems are not what he thinks they are; he […]

On the trail

On the trail – Chambers, Oswald Job 12–14 True religion is betting ones life there is a god. Donald hankey 1. The charge of inveterate intolerance ( job 12:15) and job answered and said, no doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you. But i have understanding as well as you; […]

Bombast

Bombast – Chambers, Oswald Job 11 I have not knowledge, wisdom, insight, thought. Or understanding, fit to justify thee in thy work, o perfect. Thou hast brought me up to thisand, lo! What thou hast wrought, i cannot call it good. But i can cry o enemy, the maker hath not done: one day thou […]

Sermon V – Hebrews 12:27 – John Owen

Sermon V – Hebrews 12:27 – John Owen ΟΥΡΑΝΩΝ ΟΥΡΑΝΙΑ: The shaking and translating of heaven and earth:A sermon preached to the honourable House of Commons in Parliament assembled, April 19, 1649, a day set apart for extraordinary humiliation. ******************************************************** Prefatory note.       This sermon, from Heb. 12:27, was preached before Parliament on […]

Agnosticism

Agnosticism – Chambers, Oswald Job 9–10 Pour forth and bravely do your part, o knights of the unshielded heart! Forth and forever forward! Out from prudent turret and redoubt, and in the mellay charge a main, to fall but yet to rise again. R. L. Stevenson Agnosticism is not always the deplorable thing it is […]

The Interrogative plaster

The Interrogative plaster – Chambers, Oswald Job 8 If thou couldst empty all thyself of self. Like to a shell dishabited, then might he find thee on the ocean shelf, and saythis is not dead, and fill thee with himself instead. But thou art all replete with very thou, and hast such shrewd activity, that, […]

De Profundis

De Profundis – Chambers, Oswald Oh the regret, the struggle and the failing! Oh the days desolate and useless years! Vows in the night, so fierce and unavailing! Stings of my shame and passion of my tears! How have i knelt with arms of my aspiring lifted all night in irresponsive air, dazed and amazed […]

Sermon IV – Romans 4:20 – John Owen

Sermon IV – Romans 4:20 – John Owen The steadfastness of the promises, and the sinfulness of staggering:opened in a sermon preached at Margaret’s in Westminster, before the Parliament, February 28, 1649, being a day set apart for solemn humiliation throughout the nation ******************************************************** Prefatory note.       The following discourse was preached after […]

The light that Failed

The light that Failed – Chambers, Oswald We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths; in feelings, not in figures on a dial. We should count time by heart-throbs. He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best. Life is but a means unto an end that end, beginning, mean, […]

THE DELAYS OF LOVE

THE DELAYS OF LOVE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.’ — JOHN xi.5, 6. We learn from a later verse of this chapter that Lazarus had been dead […]

THE GIFTS TO THE FLOCK

THE GIFTS TO THE FLOCK – Alexander Maclaren ‘… By Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.’ — JOHN x.9. One does not know whether the width or the depth of this marvellous promise is the more noteworthy. Jesus Christ presents Himself before […]

THE SIXTH MIRACLE IN JOHN’S GOSPEL THE BLIND MADE TO SEE, AND THE SEEING MADE BLIND

THE SIXTH MIRACLE IN JOHN’S GOSPEL THE BLIND MADE TO SEE, AND THE SEEING MADE BLIND – Alexander Maclaren ‘When Jesus had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7. And said unto him, Go, wash in […]

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD – Alexander Maclaren ‘… I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.’ — JOHN viii.12. Jesus Christ was His own great theme. Whatever be the explanation of the fact, there stands the fact that, if […]

ONE SAYING WITH TWO MEANINGS

ONE SAYING WITH TWO MEANINGS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me.34. Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.’ — JOHN vii.33, 34. ‘Little children, yet a […]

THE THIRD MIRACLE IN JOHN’S GOSPEL

THE THIRD MIRACLE IN JOHN’S GOSPEL – Alexander Maclaren ‘Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.’ — JOHN v.8 This third of the miracles recorded in John’s Gospel finds a place there, as it would appear, for two reasons: first, because it marks the beginning of the angry unbelief on the […]

THE SPRINGING FOUNTAIN

THE SPRINGING FOUNTAIN – Alexander Maclaren ‘The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.’ — JOHN iv.14. There are two kinds of wells, one a simple reservoir, another containing the waters of a spring. It is the latter kind which is spoken about […]

THE BRAZEN SERPENT

THE BRAZEN SERPENT – Alexander Maclaren ‘Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.’ — JOHN iii.14. This is the second of the instances in this Gospel in which our Lord lays His hand upon an institution or incident of the Old Testament, as shadowing forth some aspect of His work. In the first of […]

GRACE AND TRUTH

GRACE AND TRUTH – Alexander Maclaren ‘The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.’ — JOHN 1.17. There are scarcely any traces, in the writings of the Apostle John, of that great controversy as to the relation of the Law and the Gospel which occupied and embittered so much […]

THE FULNESS OF CHRIST

THE FULNESS OF CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.’ — JOHN 1.16. What a remarkable claim that is which the Apostle here makes for his Master! On the one side he sets His solitary figure as the universal Giver; on the other side are gathered […]

THE MEAL AT EMMAUS

THE MEAL AT EMMAUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave tothem.31. And their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight.’ — LUKE xxiv.30, 31.   Perhaps the most striking […]

THE LIVING DEAD

THE LIVING DEAD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Why seek ye the living among the dead! 6. He is not here, but is risen.’ — LUKE xxiv.5,6. We can never understand the utter desolation of the days that lay between Christ’s Death and His Resurrection. Our faith rests on centuries. We know that that grave was not […]

THE DYING THIEF

THE DYING THIEF – Alexander Maclaren ‘And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’ — LUKE xxiii, 42. There is an old and true division of the work of Christ into three parts — prophet, priest, and king. Such a distinction manifestly exists, though it may be overestimated, or […]

MEMORY IN ANOTHER WORLD

MEMORY IN ANOTHER WORLD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Abraham said, Son, remember!’ — LUKE xvi.25. It is a very striking thought that Christ, if He be what we suppose Him to be, knew all about the unseen present which we call the future, and yet was all but silent in reference to it. Seldom is it […]

The Gains of the Faithful Steward

The Gains of the Faithful Steward – Alexander Maclaren Luke 16:12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? ‘If ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?’ In […]

THE PRAYING CHRIST

THE PRAYING CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘… As He was praying in a certain place, when Heceased, one of His disclples said unto Him, Lord,teach us to pray.’ — LUKE xi.1. It is noteworthy that we owe our knowledge of the prayers of Jesus principally to the Evangelist Luke. There is, indeed, one solemn hour […]

CHRIST HASTENING TO THE CROSS

CHRIST HASTENING TO THE CROSS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.’ — LUKE ix.51. There are some difficulties, with which I need not trouble you here, as to bringing the section of this […]

CHRIST TO JAIRUS

CHRIST TO JAIRUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘When Jesus heard it, He answered, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.’ — LUKE viii.60. The calm leisureliness of conscious power shines out very brilliantly from this story of the raising of Jairus’s daughter. The father had come to Jesus, in an agony of […]

THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN

THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN – Alexander Maclaren And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, 3. And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto Him of their substance.’ — LUKE viii.2,3. The Evangelist Luke […]

LOVE AND FORGIVENESS

LOVE AND FORGIVENESS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much.’ — LUKE vii.47. This story contains three figures, three persons, who may stand for us as types or representatives of the divine love and of all its operation in the world, of the way in which it is […]

The passion of pessimism

The passion of pessimism – Chambers, Oswald Job 3 The world sits at the feet of Christ unknowing, blind, and unconsoled; it yet shall touch his garments fold, and feel the heavenly alchemist transform its very dust to gold.                                                                                                    Whittier optimism is either a matter of accepted revelation or of temperament; to think unimpeded […]

The passion of pessimism

FEAR AND FAITH

FEAR AND FAITH – Alexander Maclaren ‘When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ —LUKE v. 8 ‘Now, when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him,… and did cast himself into the […]

A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM

A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM – Alexander Maclaren ‘And in the synagogue there was a man which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who […]

Preaching At Nazareth

Preaching At Nazareth – Alexander Maclaren Luke 4:21 And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. ‘And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled In your ears. This first appearance of our Lord, in His public work at Nazareth, the home of […]

JOHN THE PREACHER OF REPENTANCE

JOHN THE PREACHER OF REPENTANCE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Now, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being […]

THE ENTHRONED CHRIST

THE ENTHRONED CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.’ — Mark xvi.19. How strangely calm and brief is this record of so stupendous an event! Do these sparing and reverent words sound to you like […]

FIRST TO MARY

FIRST TO MARY – Alexander Maclaren ‘… He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.’ — Mark xvl.9. A great pile of legend has been built on the one or two notices of Mary Magdalene in Scripture. Art, poetry, and philanthropy have accepted and inculcated these, till we almost […]

LOVE’S TRIUMPH OVER SIN

LOVE’S TRIUMPH OVER SIN – Alexander Maclaren ‘Tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before yon into Galilee. — Mark xvi, 7. This prevailing tradition of Christian antiquity ascribes this Gospel to John Mark, sister’s son to Barnabas, and affirms that in composing it he was in some sense the ‘interpreter’ of the Apostle […]

PERPETUAL YOUTH

PERPETUAL YOUTH – Alexander Maclaren ‘And entering Into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment.’ — Mark xvi.5. Many great truths concerning Christ’s death, and its worth to higher orders of being, are taught by the presence of that angel form, clad in the […]

Dazed and Amazed

Dazed and Amazed – Chambers, Oswald Job 1:13–2:13 Jesus, whose lot with us was cast, who saw it out, from first to last: . . . Would i could win and keep and feel that heart of love, that spirit of steel. I would not to thy bosom fly to slink off till the storms […]

CHRIST AND PILATE THE TRUE KING AND HIS COUNTERFEIT

CHRIST AND PILATE THE TRUE KING AND HIS COUNTERFEIT – Alexander Maclaren ‘And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate 2 And Pilate asked Him, Art Thou the King of the […]

The unseen universe

The unseen universe – Chambers, Oswald Job 1:1–12 Man is not god but hath gods end to serve, a master to obey, a course to take, somewhat to cast off, somewhat to become. Grant this, then man must pass from old to new, from vain to real, from mistake to fact, from what once seemed […]

CHRIST ON THE ROAD TO THE CROSS

CHRIST ON THE ROAD TO THE CROSS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed they were afraid.’ — Mark x.32. We learn from John’s Gospel that the resurrection of Lazarus precipitated the determination of the Jewish […]

Introduction

Introduction – Chambers, Oswald  Baffled to Fight BetterJob and the Problem of SufferingOswald ChambersFirst published in 1917This edition ©1931 Oswald Chambers Publications AssociationScripture versions quoted: KJV; RV   IntroductIon   Source These were talks given by Oswald chambers to sol- diers during the evening classes at zeitoun, 1 march 10april 4, 1917. Publication history This […]

Always now

Always now – Chambers, Oswald 2 Corinthians 6:110 behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:2) We . . . Intreat also that ye receive not the grace of god in vain (RV). The grace we had yesterday wont do for to-day. The grace of god the […]

THE TRANSFIGURATION

THE TRANSFIGURATION – Alexander Maclaren ‘And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them 3 And His raimemt became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them 4 […]

Sermon III – Jeremaih 15:19-20 – John Owen

Sermon III – Jeremaih 15:19-20 – John Owen Righteous zeal encouraged by divine protection:with a discourse about toleration, and the duty of the civil magistrate about religion, thereunto annexed. ******************************************************** Prefatory note.         The following sermon was preached before the House of Commons on January 31, 1648, which had been appointed as […]

THE GRADUAL HEALING OF THE BLIND MAN

THE GRADUAL HEALING OF THE BLIND MAN – Alexander Maclaren ‘And Jesus cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.23. And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put […]

THE PATTERN OF SERVICE

THE PATTERN OF SERVICE – Alexander Maclaren ‘He touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.’ — Mark vii 33, 34. For what reason was there this unwonted slowness in Christ’s healing works? For what reason was there this unusual emotion ere He spoke the word […]

Irresistible discipleship

Irresistible discipleship – Chambers, Oswald Talk given at Sunday worship service, family and YMCA workers , zeitoun camp near Cairo, Egypt. June 18, 1916 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13 By a disciple we mean one who continues to be concentrated on our lord. Concentration […]

The great life

The great life – Chambers, Oswald Spoken to British commonwealth troops at zeitoun16 YMCA camp near Cairo , Egypt. Sunday morning service, may 13, 1917 . . Believeth all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7) it is a great thing to be a believer, but easy to misunderstand what the new testament means by it. It is […]

THE LOOKS OF JESUS

THE LOOKS OF JESUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing.’ — Mark v.32. This Gospel of Mark is full of little touches that speak an eye-witness who had the gift of noting and reproducing vividly small details which make a scene live before us. Sometimes […]

THE POWER OF FEEBLE FAITH

THE POWER OF FEEBLE FAITH – Alexander Maclaren ‘And a certain woman …27. When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment.28. For she said, If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.’ — Mark v.25, 27, 28. In all the narratives of this miracle, it […]

Process of Belief

Process of Belief – Chambers, Oswald Afternoon address given at the annual autumnal gathering of the league of prayer in London , November 1911 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name. ( john 1:12) According to the […]

Sermon II – Habakkuk 3:1-9 – John Owen

Sermon II – Habakkuk 3:1-9 – John Owen -: A memorial of the deliverance of Essex county, and committee. :-******************************************************** Prefatory note.       The ancient town of Colchester, which had at an early period in the civil wars declared in favour of the Parliament, was besieged and obliged to surrender to the Royal […]

Are you Independent or Identified?

Are you Independent or Identified? – Chambers, Oswald John 21:18 devotional following verily, verily, i say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest . . . Jesus is not rebuking peter, he is revealing a characteristic of us all. Peter had given up everything for the lord, and […]

The one right thing to Be

The one right thing to Be – Chambers, Oswald Believe also in me. ( john 14:1) We do not now use the old evangelical phrase a believer, we are apt to think we have something better, but we cannot have. A believer in Jesus Christ is a phrase that embraces the whole of Christianity. The […]

Which?

Which? – Chambers, Oswald Address given at the annual autumnal gathering of the league of prayer in Caxton hall, London , November 5, 1913 But god forbid that i should glory, save in the cross of our lord Jesus christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and i unto the world. (Galatians 6:14) […]

Self- realisatIon v. Christ-realisatIon

Self- realisatIon v. Christ-realisatIon – Chambers, Oswald Matthew 16:24 Self-realisation is a modern phrasebe moral, be religious, be upright in order that you may realise yourself. Nothing blinds the mind to the claims of jesus christ more effectually than a good, clean- living, upright life based on self-realisation (see 2 corinthians 4:34). The issue with […]

Interest and Identification

Interest and Identification – Chambers, Oswald We did esteem him stricken, smitten of god and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions . . . And the lord hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:46 RV mg) Immediately we face Jesus Christ two issues reveal themselves: first, the […]

Vested Interests of the Flesh

Vested Interests of the Flesh – Chambers, Oswald But ye are not . . . , if so be . . . (Romans 8:9) When we are born from above (RV mg) the dominating spirit in us is the spirit of god; the mind of the flesh is self-realisation, and the first thing that hap- […]

What must I Believe?

What must I Believe? – Chambers, Oswald What must i believe to be a christian, December 6, 1916, to British commonwealth troops at Sidi Gaber camp, near Alexandria, Egypt Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Romans 8:9) There are two domains of fact: common-sense facts and […]

THE RISEN LORD’S GREETINGS AND GIFTS

THE RISEN LORD’S GREETINGS AND GIFTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.’ — MATT. xxviii.9. ‘Then the same day at evening … came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.’ — JOHN xx.19. So did our […]

THE BLIND WATCHERS AT THE CROSS

THE BLIND WATCHERS AT THE CROSS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And sitting down they watched Him there.’- MATT. xxvii.36. Our thoughts are, rightly, so absorbed by the central Figure in this great chapter that we pass by almost unnoticed the groups round the cross. And yet there are large lessons to be learned from each of […]

THE LAST PLEADING OF LOVE

THE LAST PLEADING OF LOVE – Alexander Maclaren And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?’ — MATT. xxvi.50. We are accustomed to think of the betrayer of our Lord as a kind of monster, whose crime is so mysterious in its atrocity as to put him beyond the pale of human sympathy. […]

WHY THE TALENT WAS BURIED

WHY THE TALENT WAS BURIED – Alexander Maclaren ‘Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the […]

THE LOST SHEEP AND THE SEEKING SHEPHERD

THE LOST SHEEP AND THE SEEKING SHEPHERD – Alexander Maclaren If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, andgoeth Into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray! — MATT. xviii.12. We find this simple parable, or germ of a […]

SELF MUTILATION FOR SELF PRESERVATION

SELF MUTILATION FOR SELF PRESERVATION – Alexander Maclaren If thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee.’-MATT. xviii.8, R.V. No person or thing can do our characters as much harm as we ourselves can do. Indeed, none can do them any harm but ourselves. For men […]

Sermon I – Acts 16:9 – John Owen

Sermon I – Acts 16 : 9 – John Owen A vision of unchangeable, free mercy, in sending the means of grace to undeserving sinners. “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” — Acts 16:9.   […]

THE SECRET OF POWER

THE SECRET OF POWER – Alexander Maclaren ‘Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief.’ — MATT. xvii.19, 20. ‘And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits to […]

THE KING IN HIS BEAUTY

THE KING IN HIS BEAUTY – Alexander Maclaren ‘And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light 3 And, behold, there […]

CHRIST FORESEEING THE CROSS

CHRIST FORESEEING THE CROSS – Alexander Maclaren ‘From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.’ — MATT. xvi.21. The ‘time’ referred to in […]

THE FOOD OF THE WORLD

THE FOOD OF THE WORLD – Alexander Maclaren ‘He gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude 20 And they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.’ — MATT. xiv.19, 20. The miracles of Scripture are not merely wonders, but […]

THE GRAVE OF THE DEAD JOHN AND THE GRAVE OF THE LIVING JESUS

THE GRAVE OF THE DEAD JOHN AND THE GRAVE OF THE LIVING JESUS – Alexander Maclaren ‘And John’s disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.’ — MATT. xiv.12. ‘And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy.’ — MATT. xxviii.8. There is a remarkable […]

A LIFE LOST AND FOUND

A LIFE LOST AND FOUND – Alexander Maclaren ‘He that loseth his life for My sake shall find it.’ — MATT. x.39. My heart impels me to break this morning my usual rule of avoiding personal references in the pulpit. Death has been busy in our own congregation this last week, and yesterday we laid […]

THE CALL OF MATTHEW

THE CALL OF MATTHEW – Alexander Maclaren ‘And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed Him 10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many […]

Introduction

Introduction – Chambers, Oswald   Facing Reality            © 1939 Oswald Chambers Publications Association Source Introduction Source Messages given at League of Prayer 13 meetings andBible Training College classes in Britain, 1911– 15;and to British Commonwealth troops in Egypt,1915–17, during World War I. Publication History• Most of these talks were published first as articlesin Tongues of […]

Identification

Identification – Chambers, Oswald Identification is not experience able; it is infinitely more fundamental than experience. Identification is a revelation, the exposition of the experience. We must get out of the way of bringing everything to the bar of personal experience. Remember two things: first, experience is not its own cause; and second, there must […]

God’s

God’s – Chambers, Oswald The vows of god are on me, and i may not stay to play with shadows, or pluck earthly flower, till i my work have done. And rendered up account. The disciplined life (2 timothy 2:3) The first requirement of the worker is discipline voluntarily entered into. It is easy to […]

What is Following Jesus Christ?

What is Following Jesus Christ? – Chambers, Oswald The still small voice (Matthew 4:19) In the days of his flesh the invitation to follow Jesus Christ was a definite one. It meant doing as peter said, lo, we have left all, and have followed thee (mark 10:28). This literal following of Jesus is no longer […]

Be sure of the abysses of God

Be sure of the abysses of God – Chambers, Oswald As christian workers we must never forget that salvation is gods thought, not mans; therefore it is an unfathomable abyss. Salvation is not an experience; experience is only a gateway by which salvation comes into our conscious lives. We have to preach the great thought […]

The reason why

The reason why – Chambers, Oswald The reason why the apostle Paul was a preacher was because of his understanding of the cross of Christ. The majority of present-day preachers understand only the blessings that come to us from the cross, they are apt to be devoted to certain doctrines which flow from the cross. […]

He cross In discipleship

He cross In discipleship – Chambers, Oswald The cross in discipleship that affronts (Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:6061) There is a method of making disciples which is not sanctioned by our lord. It is an excessive pressing of people to be reconciled to god in a way that is unworthy of the dignity of the gospel. […]

The origin of our salvation

The origin of our salvation – Chambers, Oswald 2 Peter 1:16 Revelation is not primarily in my soul, but in a fact which is in the chain of history. In preaching the gospel remember that salvation is the great thought of god, not an experience. Experience is the gateway through which salvation comes into our […]

First things First

First things First – Chambers, Oswald The absoluteness of Christ (Philippians 2:8) As a preacher, allow no quarter to anyone who pretends he can give any other explanation of Jesus Christ than he gives of himself. Jesus Christ calls himself the son of man, i. E. , representative man. Never make the absoluteness of Christ […]

Don’ts and do’s about texts

Don’ts and do’s about texts – Chambers, Oswald Dont be clever. Do be  careful. Dont be controversial.  Do be consecrated.                                                 Dont be conceited.             Do be concentrated.                                           Dont be […]

The preacher’s obligations

The preacher’s obligations – Chambers, Oswald 1 Corinthians 1:26 In other callings you have to work with men, but in this calling you work upon men; you come with the authority men crave for and yet resent. A preacher must remember that his calling is different from every other calling in life; his personality has […]

Keep Bright By use

Keep Bright By use – Chambers, Oswald General maxims (a) if you lack education, first realise it; then cure it. (b) beware of knowing what you dont practise. Cultivate mental habits give attendance to reading. (1 timothy 4:13) If we wish to excel in secular things, we concentrate; why should we be less careful in […]

The complete christian

The complete christian – Chambers, Oswald Conformed to the masters standard (Luke 6:40) Jesus Christs standard for the worker is himself. Am i allowing his standard to obsess me? Am i measuring my life by his all the time? The one standard put before us is our lord himself; we have to be saturated in […]

The masterIng mission

The masterIng mission 2 Corinthians 5:11, 14 The obligation of master persuasion (2 Corinthians 5:11) Whenever Paul talks about his call to preach the gospel, it is a woe is unto me, if i preach not the gospel! It is not a calm, quiet choice, but a necessity laid upon him, an overmastering sense of […]

where am I?

where am I? – Chambers, Oswald A Spiritual Stock-Taking Why do i want to work? (Romans 10:15) The christian worker must be sent; he must not elect to go. Nowadays that is the last thing thought of; it is a determination on the part of the individual this is something i can do, and i […]

CHRIST STIMULATING SLUGGISH DISCIPLESHIP

CHRIST STIMULATING SLUGGISH DISCIPLESHIP – Alexander Maclaren ‘And another of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.22. But Jesus said unto him, Follow Me; and let the dead bury their dead.’ — MATT. viii.21-22. The very first words of these verses, ‘And another of His disciples,’ show […]

THE TWO HOUSES

THE TWO HOUSES – Alexander Maclaren ‘Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock….25. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house […]

OUR KNOCKING

OUR KNOCKING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.’ — MATT, vii.7. In the letter to the church at Laodicea, we read, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock.’ The image is there employed to set forth the […]

FASTING

FASTING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.17. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18. That thou appear […]

The student

The student – Chambers, Oswald 2 timothy 2:15 Practical sphere of work (2 Corinthians 11:9; 1 timothy 4:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:9) The difficulty in christian work to-day is that we put it into a sphere that upsets the reasoning of things this sphere for sacred and that for secular; this time for activity and that […]

The right lines of work

The right lines of work – Chambers, Oswald 1 Timothy 6:20-211 What to concentrate on (2 timothy 1:13-14) To concentrate is not to be absorbed or carried away with a subject; concentration is the sternest physi- cal effort. There is nothing spiritual about the brain. Control over associated ideas must be acquired, it is not […]

The worker and the word

The worker and the word – Chambers, Oswald Aspect of sacred authority (Matthew 21:23) Authority means a rule to which the worker is bound in loyalty. It is not sufficient to say, because Jesus Christ says so, therefore you must obey, unless we are talking to people who know who Jesus Christ is. Authority must […]

The worker’s spiritual life

the worker’s spiritual life – Chambers, Oswald Communication of the life of god (Galatians 2:20) As a worker, watch the sea-worthiness of your spiritual life; never allow a spiritual leakage. Spiritual leakage arises either by refusing to treat god seriously, or by refusing to do anything for him seriously. Bear in mind two things: the […]

The Base

The Base – Chambers, Oswald 1 Timothy 1:12 The real thanks of the worker and i thank Christ Jesus our lord . . . Everything that god has created is like an orchestra praising him. All thy works shall praise thee. In the ear of god everything he created makes exquisite music, and man joined […]

The worker

The worker – Chambers, Oswald 1 Corinthians 9:11–27 The MatterPlant every man on the Rock, and plant the wholeman there.(a) Amid a Crowd of Paltry Things (1 Corinthians 9:11–15)The first thing a worker has to learn is how to be God’s noble man or woman amid a crowd of paltry things. A Christian worker must […]

Foreword

Foreword – Chambers, Oswald “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work-man that needeth not to be ashamed” (2 Timothy2:15), makes a big demand upon a worker for God,and these God-given messages, spoken to the stu-dents at the Bible Training College, London, by the Principal, the late Oswald Chambers, help us to meet that […]

contents

contents ContentsForeword …………………………………………………………………………………. 2The Worker ……………………………………………………………………………. 3The Base ………………………………………………………………………………… 4The Worker’s Spiritual Life ………………………………………………………. 4The Worker and the Word ……………………………………………………….. 5The Right Lines of Work …………………………………………………………. 6The Student ……………………………………………………………………………. 7Where Am I? (A Spiritual Stock-Taking) …………………………………… 8The Mastering Mission …………………………………………………………….. 9The Complete Christian …………………………………………………………. 10Keep Bright by Use ………………………………………………………………… 11The Preacher’s Obligations ……………………………………………………… 12Don’ts and […]

IntroductIon

IntroductIon – Chambers, Oswald SourceThese lectures were given to students in the sermon class at the Bible Training College,1 London, from 1911 to 1915.Publication History• As articles: These lectures were published in the BTC Monthly Journal, May 1932–March 1934.2• As a book: The material was first published in 1936.• Facing Reality (© 1939) was incorporated […]

A Word About Oswald Chambers

A Word About Oswald Chambers – Chambers, Oswald Oswald Chambers was not famous during his lifetime. At the time of his death in 1917 at the age of forty-three, only three books bearing his name had been pub-lished. Among a relatively small circle of Christians in Britain and the U.S., Chambers was much appreciated as […]

SERMON XX – Thomas Manton

SERMON XX – Thomas Manton EPH. 2:10. For we are his Workmanship, created in Christ Iesus unto good Works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. WE come now to the End, why we are brought into this Estate, created unto good Works, &c. the End is not to live idly or […]

SERMON XIX – Thomas Manton

SERMON XIX – Thomas Manton EPH. 2:10.  For we are his Workmanship, created in Christ Iesus unto good Works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. THe Apostle in the Context asserteth that our whole Salvation is of Grace, not of Works, he now proveth it. That which is the Effect of […]

SERMON XVIII – Thomas Manton

SERMON XVIII – Thomas Manton MAT. 7:12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets. IT is a general Complaint of the World, that Christians are defective in the Duties of the second Table. Some Hypocrites may be […]

SERMON XVII – Thomas Manton

SERMON XVII – Thomas Manton DEUT. 30:15. See, I have set before thee this day, Life and Good, Death and Evil.   Moses the Man of God having acquainted the People with the Tenour of God’s Commandments, both concerning Worship and civil Conversation, doth inforce all by a pregnant Exhortation, laying be∣fore their Eyes the Blessings […]

SERMON XVI – Thomas Manton

SERMON XVI – Thomas Manton JOHN 3:16. God so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, should not pe∣rish, but have everlasting Life. IN these words you have the Sum and Substance of the Gospel. In them observe, 1. The Fountain and Original of all that Grace and […]

SERMON XV – Thomas Manton

SERMON XV – Thomas Manton ACTS 21:14. And when he would not be perswaded, we ceased, saying; The Will of the Lord be done.   The History that concerns this passage, begins at the 8th verse. In the whole you may take Notice; I. Of the Occasion. II. Of the Carriage of the Saints upon it. […]

THE LAMP AND THE BUSHEL

THE LAMP AND THE BUSHEL – Alexander Maclaren ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16. […]

SALT WITHOUT SAVOUR

SALT WITHOUT SAVOUR – Alexander Maclaren ‘Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.’ — MATT. v.13. These words must have seemed ridiculously presumptuous […]

THE THIRD BEATITUDE

THE THIRD BEATITUDE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Blessed are the meek! for they shall inherit the earth,’ — MATT, v.5. The originality of Christ’s moral teaching lies not so much in the novelty of His precepts as in the new relation in which He sets them, the deepening which He gives them, the motives on which […]

SERMON XIV – Thomas Manton

SERMON XIV – Thomas Manton ECCL. 9:11. I returned, and saw under the Sun, that the Race is not to the Swift, nor the Battel to the Strong, neither yet Bread to the Wise, nor yet Riches to Men of Understanding, nor yet Favour to Men of Skill; but Time and Chance happeneth to them all. […]

SERMON XIII – Thomas Manton

SERMON XIII – Thomas Manton 1 TIM. 6:8. And having Food and Rayment, let us be therewith content. THe Apostle hath mentioned some in the 5th verse that counted Gain was Godliness; that is, suited their Godliness with their wordly Ends, or made a trade of it to live by. Their Religion must bear all […]

THE DOVE OF GOD

THE DOVE OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him.’ MATT. iii.16. This Gospel of Matthew is emphatically the gospel of the Kingdom. It sets forth Jesus as the long-promised Messiah, the Son of David. And this conception of Him and of His work, […]

The Baptism of Jesus

The Baptism of Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him 14 But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: […]

THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME

THE NAME ABOVE EVERY NAME – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins’. — MATT.1.21. I. THE historical associations of the name. It was a very common Jewish name, and of course was given in memory of the great leader who brought the hosts […]

The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers

The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers – Chambers, Oswald Contents For the first time, all the published books of Oswald chambers have been collected in one volume. Also included are notes on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel previously unpublished in book form. Each book is prefaced by a brief introduction, noting the time and place when […]

MATTHEW’S GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST

MATTHEW’S GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat […]

THE LAST WORDS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

THE LAST WORDS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.’ — MALACHI iv.6. ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.’ — REVELATION xxii.21. It is of course only an accident that these words close the Old and the […]

A Dialogue with God

A DIALOGUE WITH GOD – Alexander Maclaren Malachi 2:12 The LORD will cut off the man that does this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob… ‘The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this … out of the tents of Jacob, …14. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord […]

Blemished Offerings

Blemished Offerings – Alexander Maclaren Malachi 1:8 And if you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?… ‘Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of Hosts. A word of […]

SERMON XII – Thomas Manton

SERMON XII – Thomas Manton JOB 19:25.For I know that my Redeemer liveth. THese words were spoken by job, a Man for the present miserable, and suspected by his Friends as one that neither feared God, nor trusted in him: Therefore to comfort himself in his Misery, and to vindicate his Innocency, he makes Confession […]

SERMON XI – Thomas Manton

SERMON XI – Thomas Manton GAL. 5. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not ful∣fil the Lust of the Flesh.   IN these Words, Observe, 1. A Duty enforced. 2. The Consequent and Fruit of it. 1. The Duty is, to walk in the Spirit, which is the sum of […]

SERMON X – Thomas Manton

SERMON X – Thomas Manton ROM. 1. part of the 29th and 30th Verses.—Whisperers, Backbiters.   THe Context sheweth how corrupt and miserable Man’s Nature is without Christ, his Heart was first withdrawn from God, and then became a Sink of loathsom Sins and Vices. Therefore the Apostle telleth us, how after Men were false to God, how […]

SERMON IX – Thomas Manton

SERMON IX – Thomas Manton MAT. 27:46. And about the ninth Hour, Iesus cryed with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani; that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou for∣saken me? IN the History of the Passion you will find, that our Lord Jesus was exercised with all kind of Temptations, affron∣ted […]

SERMON VIII – Thomas Manton

SERMON VIII – Thomas Manton EPHES. 1:8. Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence.   IN the context the Apostle speaks of the Spiritual Bles∣sings we have by Christ: he considers them under a three∣fold reference. 1. As they were appointed and prepa∣red for Believers in God’s Decree of Election. There was […]

SERMON VII – Thomas Manton

SERMON VII – Thomas Manton 2 THESS. 3:5. —And into the patient waiting for Christ.   THe Words are a Prayer: and the Apostle prays here for those things, which are most necessary to Chri∣stians; Love to God, and patient waiting for Christ. I come now to handle the second Branch. The Point is this: Doct. That […]

SERMON VI – Thomas Manton

SERMON VI – Thomas Manton 2 THESS. 3. 5. And the Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.   THere are two things keep Religion alive in the Soul, a Love to God, and a hearty intent upon the coming of Christ. These are the two necessary […]

SERMON V – Thomas Manton

SERMON V – Thomas Manton MARK 9:49 For every one shall be salted with Fire, and every Sacri∣fice shall be salted with Salt. IN the Context you have a Caution, which our Lord gives against Scandals and Offences given to others, ei∣ther by Defection from the Truth, or by a sinful Conver∣sation. And, 1. He intimates […]

SERMON IV – Thomas Manton

SERMON IV – Thomas Manton 2 PETER 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and preci∣ous Promises, that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the Corrup∣tion that is in the World through Lust. IN these Words the Apostle extolleth the Grace of God towards us in the Gospel. In […]

SERMON III – Thomas Manton

SERMON III – Thomas Manton ACTS 3:26.Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Iesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities. THese Words are the Conclusion of the Second Sermon, that was preach’d after the pouring out of the Spirit; And in them you may […]

SERMON II – Thomas Manton

SERMON II – Thomas Manton PSALMS 32:1-2.  Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven, whose Sin is covered. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity, and in whose Spirit there is no Guile. IN this Text I observed, That it is a great degree and step towards, yea a considerable part […]

THE PRIEST OF THE WORLD AND KING OF MEN

THE PRIEST OF THE WORLD AND KING OF MEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘He shall build the Temple of the Lord … and He shall be a Priest upon His throne.’ — ZECHARIAH vi.13. A handful of feeble exiles had come back from their Captivity. ‘The holy and beautiful house’ where their fathers praised Him was […]

THE FOUNDER AND FINISHER OF THE TEMPLE

THE FOUNDER AND FINISHER OF THE TEMPLE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it.’ — ZECHARIAH iv.9. I am afraid that Zerubbabel is very little more than a grotesque name to most Bible-readers, so I may be allowed a word of explanation […]

THE RIGHT OF ENTRY

THE RIGHT OF ENTRY – Alexander Maclaren ‘I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.’ — ZECHARIAH iii.7. A WORD or two of explanation will probably be necessary in order to see the full meaning of this great promise. The Prophet has just been describing a vision of judgment which he […]

THE CITY WITHOUT WALLS

THE CITY WITHOUT WALLS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls…. For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.’ — ZECHARIAH ii.4, 5. Zechariah was the Prophet of the returning exiles, and his great […]

DYING MEN AND THE UNDYING WORD

DYING MEN AND THE UNDYING WORD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6. But My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers?’-Zechariah i.5, 6. Zechariah was the Prophet of the Restoration. Some sixteen […]

THE IDEAL DEVOUT LIFE

THE IDEAL DEVOUT LIFE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Lord God is my Strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.’ — HABBAKKUK iii.19. So ends one of the most magnificent pieces of imaginative poetry in Scripture or anywhere else. The singer has […]

GOD’S REQUIREMENTS AND GOD’S GIFT

GOD’S REQUIREMENTS AND GOD’S GIFT – Alexander Maclaren ‘What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’ — MICAH vi.8. This is the Prophet’s answer to a question which he puts into the mouth of his hearers. They had the superstitious estimate […]

LECTURE V – William Elbert Munsey

LECTURE V – William Elbert Munsey THE BIBLE. “Thy word is truth.” — John xvii. 17.      LET us have a plain practical talk about the Holy Scriptures this morning.      I. A Divine revelation is a necessity. Man’s nature demands a religion. Progress and development are impossible in the absence of certain […]

A Dew from the Lord

A Dew from the Lord’ – Alexander Maclaren Micah 5:7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the middle of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers on the grass… ‘The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, that tarrieth […]

As God So Worshipper

As God, So Worshipper – Alexander Maclaren Micah 4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. ‘… All the peoples will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will […]

CHRIST THE BREAKER

CHRIST THE BREAKER – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.’ — MICAH ii.13. Micah was contemporary with Isaiah. The two prophets […]

IS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD STRAITENED?

IS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD STRAITENED – Alexander Maclaren ‘O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? Are these His doings?’ — MICAH ii.7. The greater part of so-called Christendom is to-day celebrating the gift of a Divine Spirit to the Church; but it may well […]

RIPE FOR GATHERING

RIPE FOR GATHERING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit 2 And He said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon My people of Israel; I will not […]

A PAIR OF FRIENDS

A PAIR OF FRIENDS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Can two walk together, except they be agreed?’-AMOS III.8. They do not need to be agreed about everything. They must, however, wish to keep each others company, and they must be going by the same road to the same place. The application of the parable is very plain, […]

THE DEW AND THE PLANTS

THE DEW AND THE PLANTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.6. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree …’ — Hosea xiv.5, 6. Like his brethren, Hosea was a poet as well […]

THE VALLEY OF ACHOR

THE VALLEY OF ACHOR – Alexander Maclaren ‘I will give her … the valley of Achor for a door of hope.’ — HOSEA II.15. The Prophet Hosea is remarkable for the frequent use which he makes of events in the former history of his people. Their past seems to him a mirror in which they […]

A TRIBUTE FROM ENEMIES

A TRIBUTE FROM ENEMIES – Alexander Maclaren Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’ — DANIEL vi.5. Daniel was somewhere about ninety years old when he was cast to the lions. He had been for many years […]

The Holy Nation

The Holy Nation – Alexander Maclaren Ezekiel 36:25 ‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will […]

A COMMON MISTAKE AND LAME EXCUSE

A COMMON MISTAKE AND LAME EXCUSE – Alexander Maclaren … He prophesieth of the times that are far off.’ — EZEKIEL xii.27. Human nature was very much the same in the exiles that listened to Ezekiel on the banks of the Chebar and in Manchester to-day. The same neglect of God’s message was grounded then […]

CHAMBERS OF IMAGERY

CHAMBERS OF IMAGERY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Then said He unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery!’ — EZEKIEL viii.12. This is part of a vision which came to the prophet in his captivity. He […]

A THREEFOLD DISEASE AND ATWOFOLD CURE.

A THREEFOLD DISEASE AND A TWOFOLD CURE – Alexander Maclaren ‘I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against Me.’ — JER. xxxiii.8. Jeremiah was a prisoner in the palace of the last […]

THE HEATH IN THE DESERT AND THE TREE BY THE RIVER

THE HEATH IN THE DESERT AND THE TREE BY THE RIVER – Alexander Maclaren ‘He shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited…He shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and […]

Perfect Peace

Perfect Peace – Brengle, Samuel Logan “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah xxvi. 3). A wonderful promise is that, and it ought to be the aim of every one of us to make it our experience. The way to do this is […]

Paul A Pattern

Paul A Pattern – Brengle, Samuel Logan Paul tells us that the Lord Jesus made him ‘a pattern to them which should hereafter believe’ (I Tim. i. 16). This fact makes his life and experience exceptionally interesting and valuable to us. And it is an especial mark of our Heavenly Father’s wisdom and love that […]

Our Mothers — Thoughts For Mother’s Day

Our Mothers — Thoughts For Mother’s Day – Brengle, Samuel Logan How fitting, how beautiful, that a day should be set aside by the nation and the nations to do honour to that vast army of delicate soldiers, infinitely greater in numbers than the men who fought in the Great War, that numberless host whose […]

 Obedience

Obedience – Brengle, Samuel Logan “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,” said Paul, and in that saying he reveals the secret of his wonderful success as a soul-winner. The soul-winner is a man sent by God, and will have visions and revelations and secret orders that, if affectionately heeded and heartily and courageously […]

My Testimony

My Testimony – Brengle, Samuel Logan (1860 — 59 — 1919) Today (June 1, 1919) I am fifty-nine years old, and there is not a cloud in my spiritual heaven. My mouth is full of laughter and my heart is full of joy. I feel so sorry for folks who don’t like to grow old, […]

Must You Be Fed With A Spoon?

Must You Be Fed With A Spoon? – Brengle, Samuel Logan I I am watching with much interest and some personal profit the development of my grandchildren. They are a luxury to my old heart; but, like all children, they are somewhat of a problem as well as a joy to their parents. At first, […]

Misrepresenting God

Misrepresenting God – Brengle, Samuel Logan I read recently of a speaker who preached on the mercy of God ‘until it seemed there was nothing in God but mercy.’ But I fear he misrepresented God. Such misrepresentation is easy, and to people who do not think deeply, and who do not want to take life […]

Maintaining The Holiness Standard

Maintaining The Holiness Standard – Brengle, Samuel Logan The Salvation Army was born, not in a cloister, nor in a drawing-room, but on a spiritual battlefield — at the penitent-form. It has been nourished for spiritual conquests, not upon speculative doctrines and fine-spun verbal distinctions, but upon those great doctrines which can be wrought into […]

Love Slaves

Love Slaves – Brengle, Samuel Logan There was a law among the Hebrews that for sore poverty or debt or crime one man might become the servant of another, but he could not be held in servitude beyond a certain period; at the end of six years, he must be allowed to go free. (Ex. […]

 Letting The Truth Slip

Letting The Truth Slip – Brengle, Samuel Logan “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Heb. iii. 1). The truth that saves the soul is not picked up as we would pick up the pebbles along the […]

 Knowing Jesus

Knowing Jesus – Brengle, Samuel Logan What an astonishing thing that we can know Jesus! And yet nothing is more clearly taught in Scripture or more joyously testified to in experience by godly people than this fact. This is an age of specialists, when men devote their lives to the pursuit of special departments of […]

King David’s Use Of His Bible

King David’s Use Of His Bible – Brengle, Samuel Logan David said, “Princes also did sit and speak against me; but Thy servant did meditate in Thy statutes. Thy testimonies are also my delight and my counsellors.” (Psalm 119:23, 24) What a picture! Evil men are plotting against him, digging a pit for him, gnashing […]

Keeping The Flock

Keeping The Flock – Brengle, Samuel Logan The soul-winner must give much time and thought and prayer and effort to keep and strengthen his converts. He ought to say with Paul, “Now we live if ye stand fast,” and again like Paul he should pray “night and day exceedingly that we might perfect that which […]

Jesus Training Paul

Jesus Training Paul – Brengle, Samuel Logan We learn from the Gospels how Jesus, in the days of His flesh, trained the twelve. We learn from the Acts and Paul’s Epistles how the risen and glorified Jesus trained Paul. This paper is a fragmentary study of that training and of some of Paul’s struggles, inner […]

Jesus — The Working Man

Jesus — The Working Man – Brengle, Samuel Logan Peter the Great, Czar of all Russia, and in some respects the mightiest monarch of his day, used to make shoes like a common cobbler, that he might enter into sympathy with his people and help them to realize that labour is not menial, but honorable […]

In God’s School

In God’s School – Brengle, Samuel Logan Man is the supreme product in this world, and the struggle with adversity and evil forces is a part of God’s plan of developing him for mansions and thrones and crowns and kingdoms in the world to come. Therefore we must believe and hope and love and struggle […]

Importance And Benefits Of Bible Study

Importance And Benefits Of Bible Study – Brengle, Samuel Logan If someone had written a book so small that it could be carried in the pocket, and so cheap that the poorest could buy it, and if this book explained simply how anyone who followed its directions could surely, without any danger to themselves or […]

LECTURE IV – William Elbert Munsey

LECTURE IV – William Elbert Munsey INTEMPERANCE. ” Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their naked- ness ! “— Habakkuk 2:15.       IF Satan by proclamation was to reassemble the famous council of Pandemonium, where […]

If You Have Lost The Blessing — What?

If You Have Lost The Blessing — What? – Brengle, Samuel Logan “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God… and ye have not obeyed My voice. Return … and I will not cause Mine anger to […]

I Counted…And I Count

I Counted…And I Count – Brengle, Samuel Logan The Apostle Paul, in his young and fiery manhood, was on the way to Damascus, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples,’ when Jesus met him and won his heart; and from that day Paul counted all things loss for Christ. He made an unconditional surrender, […]

 How To Study The Bible

How To Study The Bible – Brengle, Samuel Logan The other day I received a letter from a young Officer asking for a few suggestions as to how to read and study the Bible. Here they are: I. Read and study it as two young lovers read and study each other’s letters. As soon as […]

How To Prepare For The Meeting

How To Prepare For The Meeting – Brengle, Samuel Logan A long time ago, St. Luke tells us when Jesus was a boy of twelve, He went with His parents and neighbors up to Jerusalem to the Feast of the Passover. On the return of the company, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem. ‘And […]

 How To Keep Holiness

How To Keep Holiness – Brengle, Samuel Logan Do you ask, ‘How can I keep the blessing?’ 1. Do not let your poor heart be burdened with the thought that you have to do it all yourself. In this, as in all else, you are only a worker together with God. He loves you more […]

 How To Keep A Clean Heart

How To Keep A Clean Heart – Brengle, Samuel Logan It is possible to lose the blessing of a clean heart, but, thank God, it is also gloriously possible to keep it. How to do this is a vital question. Two or three years ago, a brother, going to the foreign field, arose in one […]

How To Get Holiness

How To Get Holiness – Brengle, Samuel Logan God never raises a crop of potatoes or a field of wheat or a bushel of oats without man’s help. He takes men into partnership with Him in such matters, He furnishes the sunshine and the air, the rain and the dew, the day and the night, […]

How A Nobody Became A Somebody

How A Nobody Became A Somebody – Brengle, Samuel Logan It is one of the shortest, simplest stories ever heard, and yet one of the sweetest and most wonderful, as told by Luke. Jesus had been across the little sea and had cast a legion of devils out of a poor fellow. The devils, by […]

Holy Covetousness

Holy Covetousness – Brengle, Samuel Logan ‘Covet earnestly the best gifts,’ wrote Paul to his Officers and Soldiers at Corinth. Not the highest promotions, not the best positions, but ‘the best gifts,’ those gifts which God bestows upon the people who earnestly covet them and diligently seek Him. Nero sat upon the throne of the […]

LECTURE III – William Elbert Munsey

LECTURE III – William Elbert Munsey MUSIC.      THERE is nothing but what has its ideal. There is such a thing, if we can properly call it a thing, which we express by the word Beautiful. There is real beauty, and ideal beauty. Real beauty is always imperfect, therefore it is finite ; ideal […]

LECTURE II – William Elbert Munsey

LECTURE II – William Elbert Munsey MAN.       “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained: ” What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? ” For thou hast made him a […]

TRIUMPHANT PRAYER

TRIUMPHANT PRAYER – Alexander Maclaren ‘O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against Thee 8 O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as […]

Possessing and Possessed

Possessing and Possessed – Alexander Maclaren The portion of Jacob is not like them — for He is the former of all things: and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance. The Lord of Hosts is His name. Here we have set forth a reciprocal possession. We possess God, He possesses us. We are His […]

A QUESTION FOR THE BEGINNING

A QUESTION FOR THE BEGINNING – Alexander Maclaren ‘What will ye do in the end?’ — JER. v.31. I find that I preached to the young from this text just thirty years since — nearly a generation ago. How few of my then congregation are here to-night! how changed they and I are! and how […]

FOUNTAIN AND CISTERNS

FOUNTAIN AND CISTERNS – Alexander Maclaren They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewedthem out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water’–JER. ii.13. The proclivity of the Jews to idolatry is an outstanding fact all through their history. That persistent national tendency surely compels us to recognise a divine inspiration as […]

GOD’S LAWSUIT

GOD’S LAWSUIT – Alexander Maclaren ‘Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children’s children will I plead.’ — JER. ii.9. Point out that ‘plead’ is a forensic term. There is a great lawsuit in which God is plaintiff and men defendants. The word is frequent in Isaiah. I. The […]

HOW TO MEET GOD

HOW TO MEET GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember Thee in Thy ways.’ — ISAIAH lxiv.5. The prophet here shows us how there is a great staircase which we ourselves build, which leads straight from earth to heaven, and how we can secure that we shall […]

THE HEAVENLY WORKERS AND THE EARTHLY WATCHERS

THE HEAVENLY WORKERS AND THE EARTHLY WATCHERS – Alexander Maclaren ‘For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest … I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not […]

THE JOY BRINGER

THE JOY BRINGER – Alexander Maclaren ‘To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.’ — ISAIAH lxi.3. In the little synagogue of Nazareth Jesus began His ministry by laying His hand upon this […]

The Sunlit Church

The Sunlit Church – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen on you. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; […]

GOD’S WAYS AND MAN’S

GOD’S WAYS AND MAN’S – Alexander Maclaren ‘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 lv.8, 9. Scripture gives us no revelations […]

THE CALL TO THE THIRSTY

THE CALL TO THE THIRSTY – Alexander Maclaren Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour […]

THE ARM OF THE LORD

THE ARM OF THE LORD – Alexander Maclaren ‘To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?’ — -ISAIAH liii 1. In the second Isaiah there are numerous references to ‘the arm of the Lord.’ It is a natural symbol of the active energy of Jehovah, and is analogous to the other symbol of ‘the […]

MARCHING ORDERS

MARCHING ORDERS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord 12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before […]

A CALL TO FAITH

A CALL TO FAITH – Alexander Maclaren Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.’ — ISAIAH l.10. The persons addressed in this call to faith […]

THE SERVANT’S VOLUNTARY SUFFERINGS

THE SERVANT’S VOLUNTARY SUFFERINGS – Alexander Maclaren ‘I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.’ — ISAIAH l.6. Such words are not to be dealt with coldly. Unless they be grasped by the heart they are not […]

Holiness: What It Is Not, And What It Is

Holiness: What It Is Not, And What It Is -Brengle, Samuel Logan First of all. Holiness is not necessarily a state in which there is perpetual rapturous joy. Isaiah liii. 3 tells us that Jesus was ‘a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,’ and Paul tells us of himself that he had continual sorrow […]

 Holiness: How To Get It

Holiness: How To Get It – Brengle, Samuel Logan Holiness is that state of our moral and spiritual nature, which makes us like Jesus in His moral and spiritual nature. It does not consist in perfection of intellect, though the experience will give much greater clearness to a man’s intellect and simplify and energize his […]

 Holiness: A Love Service

Holiness: A Love Service – Brengle, Samuel Logan ‘I wish I knew the secret of Paul’s piety,’ said that good man, Asa Mahan, to Mr. Finney one day. ‘Paul said, “The love of Christ constraineth us.” ‘ Just then the glorious truth burst upon his mind that we are sanctified not by works, but by […]

 Holiness Before The Flood; Or, Do You Walk With God?

Holiness Before The Flood; Or, Do You Walk With God? – Brengle, Samuel Logan ‘And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him (Gen. 23, 24). A remarkable biography! Nowadays men write hundreds of pages about their heroes, […]

 Holiness And Zeal For Souls

Holiness And Zeal For Souls – Brengle, Samuel Logan ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,’ said Jesus to Peter and Andrew; and now as then when Jesus saves a soul, that soul wants to catch men, wants to see others saved. Holiness increases this desire, and makes it burn with a […]

Holiness And Worry

Holiness And Worry – Brengle, Samuel Logan Worry is a great foe to holiness, and perfect trust puts an end to worry. ‘I would as soon swear as fret,’ said John Wesley. The murmuring and complaining of His children has ever been a great sin in the sight of God, and has led to untold […]

Holiness And Unconscious Influence

Holiness And Unconscious Influence – Brengle, Samuel Logan Some people often sing: “Oh, to be nothing, nothing;” but, in reality, to be something, to be useful, is one of the first and strongest desires that spring up in the heart of a truly saved person. And one of the blessed things about a holy life […]

Holiness And The Sanctification Of The Body

Holiness And The Sanctification Of The Body – Brengle, Samuel Logan The Prophet Isaiah says that God inhabits eternity (Isaiah lvii. 15); and Solomon says, ‘The heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee.’ (I Kings viii. 27.) But, wonder of wonders! Paul says that we are a habitation of God. What!’ says he, ‘know […]

 Holiness And Self-Denial

Holiness And Self-Denial – Brengle, Samuel Logan One day John Wesley was to dine with a rich man. One of his preachers, who was present, said, ‘Oh, sir, what a sumptuous dinner! Things are very different to what they were formerly. There is but little self-denial now among the Methodists.’ Wesley pointed to the table […]

 Holiness And Prayer

Holiness And Prayer – Brengle, Samuel Logan You are coming to a King, Large petitions with you bring: For His power and grace are such, You can never ask too much. Prayer is a puzzle to unbelievers, but a sweet privilege to us. A stranger will hesitate to approach a king, but the king’s child […]

Holiness And Humility

Holiness And Humility – Brengle, Samuel Logan Those who oppose holiness often say that we who profess it are proud, and that the doctrine tends to spiritual pride. But the truth is, that holiness goes down to the root of all pride, and digs it up utterly. A holy man is one who has found […]

Holiness And Duty

Holiness And Duty – Brengle, Samuel Logan If holiness delivers us from worry, it increases the sense of duty and of personal responsibility. It was the holiness of His heart that led the twelve-year-old boy Jesus to say to His mother, ‘Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?’ To Him the […]

Holiness — What Is It?

Holiness — What Is It? – Brengle, Samuel Logan “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom, of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. vii. 21). Now, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification … For God hath […]

How To Get It

How To Get It – Brengle, Samuel Logan “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea iv. 6). “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent” (John xvii. 3). Said an old professor of over eighty years, in a certain holiness […]

 Hindrances To Obtaining The Blessing

Hindrances To Obtaining The Blessing – Brengle, Samuel Logan Holiness has not legs and does not go walking about visiting idle people, as a lazy Christian seemed to think who told me that he thought the experience would “come” to him “some day.” A sister aptly remarked: “He might as well expect the hall to […]

 Hindrances To Holiness

Hindrances To Holiness – Brengle, Samuel Logan God has provided a salvation for us that is perfect in every particular, and that satisfies both the heart and the mind. It makes its possessor ‘more than conqueror’ over the world, the flesh and the devil, and enables him to do the will of God on earth […]

 Health

Health – Brengle, Samuel Logan “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper, and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 2.) The soul-winner must take the best care he knows how of his body, yet without everlastingly coddling and petting and pitying himself. This is his sacred duty. The […]

 Gideon’s Band

Gideon’s Band – Brengle, Samuel Logan One hundred and twenty thousand Midianites had come up to fight against Israel, and thirty-two thousand Israelites rose up to fight for their wives, their children, their homes, their liberty, their lives. But God saw that if one Israelite whipped nearly four Midianites he would be so puffed up […]

 Future Punishment And The Bible

Future Punishment And The Bible – Brengle, Samuel Logan Joseph Cook, one of America’s soundest and clearest thinkers, said to me a generation ago, ‘Let the Churches banish from their pulpits the preaching of Hell for a hundred years, and it will come back again, for the doctrine is in the Bible, and in the […]

THE WRITING ON GOD’S HANDS

THE WRITING ON GOD’S HANDS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Behold! I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.’ — ISAIAH xlix.16. In the preceding context we have the infinitely tender and beautiful words: ‘Zion hath said, The Lord hath forsaken me. Can a woman forget her sucking child? […]

FEEDING IN THE WAYS

FEEDING IN THE WAYS – Alexander Maclaren ‘They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.’ ISAIAH xlix.9. This is part of the prophet’s glowing description of the return of the Captives, under the figure of a flock fed by a strong shepherd. We have often seen, I suppose, […]

FEEDING ON ASHES

FEEDING ON ASHES – Alexander Maclaren ‘He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?’ — ISAIAH xliv.20. The prophet has been pouring fierce scorn on idolaters. They make, he says, the gods they worship. They […]

THE SECRET OF IMMORTAL YOUTH

THE SECRET OF IMMORTAL YOUTH – Alexander Maclaren ‘Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not […]

LECTURE I – William Elbert Munsey

LECTURE I – William Elbert Munsey ELIJAH. ” And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.” — I Kings, 17:24.      THE widow of Zarephath said to Elijah, ” I know that […]

 Freedom From Sin

Freedom From Sin – Brengle, Samuel Logan The most startling thing about sin is its power to enslave. Jesus said, ‘Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin’ (John viii. 34), and everyday life and experience prove the saying to be true. Let a boy or a man tell a lie and he is henceforth […]

Fools For Christ’s Sake

Fools For Christ’s Sake – Brengle, Samuel Logan To the natural heart and the unsanctified mind the commands of God are foolishness. ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee’ (Gen. xii. 1), said God to Abraham. How foolish to […]

 First Things First

First Things First – Brengle, Samuel Logan One of the outstanding ironies of history is the utter disregard of ranks and titles in the final judgments men pass upon each other. And if this be so of men, how much more must it be so of the judgments of God. Nero and Marcus Aurelius sat […]

SERMON XXVII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXVII – William Elbert Munsey A fragment. THE DYING YEAR: — WATCHNIGHT.      THIS is the first Sabbath and the first day in 1871. Last night the Old Year died. — Did you see that old man, so pale, frail, and ghostly, who stood out upon the bleak and icy hills last night, […]

Finance

Finance – Brengle, Samuel Logan The soul-winner, to be successful, must not be over anxious about finance, but must laugh at the devil and all his fears, and count God faithful and trust Him to supply all his needs. He should again and again read over the last part of the sixth chapter of St. […]

Faith: The Grace And The Gift

Faith: The Grace And The Gift – Brengle, Samuel Logan Be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:12). “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that […]

Faith: The Grace And The Gift

Faith: The Grace And The Gift – Brengle, Samuel Logan “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb. vi. 12). “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them […]

SERMON XXVI – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXVI – William Elbert Munsey THE RESURRECTION OF THE HUMAN BODY. ” How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come? ” I Cor. 15:35.      WE are all standing upon the threshold of an awful future, replete with facts and instinct with entities, about which we know but […]

Faith Is What You Want

Faith Is What You Want – Brengle, Samuel Logan Once in one of our holiness meetings I met a sister who was evidently in great spiritual distress, with intense hunger for full salvation. After a few moments’ conversation, I felt assured that she was ready to accept the blessing, and so we knelt in prayer; […]

Evil-Speaking

Evil-Speaking – Brengle, Samuel Logan ‘Speak evil of no man’ (Titus iii. 2) This is a command of God, and should be meditated upon and obeyed. A failure to do this leads to innumerable evils. Myriads of souls have backslidden; multitudes, almost persuaded, have turned back into darkness; many revivals have been quenched; and many […]

Encouraging One Another

Encouraging One Another – Brengle, Samuel Logan Over and over again when Moses was preparing to give up his command to Joshua, he encouraged Joshua and exhorted him to ‘be strong and of a good courage.’ And so important was this matter, that when Moses was dead, God Himself spoke to Joshua and said, ‘Be […]

 Don’t Argue

Don’t Argue – Brengle, Samuel Logan “The servant a” the Lord must not strive (2 Tim. ii. 24). In seeking to lead a holy, blameless life, I have been helped at one point by the advice of two men and the example of two others. 1. — COMMISSIONER DOWDLE Some years ago, in Boston, I […]

SERMON XXV – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXV – William Elbert Munsey “NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY.” ” For Now we see through a glass, darkly ; but then face to face ; no* I know in part ; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”— i Cor. xiii. 12.      THE word translated […]

SERMON XXIV – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXIV – William Elbert Munsey THE FUTURE AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED (DISCOURSE IV.). ” Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness ; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” — Matt. 22:13.      PUNISHMENT is […]

 Death Of ‘The Old Man’

Death Of ‘The Old Man – Brengle, Samuel Logan The Son of God came into this world, and lived, and toiled, and taught, and suffered, and died and rose again in order to accomplish a twofold purpose. The Apostle John explains this twofold work. In I John iii. 5, speaking of Jesus, he says, ‘Ye […]

SERMON XXIII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXIII – William Elbert Munsey THE FUTURE AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED (DISCOURSE III.). ” If thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched : where their worm […]

Deal Gently

Deal Gently – Brengle, Samuel Logan Recently in my regular Bible reading I came to that tender appeal of King David to his generals as they were going forth to fight with Absalom: “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom” (2 Sam. 18:5), and my heart was touched with its […]

Confessing Other People’s Sins

Confessing Other People’s Sins – Brengle, Samuel Logan ‘Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’ asked the Lord of Adam in the Garden of Eden. And Adam replied, ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. […]

 Birds Of Prey

Birds Of Prey – Brengle, Samuel Logan Against the entire sanctification of believers Satan brings to bear all his devices, his sophistical arguments, and the full force of his powerful will; but the resolute soul, determined to be all the Lord’s, will find him a conquered foe, with no power but to deceive. The way […]

SERMON XXII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXII – William Elbert Munsey THE FUTURE AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF THE W CKED — (DISCOURSE II.). ” These shall go away into everlasting punishment : but the righteous into life Eternal.” — Matt. 25:46.      THE same words used to express the duration of God and the duration of the reward of […]

Answering Atheism

Answering Atheism – Brengle, Samuel Logan A wide knowledge of history tends to sanity, to sobriety, and correctness of judgment of men and events, if we have seen God in history. We need such knowledge to give us perspective, to steady us, to save us from sharp judgments, to insure us against cocksureness on one […]

Another Chance For You!

Another Chance For You! – Brengle, Samuel Logan “They that stood by … said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them? Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, “I know not the Man” (Matthew xxvi. 73, 74). “Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jones, lovest thou Me more thou […]

 An Undivided Heart

An Undivided Heart – Brengle, Samuel Logan Unite my heart. — David. He who thinks to succeed in this infinite business of saving souls with a heart that is divided as yet knows nothing as he ought to know concerning the matter. That a man may by personal magnetism, grace of manners, power or persuasiveness […]

An Open Letter To A Young Man Seeking Spiritual Help

An Open Letter To A Young Man Seeking Spiritual Help – Brengle, Samuel Logan My dear Comrade, Your letter has just now reached me, and I hasten to reply. You say: ‘I have sought and found Holiness many times, but the longest I have been able to keep it was seven weeks,’ and then you […]

After The Holiness Meeting

After The Holiness Meeting – Brengle, Samuel Logan Were you at the holiness meeting? Did you come out to the Penitent-form? Did Jesus make your heart clean? And did you receive the Holy Ghost? If you gave yourself to God in the very best way you knew of; but did not receive the Holy Ghost, […]

A Word To You Who Would Be Useful

A Word To You Who Would Be Useful – Brengle, Samuel Logan Does the devil ever tempt you to feel that you are of no use and can do nothing? Every genuine Christian wants to be useful, fruit-bearing, and a soul-winner. This desire is characteristic of the new nature, received at conversion. When Paul was […]

A Word To Those Who Are Growing Old

A Word To Those Who Are Growing Old – Brengle, Samuel Logan In one of my recent Meetings a dear sister, who has been serving the Lord and walking in the Light for many years, confessed with tears that her joy was not what it used to be. In her youth joys were rapturous, leaping […]

SERMON XXI – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XXI – William Elbert Munsey THE FUTURE AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED – (DISCOURSE  I) ” These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.” — Matt. 25:46.      THERE is a state of future rewards for the righteous, therefore there is a state of future punishment for […]

A Common Yet Subtle Sin

A Common Yet Subtle Sin – Brengle, Samuel Logan There is a sin which a Catholic priest once declared that no one had ever confessed to him sin so deadly that the wrath of God comes upon men because of it; a sin so common that probably everybody has at some time been guilty of […]

SERMON XX – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XX – William Elbert Munsey MAGNITUDE OF THE DIVINE COUNSEL’S AND WORK. ” Great in counsel, and mighty in work.” — Jer. 32:19.      THE prophet is exhibiting God as the Governor and Rewarder of men, the Maker and Ruler of the universe ; and the text appears to be the expression of […]

SERMON XIX – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XIX – William Elbert Munsey Peter’s defection from Christ. “Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. “And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. “But a […]

SERMON XVIII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XVIII – William Elbert Munsey RETRIBUTION. ” Be sure your sin will find you out.” — Num. 32:23.       THIS is no philosophical aphorism, no empty threatening, but the language of Divine inspiration, clothed with the eternal truth of Him who cannot lie, and backed by the arm of inexorable Justice which […]

THE RIVERS OF GOD

THE RIVERS OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.’ — ISAIAH xxxiii.21. One great peculiarity of Jerusalem, which distinguishes it from almost all other historical cities, is that […]

HOW TO DWELL IN THE FIRE OF GOD

HOW TO DWELL IN THE FIRE OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears […]

THE HIDING PLACE

THE HIDING PLACE – Alexander Maclaren ‘And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.’ — ISAIAH xxxii.2. We may well say, Of whom speaketh the prophet […]

THE LORD’S FURNACE

THE LORD’S FURNACE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.’ — ISAIAH xxxi.9.   This very remarkable characterisation of God stands here as a kind of seal, set upon the preceding prophecy. It is the reason why that will certainly be fulfilled. And what precedes is mainly […]

THREE PICTURES OF ONE REALITY

THREE PICTURES OF ONE REALITY – Alexander Maclaren ‘As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also He will deliver it; and passing over He will preserve it’ — ISAIAH xxxi.5. The immediate occasion of this very remarkable promise is, of course, the peril in which Jerusalem was placed by Sennacherib’s […]

THE FOUNDATION OF GOD

THE FOUNDATION OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.’ — ISAIAH xxviii.16. ‘Therefore thus saith the Lord.’ Then these great words are God’s answer […]

THE INHABITANT OF THE ROCK

THE INHABITANT OF THE ROCK – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thou wilt keep him In perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.’ — ISAIAH xxvi.3-4. There is an obvious parallel between these verses and the two […]

OUR STRONG CITY

OUR STRONG CITY – Alexander Maclaren ‘In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.’ — ISAIAH xxvi 1-2. What day is ‘that […]

THE MAKING OF A PROPHET

THE MAKING OF A PROPHET – Alexander Maclaren ‘Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’ — ISAIAH vi.5. In previous pages […]

A SERAPH’S WINGS

A SERAPH’S WINGS – Alexander Maclaren ‘With twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.’ — ISAIAH vi.2. This is the only mention in Scripture of the seraphim. I do not need to enter upon the much-debated, and in some respects interesting, question as to […]

THE EMPTY THRONE FILLED

THE EMPTY THRONE FILLED – Alexander Maclaren ‘In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.’ — ISAIAH vi.1. Uzziah had reigned for fifty-two years, during the greater part of which he and his people had been brilliantly […]

The Perpetual Pillar of Cloud and Fire

The Perpetual Pillar of Cloud and Fire – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 4:5 And the Lord will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night. The pillar of cloud and fire in the Exodus was one: there […]

What Sin Does to Men

What Sin Does to Men – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 1:30 Ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water 31 And the strong shall be as tow, and His work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. The original reference […]

THE SATISFIER OF ALL DESIRES

THE SATISFIER OF ALL DESIRES – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing … 19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.’ — PSALM cxlv.16, 19. You observe the recurrence, in these two verses, of […]

THE INCENSE OF PRAYER

THE INCENSE OF PRAYER – Alexander Maclaren ‘Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.’ — PSALM cxli.2. The place which this psalm occupies in the Psalter, very near its end, makes it probable that it is considerably later in date than […]

LOOKING TO THE HILLS

LOOKING TO THE HILLS – Alexander Maclaren ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ — PSALM cxxi.1, 2. The so-called ‘Songs of Degrees,’ of which this psalm is one, are usually, and with great probability, attributed to […]

SUBMISSION AND PEACE

SUBMISSION AND PEACE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Great peace have they which love Thy law; and nothing shall offend them.’ PSALM cxix.165. The marginal note says ‘they shall have no stumbling block.’ We do great injustice to this psalm — so exuberant in its praises of ‘the law of the Lord’ — if we suppose that […]

REQUITING GOD

REQUITING GOD – Alexander Maclaren Psalm 116:12 ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me? 13. I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. There may possibly be a reference here to a part of the Passover ritual. It seems to have become […]

EXPERIENCE RESOLVE AND HOPE

EXPERIENCE RESOLVE AND HOPE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.’ — PSALM cxvi.8, 9. This is a quotation from an earlier psalm, with variations which are interesting, whether we suppose […]

GOD AND THE GODLY

GOD AND THE GODLY – Alexander Maclaren ‘His righteousness endureth for ever.’ — PSALMS cxi.3; cxii.3. These two psalms are obviously intended as a pair. They are identical in number of verses and in structure, both being acrostic, that is to say, the first clause of each commences with the first letter of the Hebrew […]

SOLDIER PRIESTS

SOLDIER PRIESTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.’ — PSALM cx.3. It is no part of my present purpose to establish the reference of this psalm to our Lord. […]

God’s Promises Tests

God’s Promises Tests – Alexander Maclaren Psalm 105:19 ‘Until the time that his word came, the word of the Lord tried him I do not think I shall be mistaken if I affirm that these words do not convey any very clear idea to most readers. They were spoken with reference to Joseph, during the […]

THE CRY OF THE MORTAL TO THE UNDYING

THE CRY OF THE MORTAL TO THE UNDYING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it. — PSALM xc.17. If any reliance is to be placed upon the superscription of […]

BLESSED TRUST

BLESSED TRUST – Alexander Maclaren ‘O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee.’ — PSALM lxxxiv.12. In my last sermon from the central portion of this psalm I pointed out that the Psalmist thrice celebrates the blessedness of certain types of character, and that these threefold benedictions constitute, as it were, […]

HAPPY PILGRIMS

HAPPY PILGRIMS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; in whose heart are the highways to Zion 6 Passing through the valley of Weeping they make it a place of springs; yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings 7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them […]

MEMORY, HOPE, AND EFFORT

MEMORY, HOPE, AND EFFORT – Alexander Maclaren ‘That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.’ — PSALM lxxviii.7. In its original application this verse is simply a statement of God’s purpose in giving to Israel the Law, and such a history of deliverance. The […]

REASONABLE RAPTURE

REASONABLE RAPTURE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides Thee.26. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ — PSALM lxxiii.25, 26. We have in this psalm the record of the […]

THE BURDEN BEARING GOD

THE BURDEN BEARING GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits.’ — (A.V.). ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden.’ — PSALM lxviii.19 (R.V.). The difference between these two renderings seems to be remarkable, and a person ignorant of any language but our own might find it […]

SIN OVERCOMING AND OVERCOME

SIN OVERCOMING AND OVERCOME – Alexander Maclaren ‘Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.’ — PSALM. lxv.3. There is an intended contrast in these two clauses more pointed and emphatic in the original than in our Bible, between man’s impotence and God’s power in the face of the fact […]

THIRST AND SATISFACTION

THIRST AND SATISFACTION – Alexander Maclaren ‘My soul thirsteth for Thee….5. My soul shall be satisfied….8. My soul followeth hard after Thee.’ — PSALM lxiii.1, 5, 8. It is a wise advice which bids us regard rather what is said than who says it, and there are few regions in which the counsel is more […]

SILENCE TO GOD

SILENCE TO GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Truly my soul waiteth upon God….5. My soul, wait thou only upon God.’PSALM lxii.1, 5. We have here two corresponding clauses, each beginning a section of the psalm. They resemble each other even more closely than appears from the English version, for the ‘truly’ of the first, and the […]

WAITING AND SINGING

WAITING AND SINGING – Alexander Maclaren ‘Because of his strength will I wait upon Thee: for God is my defence….17. Unto Thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.’ — PSALM lix.9, 17. There is an obvious correspondence between these two verses even as they […]

THE FIXED HEART

THE FIXED HEART – Alexander Maclaren ‘My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.’ — PSALM lvii.7. It is easy to say such things when life goes smoothly with us. But this Psalmist, whether David or another, says this, and means it, when all things are dark […]

DAVID’S CRY FOR PURITY

DAVID’S CRY FOR PURITY – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Renew a right spirit within me.11. … And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.12. … And uphold me with Thy free Spirit.’ — PSALM li.10-12. We ought to be very thankful that the Bible never conceals the faults of its noblest men. David stands high among […]

DAVID’S CRY FOR PARDON

DAVID’S CRY FOR PARDON – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Blot out my transgressions.2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.’ — PSALM li.1, 2. A whole year had elapsed between David’s crime and David’s penitence. It had been a year of guilty satisfaction not worth the having; of sullen hardening of […]

TWO SHEPHERDS AND TWO FLOCKS

TWO SHEPHERDS AND TWO FLOCKS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them.’ — PSALM xlix.14. ‘The Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them.’ — REV. vii.17. These two verses have a much closer parallelism in expression than appears in our Authorised […]

A SONG OF DELIVERANCE

A SONG OF DELIVERANCE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King 3 God […]

THE CITY AND RIVER OF GOD

THE CITY AND RIVER OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early 6 […]

THE PORTRAIT OF THE BRIDE

THE PORTRAIT OF THE BRIDE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; 11. So shall the King desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even […]

THE PSALMIST’S REMONSTRANCE WITH HIS SOUL

THE PSALMIST’S REMONSTRANCE WITH HIS SOUL – Alexander Maclaren ‘Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, the health of my countenance, and my God.’ — PSALM xliii.5. This verse, which closes this psalm, occurs twice in the previous […]

THIRSTING FOR GOD

THIRSTING FOR GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.’ — PSALM xiii.2. This whole psalm reads like the sob of a wounded heart. The writer of it is shut out from the Temple of his God, from the holy soil of his native land. One can see him sitting […]

Two Innumerable Series

Two Innumerable Series – Alexander Maclaren Psalm 40:5 ‘Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered …12. Innumerable evils […]

THE BITTERNESS AND BLESSEDNESS OF THE BREVITY OF LIFE

THE BITTERNESS AND BLESSEDNESS OF THE BREVITY OF LIFE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Surely every man walketh in a vain shew….12. I am a stranger with Thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.’ — PSALM xxxix.6, 12. These two sayings are two different ways of putting the same thing. There is a common thought […]

THE SECRETOF TRANQUILLITY

THE SECRET OF TRANQUILLITY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart 5. Commit thy way unto the Lord….7. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.’ — PSALM xxxvii.4, 5, 7. ‘I have been young, and now am old,’ says the writer […]

WHAT MEN FIND BENEATH THE WINGS OF GOD

WHAT MEN FIND BENEATH THE WINGS OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of Thy house; and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.9. For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.’ — PSALM xxxvi.8, 9. In the […]

SKY EARTH AND SEA APARABLE OF GOD

SKY EARTH AND SEA A PARABLE OF GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.6. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.7. How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! therefore the […]

NO CONDEMNATION

NO CONDEMNATION – Alexander Maclaren ‘None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.’ — PSALM xxxiv.22. These words are very inadequately represented in the translation of the Authorised Version. The Psalmist’s closing declaration is something very much deeper than that they who trust in God ‘shall not be desolate.’ If you look at […]

STRUGGLING AND SEEKING

STRUGGLING AND SEEKING – Alexander Maclaren ‘The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.’ — PSALM xxxiv.10. If we may trust the superscription of this psalm, it was written by David at one of the very darkest days of his wanderings, probably in […]

THE ENCAMPING ANGEL

THE ENCAMPING ANGEL – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.’ — PSALM xxxiv.7. If we accept the statement in the superscription of this psalm, it dates from one of the darkest hours in David’s life. His fortunes were never lower than when he fled […]

HID IN LIGHT

HID IN LIGHT – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thou shall hide them in the secret of Thy presence from the pride of man; Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.’ — PSALM xxxi.20. The word rendered ‘presence’ is literally ‘face,’ and the force of this very remarkable expression of confidence is […]

GOODNESS WROUGHT AND GOODNESS LAID UP

GOODNESS WROUGHT AND GOODNESS LAID UP – Alexander Maclaren ‘Oh how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!’ — PSALM xxxi.19. The Psalmist has been describing, with the eloquence of misery, his own […]

BE FOR THOU ART

BE FOR THOU ART – Alexander Maclaren ‘Be Thou to me a strong Rock, an house of defence to save me.3. For Thou art my Rock and my Fortress.’ — PSALM xxxi.2, 3 (R.V.). It sounds strange logic, ‘Be … for Thou art,’ and yet it is the logic of prayer, and goes very deep, pointing out […]

THE TWO GUESTS

THE TWO GUESTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘His anger endureth but a moment; in His favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.’ — PSALM xxx.5. A word or two of exposition is necessary in order to bring out the force of this verse. There is an obvious antithesis […]

SEEK YE’-I WILL SEEK’

SEEK YE’- I WILL SEEK’ – Alexander Maclaren ‘When Thou saidst, Seek ye my face; My heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek 9 Hide not Thy face far from me.’ — PSALM xxvii.8, 9. We have here a report of a brief dialogue between God and a devout soul. The Psalmist […]

A PRAYER FOR PARDON AND ITS PLEA

A PRAYER FOR PARDON AND ITS PLEA – Alexander Maclaren ‘For Thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.’ — PSALM xxv.11. The context shows us that this is the prayer of a man who had long loved and served God. He says that ‘on God’ he ‘waits all the day,’ […]

THE GOD WHO DWELLS WITH MEN

THE GOD WHO DWELLS WITH MEN – Alexander Maclaren ‘Lift up your heads, O ye gates: and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in 8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle 9 Lift up your heads, O […]

A GREAT QUESTION AND ITS ANSWER

A GREAT QUESTION AND ITS ANSWER – Alexander Maclaren ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? and who shall stand in His holy place?’ — PSALM xxiv.3. The psalm from which these words are taken flashes up into new beauty, if we suppose it to have been composed in connection with the bringing […]

THE SHEPHERD KING OF ISRAEL

THE SHEPHERD KING OF ISRAEL – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake 4 Yea, though I […]

FEASTING ON THE SACRIFICE

FEASTING ON THE SACRIFICE – Alexander Maclaren ‘The meek shall eat and be satisfied.’ — PSALM xxii.26. ‘The flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offering for thanksgiving shall be offered in the day of his oblation.’ Such was the law for Israel. And the custom of sacrificial feasts, which it embodies, was common to many […]

SECRET FAULTS

SECRET FAULTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Who can understand his errors? cleanse Thou me from secret faults.’ PSALM xix.12. The contemplation of the ‘perfect law, enlightening the eyes,’ sends the Psalmist to his knees. He is appalled by his own shortcomings, and feels that, beside all those of which he is aware, there is a region, […]

MAN’S TRUE TREASURE IN GOD

MAN’S TRUE TREASURE IN GOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.’ — PSALM xvi.5, 6. We read, in the law which created the priesthood in Israel, that […]

PREFATORY NOTE AND AUTHOR’S PREFACE

PREFATORY NOTE AND AUTHOR’S PREFACE – Burns, William Chalmers Memoir of the rev. Wm. C. Burns, m. A. , missionary to china from the English Presbyterian church by the late                                                   […]

RECALLING WILLIAM C. BURNS

RECALLING WILLIAM C. BURNS – Burns, William Chalmers chapter 21 1875 The first evening or our arrival we had the pleasure of hearing rev. William c. Burns of the “English Presbyterian mission” conduct the union mission meeting. He wore the “full Chinese blue dress and tail, ” he was both a distinguished scholar and earnest […]

MISSIONARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA

MISSIONARY OPERATIONS IN CHINA – Burns, William Chalmers  chapter 20 1865 pekin, february 7 th , 1865 I have now finished the “pilgrim’s progress” in the mandarin colloquial, which, after being looked over by one or two native friends, will be printed. This will occupy some months at least. I had begun to make an […]

HE PRECIOUS SAVIOUR

HE PRECIOUS SAVIOUR – Burns, William Chalmers 238 chapter 19  1864 Unto you who believe he is precious. ” – 1 peter 2:7 There are very few people who would not agree with the apostle when he says, that Christ is precious to believers. All who have been educated in a christian land, however incorrect […]

SERMON XVII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XVII – William Elbert Munsey THE LAST WORDS OF JESUS. “It is finished.”— John 19: 30.      THE text is short, but it records the end of the grandest and most momentous tragedy ever enacted in this sin-scarred, sin- cursed world. It is the conclusion of a drama whose opening scene is a […]

A LETTER TO THE PEOPLE IN THE HIGHLANDS OF PERTHSHIRE

A LETTER TO THE PEOPLE IN THE HIGHLANDS OF PERTHSHIRE – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 17 [the affection, with which Mr. Burns was regarded, wherever he went, by those who attended his ministry, was doubly manifest towards him by the ardent highlanders. From the highland districts which he visited, as from his other scenes of […]

SERMON XVI – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XVI – William Elbert Munsey THE DAY OF JUDGMENT. ” But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein […]

SIN CONDEMNED

SIN CONDEMNED – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 16 [preached to the congregation of the rev. Dr. C. J. Brown, free new north, edinburgh, while they worshipped in the potterrow, december 1846. Mr. Burns had then just returned from canada. The claims of china, in connection with the resolution of the english presbyterian church to start […]

SERMON XV – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XV – William Elbert Munsey ” WHY HAST THOU MADE ME THUS ? “ ” O, man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shalt the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” — Romans ix. 20.         ALL that is said about Jacob […]

SERMON XIV – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XIV – William Elbert Munsey Ezekiel’s vision — (discourse III.). Unity of God’s Designs in Providence. “Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them ; and the glory of the God of Israel was over above them. ” — Ezekiel 11:22.         BETWEEN all these symbols, […]

SERMON XIII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XIII – William Elbert Munsey Ezekiel’s vision (discourse II.). The Mysteriousness of Providence. ” Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them ; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.” — Ezekiel 11:22.         THE structure and relative position of the […]

SERMON XII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XII – William Elbert Munsey Ezekiel’s vision (discourse 1.) Dispensations of Divine Providence. “Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them ; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.” — Ezekiel 11:22.         SPEAKING of the wheels, the prophet says: ”Their […]

THE TEN VIRGINS

THE TEN VIRGINS – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 15 [preached in moulin parish church on sabbath evening, september 6, 1840. In the forenoon of the same day, mr. Burns preached in a tent to the people who were seated in the churchyard. Many of the higher classes were present who were not likely to have […]

THE VALLEY OF VISION

THE VALLEY OF VISION – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 14 [preached in st. Leonard’s church, Perth, on Wednesday evening, march 11, 1840, to a densely crowded audience. ] Ezekiel 37 There is so much in this chapter, that we cannot attempt to explain equally all parts of it; but shall merely make a few observations […]

SERMON XI – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON XI – William Elbert Munsey CHRIST THE WAY (DISCOURSE III.) ” I am the way, the truth, and the life.”— John 14:6.       CHRIST became “the way” from death to life — How?        By first removing all difficulties out of the way.        I. The first difficulty […]

WORDS OF WARNING

WORDS OF WARNING – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 13 [free st. Leonard’s church, Perth, sabbath afternoon, February 19, 1844] 2 Thessalonians 2 This chapter contains a most remarkable prophecy of the rise, progress, and final destruction of antichrist; and we now desire to direct your attention to what prepared the world and the professing church […]

SERMON X – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON X – William Elbert Munsey CHRIST THE WAY (DISCOURSE II.) ” I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6. WHEN the great question of death and continued life was presented to man’s power of choice, alas! he chose Death. This involved: —        I. The destruction of […]

THE BREAKER UP

THE BREAKER UP – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 12 [free west church, sabbath evening, February 19, 1844] I will surely assemble, o Jacob, all of thee; i will surely gather the remnant of Israel; i will put them together as the sheep of boozer, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall […]

TRIAL MADE SWEET

TRIAL MADE SWEET – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 11 [Perth, February 1844] “patient in tribulation. ” – Romans 12:12 If, while earthly good is removed, divine consolation is given instead, the believer gets back an hundred- fold what he gave up, by receiving that which is an hundred-fold better. What an example of this we […]

RETURN OF THE ARK

RETURN OF THE ARK – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 10 [Perth, February 1844] 1 chronicles 15 all the priests chosen to bring up the ark to the city of David were commanded to sanctify themselves. For, ” said David to the priests, “because ye did it not at the first, the lord our god made […]

SERMON IX – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON IX – William Elbert Munsey CHRIST THE WAY (DISCOURSE I.) ” I am the way, the truth, and the life.” — John 14:6.         THE text is generally conceived to consist of three parts, each part independent of the other parts, and complete outside of its relations to the other parts. […]

UZZA SMITTEN

UZZA SMITTEN – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 9 [Perth, February 1844] And the anger of the lord was kindled against uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before god. ” — 1 chronicles 13:10 . The ark was a type of Christ, and the bringing […]

SERMON VIII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON VIII – William Elbert Munsey THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL. — (DISCOURSE III.) “Do we then make void the law through faith ? God forbid ; yea, we establish the law.” — Rom. 3:31. IN my first discourse I showed you the origin, nature, and immutability of the moral law. In the second discourse […]

TRUE ZEAL

TRUE ZEAL- Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 8                                                                                                                                 True zeal [in February 1844, Mr. Burns visited Perth for ten days, at the earnest request of those who longed to see an in gathering of souls. Besides three services on the sabbaths, he had a service every evening, as also at 9:15 a. M. , […]

SERMON VII – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON VII – William Elbert Munsey  THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL (DISCOURSE II.) ” Do we then make void the law through faith ? God forbid : yea, we establish the law.”— Rom. 3:31. III. God’s law cannot pardon.       NO law*can ; call it law of the Gospel, law of Christ, law […]

SERMON. I – Thomas Manton

SERMON. I – Thomas Manton PSALMS. 32:1-2.  Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven, whose Sin is covered. Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity, and in whose Spirit there is no Guile. THE Title of this Psalm is A Psalm of In∣struction; and so called, because David was willing to […]

FENCES AND SERPENTS

FENCES AND SERPENTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.’ — ECCLES. x.8. What is meant here is, probably, not such a hedge as we are accustomed to see, but a dry-stone wall, or, perhaps, an earthen embankment, in the crevices of which might lurk a snake to sting […]

ETERNITY IN THE HEART

ETERNITY IN THE HEART – Alexander Maclaren ‘He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also He hath set the world in their heart.’ — ECCLES. iii.11. There is considerable difficulty in understanding what precise meaning is to be attached to these words, and what precise bearing they have on the general course of […]

WHAT PASSES AND WHAT ABIDES

WHAT PASSES AND WHAT ABIDES – Alexander Maclaren ‘One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.’ — ECCLES. i.4. ‘And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ — 1 JOHN ii.17. A great river may run through […]

PORTRAIT OF A MATRON

PORTRAIT OF A MATRON – Alexander Maclaren ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies 11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil 12 She will do him good, and not evil, all the days of her life […]

THE WEIGHT OF SAND

THE WEIGHT OF SAND – Alexander Maclaren “Sand is weighty.”—Pbovebbs xxxii. 3 HIS Book of Proverbs has a very wholesome horror of the character which it calls “a fool”; meaning thereby, not so much intellectual feebleness as moral and religious obliquity, which iire the stupidest things that a man can be guilty of. My text […]

THE AFTERWARDS AN DOUR HOPE

THE AFTERWARDS AND OUR HOPE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long 18 For surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off.’ — PROVERBS xxiii.17, 18. The Book of Proverbs seldom looks beyond the limits of the temporal, but now and then […]

THE SLUGGARD IN HARVEST

THE SLUGGARD IN HARVEST – Alexander Maclaren ‘The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.’ — PROVERBS xx.4. Like all the sayings of this book, this is simply a piece of plain, practical common sense, intended to inculcate the lesson that men should diligently […]

WHAT I THINK OF MYSELF AND WHAT GOD THINKS OF ME

WHAT I THINK OF MYSELF AND WHAT GOD THINKS OF ME – Alexander Maclaren ‘All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.’ — PROVERBS xvi.2. ‘All the ways of a man’ — then there is no such thing as being conscious of having gone wrong, […]

THE POOR RICH AND THE RICH POOR

THE POOR RICH AND THE RICH POOR – Alexander Maclaren ‘There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.’ — PROVERBS xiii.7. Two singularly-contrasted characters are set in opposition here. One, that of a man who lives like a millionaire and is a pauper; another, […]

SERMON VI – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON VI – William Elbert Munsey SERMON VI. THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL (DISCOURSE I.). ” Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea we establish the law.” — Rom. 3:31.       THE student of Christian theology is perplexed and con- founded upon the very threshold of his studies, […]

SERMON V – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON V – William Elbert Munsey THE  MUTABILITY  AND  PERISHABLENESS  OF  ALL  EARTHLY  THINGS,  AND  THE  IMMUTABILITY  AND  ETERNITY  OF  GOD. ” Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth : and the heavens are the work of thy hands. ” They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall […]

SERMON IV — A Fragment – THE OCEAN OF TIME – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON IV — A Fragment – THE OCEAN OF TIME – William Elbert Munsey THERE is that home — but here is this world. Between this world and that Heaven-Home is the Ocean of time.        The world side of this ocean is disfigured by a thousand volcanoes of human corruption in constant […]

THE TWO – FOLD ASPECT OF THE DIVINE WORKING

THE TWO-FOLD ASPECT OF THE DIVINE WORKING – Alexander Maclaren ‘The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.’ — PROVERBS x.29. You observe that the words ‘shall be,’ in the last clause, are a supplement. They are quite unnecessary, and in fact they rather […]

KEEPING AND KEPT

KEEPING AND KEPT – Alexander Maclaren ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.’ — PROVERBS iv.23. ‘Kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.’ — 1 PETER 1.5. The former of these texts imposes a stringent duty, the latter promises divine help to perform it. […]

FROM DAWN TO NOON

FROM DAWN TO NOON – Alexander Maclaren ‘The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’ — PROVERBS iv.18. ‘Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. — MATT. xiii.43. The metaphor common to both these texts is […]

MONOTONY AND CRISES

MONOTONY AND CRISES – Alexander Maclaren ‘When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.’ — PROVERBS iv.12. The old metaphor likening life to a path has many felicities in it. It suggests constant change, it suggests continuous progress in one direction, and that all our days […]

THE LORD PASSING BY

THE LORD PASSING BY – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 7 [the following address was delivered in the free middle church, Perth, on the evening of sabbath, February 12, 1844. It is given as it was delivered; the previous addresses are considerably shortened from the original notes. It is believed that some readers will like to […]

SERMON. III – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON. III – William Elbert Munsey A DISEASE;   A PHYSICIAN;   A REMEDY;   A CURE;   A REASON ” Is there no balm in Gilead? is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? ” — Jer. 8:22.        THE children of Israel are here represented […]

SERMON II – Isaiah’s Vision (Discourse ii) – William Elbert Munsey

SERMON II – Isaiah’s Vision (Discourse ii) – William Elbert Munsey Isaiah’s Vision (Discourse ii) ” In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. “Above it stood the seraphims ; each one had six wings ; with […]

EVE OF THE DISRUPTION

EVE OF THE DISRUPTION – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 6 [This address was given on the evening preceding the disruption, by mr. Burns, in the church of the rev. A. Moody Stuart, just before the disruption ministers assembled in it to arrange their courses for the morrow. At the close of mr. Burns’ address, we […]

SERMON I. – ISAIAH’S VISION. (DISCOURSE I.) – William E Munsey

SERMON I. – ISAIAH’S VISION. (DISCOURSE I.) – William E Munsey ” In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. “Above it stood the seraphims : each one had six wings : with twain he covered his […]

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xxi So your loved and honored William, ” wrote the rev. Dr. C. J. Brown to his mother, on hearing the tidings of his death, “has obtained the fulfillment of Christ’s prayer, ‘father, i will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where i am, […]

PEKING AND NIUE-CHANG

PEKING AND NIUE-CHANG – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xx 1863-68 In  tracing the last footsteps of my lamented brother at peking and nieu-chwang, i have been happily furnished with such ample materials from the hands of loving brethren of different christian communions, that it will scarcely be necessary for me to do aught more than […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:12 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:12 – Thomas Manton THE TWELFTH VERSE. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare […]

OLD SCENES AND NEW

OLD SCENES AND NEW – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xix 1858-63 While Mr. Burns was thus laboriously preparing the way for future laborers in the comparatively hard and unkindly soil around swatow, his missionary brethren had been reaping a rich and almost continuous harvest at the parent station of amoy. His young colleague, mr. Douglas, […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:11 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:11 – Thomas Manton THE ELEVENTH VERSE. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11 THE prophet goeth on in describing the glorious […]

SHANGHAE, SWATOW, ETC –

SHANGHAE, SWATOW, ETC – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xviii 1855- 1858 Instead of resuming at once his interrupted labors in the province of fo-kien, Mr. Burns proceeded in the first instance to the north, with the view of attempting if possible to reach the head-quarters of the taping rebels, then established at Nanking, and at […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:10 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:10 – Thomas Manton THE TENTH VERSE. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:9 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:9 – Thomas Manton And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. – Isaiah 53:9 THE prophet goeth on with the account of Christ’s sufferings, […]

FIRST-FRUITS

FIRST-FRUITS – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xvii 1854 Hitherto the abundant and patient labours which we have been recording had been rewarded only by hopeful appearances and fair promise, but the missionary was soon to witness greater things than these. On the 18th of January, 1854, Mr. Johnston, shortly after his arrival, wrote: “god has […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:8 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:8 – Thomas Manton THE EIGHTH VERSE. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of my people was he stricken. – Isaiah 53:8 […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:7 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:7 – Thomas Manton THE SEVENTH VERSE. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted; yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. – […]

AMOY

AMOY – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xvi 1851-54 Amoy a sail of four hundred miles in a north-easterly direction from Hong-kong, along a bold and precipitous coast, rising occasionally to a commanding elevation, brings us to a group of islands scattered over the wide and spacious estuary of one of those rivers which here and […]

CANTON

CANTON – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xv 1850-51 We have already remarked that Mr. Burns, labours on Chinese soil had been hitherto mainly preparatory and tentative. The question of a permanent center of operations for the infant mission had not even yet been determined. The balance of opinion, however, in the home committee had been […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:6 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:6 – Thomas Manton THE SIXTH VERSE. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all. – Isaiah 53:6 IN this verse we have two things […]

BREAKING GROUND

BREAKING GROUND – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xiv 1847 -1850 Forty years have elapsed, ” said the rev. James Hamilton, in his report to the synod early in the next year, “since a young man, a native of Newcastle, and brought up in one of our Presbyterian churches, effected his circuitous and almost clandestine passage […]

THE FIELD AND ITS PIONEERS

THE FIELD AND ITS PIONEERS – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xiii 1847 China proper is a compact territory. You would only need to cut off a few projections and fill up a few indentations in order to bring it into either a circle or a square; for its length and breadth are nearly equal. It […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:5 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:5 – Thomas Manton THE FIFTH VERSE. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5 THE prophet having in the former verse briefly […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:4 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:4 – Thomas Manton THE FOURTH VERSE. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. – Isaiah 53:4 THE prophet having given you the meanness of Christ’s birth, and the manner of […]

DEPARTURE FOR CHINA

DEPARTURE FOR CHINA – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xii 1847 The missionary’s departure from England, though delayed in the manner above described, took place at last somewhat suddenly. The ship in which he was to sail, the Mary bannatyne, was dropping slowly down the channel under a light breeze towards port smouth, and it was […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:3 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:3 – Thomas Manton THE THIRD VERSE. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. – Isaiah 53:3 THE prophet […]

CALL TO THE CHINESE FIELD

CALL TO THE CHINESE FIELD – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter xi 1846- 1847 My readers will remember a statement from my brother’s own hand of the circumstances of his first consecration to the missionary work, and of the remarkable train of events by which the fulfillment of his purpose was temporarily, though, as it seemed, […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:2 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:2 – Thomas Manton THE SECOND VERSE. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we […]

THE SECRET OF WELL BEING

THE SECRET OF WELL BEING – Alexander Maclaren ‘My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of […]

Sorrow that Worships

Sorrow that Worships – Alexander Maclaren Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away… Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken […]

ESTHER’S VENTURE

ESTHER’S VENTURE – Alexander Maclaren ‘Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai: 11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his […]

THE JOY OF THE LORD

THE JOY OF THE LORD – Alexander Maclaren The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ — Nehemiah 8:10 Judaism, in its formal and ceremonial aspect, was a religion of gladness.  The feast was the great act of worship.  It is not to be wondered at, that Christianity, the perfecting of that ancient system, has been […]

AN ANCIENT NONCONFORMIST

AN ANCIENT NONCONFORMIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘… So did not I, because of the fear of God.’ — Neh. v.15. I do not suppose that the ordinary Bible-reader knows very much about Nehemiah. He is one of the neglected great men of Scripture. He was no prophet, he had no glowing words, he had no […]

THE CHARGE OF THE PILGRIM PRIESTS

THE CHARGE OF THE PILGRIM PRIESTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them … at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.’ — EZRA viii.29. The little band of Jews, seventeen hundred in number, returning from Babylon, had just started on that long pilgrimage, and made a […]

HEROIC FAITH

HEROIC FAITH – Alexander Maclaren ‘I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon them all for good that seek Him…. 23 So we fasted and […]

GOD THE JOY BRINGER

GOD THE JOY BRINGER – Alexander Maclaren ‘They kept the feast … seven days with joy; for the Lord had made them joyful.’ — EZRA vi.22. Twenty years of hard work and many disappointments and dangers had at last, for the Israelites returning from the captivity, been crowned by the completion of the Temple. It […]

JOSIAH AND THE NEWLY FOUND LAW

JOSIAH AND THE NEWLY FOUND LAW – Alexander Maclaren ‘And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses 15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book […]

COSTLY AND FATAL HELP

COSTLY AND FATAL HELP – Alexander Maclaren ‘He sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.’ — 2 CHRON. […]

Jotham

Jotham – Alexander Maclaren 2 Chronicles 27:1 Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem… So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God. This King Jotham is one of the obscurer of the Jewish monarchs, and we know […]

Prudence and Faith

Prudence and Faith – Alexander Maclaren 2 Chronicles 25:9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. The character of […]

Glad Givers and Faithful Workers

Glad Givers and Faithful Workers – Alexander Maclaren 2 Chronicles 24:4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord 5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel […]

Holding Fast and Held Fast

Holding Fast and Held Fast – Alexander Maclaren 2 Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said… As they went forth Jehoshaphat stood and said, Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established.’ Certainly […]

ASA’S PRAYER

ASA’S PRAYER – Alexander Maclaren ‘And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go against this multitude. O Lord, […]

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:1 – Thomas Manton

A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON 53 CHAPTER OF ISAIAH – Isaiah 53:1 – Thomas Manton A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION. THE FIRST VERSE Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?—Isa 53:1. SHALL in the course of this exercise go over the several verses of this chapter, which is an eminent […]

CANADA

CANADA – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter x 1844-1846 This chapter was kindly prepared by the late rev. Robert burns. Our north American colonies had something like a hereditary claim on the services of Mr. Burns. It has been the lot of two of his near relatives to be engaged for a series of years in […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VII – Mat. 17:6-8 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VII – Mat. 17:6-8 – Thomas Manton  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, be not afraid. And when they had lift up their eyes, they saw […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VI – Mat. 17:5 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VI – Mat. 17:5 – Thomas Manton  This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased; hear ye him. — Mat. 17:5. I. THE design and intent of this scripture is to set forth the Lord Jesus as the great mediator, as appeareth– […]

NEWCASTLE, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN

NEWCASTLE, EDINBURGH, DUBLIN – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter ix 1841 -1844 During the next three years Mr. Burns was incessantly engaged in evangelistic work, partly in places which he had already visited, and partly in new fields. Of the latter the most conspicuous were new castle, Edinburgh, and Dublin, and to a brief notice of […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. V – Mat. 17:5 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. V – Mat. 17:5 – Thomas Manton While he yet Spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. — Mat. 17:5. […]

WORK AMONG THE MOUNTAINS

WORK AMONG THE MOUNTAINS – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter viii 1840 I shall never forget, ” says one to whom Mr. Burns “was more than any other man, “”the first time i saw him. It was at lawers, on sabbath the 16th of august, 1840. The whole country was ringing with the wonderful movement in […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. IV – Mat. 17:4; Luke 9:32-33 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. IV – Mat. 17:4; Luke 9:32-33 – Thomas Manton Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for […]

LABOURS AT ABERDEEN

LABOURS AT ABERDEEN – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter vii 1840 The details which have been given in the three last chapters from Mr. Burns’ own journals, of the nature of his labours, and the scenes amongst which he mingled, at kilsyth, Dundee, and perth, will render it unnecessary to give such extended extracts with reference […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. III – Mat. 17:3; Luke 9:30-31 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. III – Mat. 17:3; Luke 9:30-31 – Thomas Manton  And behold there appeared unto him Moses and Elias talking with him. — Mat. 17:3. with, And behold there talked with him two men, Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory, and spake of his […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. II – Mat. 17:2; Luke 9:29 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. II – Mat. 17:2; Luke 9:29 – Thomas Manton And he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. — Mat. 17:2. with, And, as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. I – Mat. 17:1, Luke 9:28 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. I – Mat. 17:1, Luke 9:28 – Thomas Manton THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST. SERMON I. – Mat. 17:1, Luke 9: 28. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them into an high mountain apart. — Mat. 17:1; with, […]

ST. ANDREWS, PERTH, &C

ST. ANDREWS, PERTH, &C – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter vi 1839-40 With the return of Mr. M’cheyne, mr. Burns’ stated labours at Dundee necessarily came to a close, and though the somewhat delicate state of his friend’s health still for a season rendered his assistance in pastoral work more or less needful, his movements became […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VII – Mat. 4:11 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VII – Mat. 4:11 – Thomas Manton Then the devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him. — Mat. 4:11. IN these words you have the issue and close of Christ’s temptations. The issue is double:–(1.) In respect of the adversary; […]

St. Peter’s, Dundee

St. Peter’s, Dundee – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter v 1839 The reader will have seen that in turning aside to refer to the second communion at kilsyth, and thus bring into one view the history of the remarkable movement there, we have necessarily anticipated somewhat the actual course of events in mr. Burns’ life. He […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VI – Mat. 4:10 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. VI – Mat. 4:10 – Thomas Manton  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. — Mat. 4:10. THIRDLY, Christ’s answer and reply, which is double: […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. V – Mat. 4:8-9 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. V – Mat. 4:8-9 – Thomas Manton Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if […]

REVIVAL SCENES

REVIVAL SCENES – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter iv 1839 The subject of the revival of religion as the great want of the times had been already, and for a long time, much in the minds both of the pastor and the people of kilsyth. The memorable scenes of the years 1742-3, when, under the ministry […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. IV – Mat. 4:7 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. IV – Mat. 4:7 – Thomas Manton Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. — Mat. 4:7. HERE is Christ’s answer to the second temptation, where two things are observable:– First, That Christ answered. Secondly, […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. III – Mat. 4:5-6 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. III – Mat. 4:5-6 – Thomas Manton Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, […]

OPENING MINISTRY

OPENING MINISTRY – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter iii 1839 In the report of the university missionary association for the year 1838, the seventeenth from its institution, i find the following interesting notice: “gratifying as the preceding facts must be regarded, it is with deeper gratitude and far higher pleasure that your committee intimate the fact […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. II – Mat. 4:2-4 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. II – Mat. 4:2-4 – Thomas Manton  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards an hungered. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. I – Mat. 4:1 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST – SERMON. I – Mat. 4:1 – Thomas Manton THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. SERMON I. – Mat. 4:1. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.–Mat. IV. 1. THIS scripture giveth us the history of Christ’s temptation, […]

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – TO THE READER – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S TEMPTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION – TO THE READER – Thomas Manton CHRIST’S TEMPTATION ANDTRANSFIGURATION PRACTICALLY  EXPLAINED AND IMPROVED IN SEVERAL  SERMONS. TO THE READER THE following discourses on those important subjects of the temptation and transfiguration of our blessed Saviour, together with the sermons on the first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians, from […]

PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTRY

PREPARATION FOR THE MINISTRY – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter ii 1832-1839. My brother’s remaining years of study at Aberdeen present nothing particularly worthy of record, excepts visibly heightened tone of earnestness and energy in all his work, due to the higher motives and principles which now inspired him. A true christian, he became more than […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. VIII – Col. 1:20 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. VIII – Col. 1:20 – Thomas Manton And having made peace by the blood of his cross, to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. — Col. I. 20. IN these words observe: […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. VII – Col. 1:19; 2:9. – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. VII – Col. 1:19; 2:9. – Thomas Manton For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. — Col. 1:19. with, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. — Col. 2:9. THESE words are produced to prove that […]

THE WAVES OF TIME

THE WAVES OF TIME – Alexander Maclaren HIS is a fragment from the chronicler’s close of his life of King David. He is referring in it to other written authorities in which there are fuller particulars concerning his hero; and he says, “the Acts of David the King, first and last, behold they are written […]

DAVID’S CHORISTERS

DAVID’S CHORISTERS – Alexander Maclaren They stood in their office, according to their order.’ — 1 CHRON. vi.32 (R.V. margin). This brief note is buried in the catalogue of the singers appointed by David for ‘the service of song in the house of the Lord.’ The waves of their choral praise have long ages since […]

THE KING’S POTTERS

THE KING’S POTTERS – Alexander Maclaren ‘There they dwelt with the king for his work.’ — l CHRON. iv.23. In these dry lists of names which abound in Chronicles, we now and then come across points of interest, oases in the desert, which need but to be pondered sympathetically to yield interesting suggestions. Here for […]

THE END

THE END – Alexander Maclaren ‘1 And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he, and all his host, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it; and they built forts against it round about 2 […]

The Rediscovered Law and its Effects

The Rediscovered Law and its Effects – Alexander Maclaren ‘And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord: and Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it 9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought […]

Divided Worship

Divided Worship – Alexander Maclaren 2 Kings 17:33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from there. These nations feared the Lord, and served their own gods. The kingdom of Israel had come to its fated end. Its king and people had been […]

A Kingdom’s Epitaph

A Kingdom’s Epitaph – Alexander Maclaren 2 Kings 17:6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes 7 For so it was, that the children […]

THE SPIRIT OF POWER

THE SPIRIT OF POWER – Alexander Maclaren ‘And Elisha said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands.’ — 2 KINGS xiii.16. This is part of one of the strangest narratives in the Old Testament. Elisha […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. VI- Col. 1:18 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. VI- Col. 1:18 – Thomas Manton  Who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead. — Col. I. 18. I COME now to consider the first particular title which is given to Christ. There are two other titles given to Christ–the one respects the state […]

1815-1832 EARLY YEARS

1815-1832 EARLY YEARS – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER I 1815-1832 William Chalmers Burns, the subject of the present memoir, was the third son of the Rev. William Hamilton Burns, D.D., minister successively of Dun in Angus, and of Kilsyth in Stirling shire, and was born in the manse of the former parish on the 1st […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. V – Col. 1:18 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. V – Col. 1:18 – Thomas Manton And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. — Col. I. 18. THE context is spent in representing […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. IV – Col. 1:17 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. IV – Col. 1:17 – Thomas Manton And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. — Col. I. 17. THE apostle had asserted the dignity of Christ’s person by ascribing the work of creation to him: now the work of conservation […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. III – Col.1:16 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. III – Col.1:16 – Thomas Manton For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. –Col. […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. II – Col.1:15 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON. II – Col.1:15 – Thomas Manton Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature. — Col. 1:15. THE apostle having mentioned our redemption, doth now fall upon a description of the Redeemer. He is set forth by two things:– First, […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON I – Col. 1:14 – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – SERMON I – Col. 1:14 – Thomas Manton REDEMPTION BY CHRIST. SERMON I. – Col. 1:14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.– Col. I. 14. THE apostle, in the former verse, had spoken of our slavery and bond age […]

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – TO THE CHRISTIAN READER – Thomas Manton

CHRIST’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE AND THEDIGNITY OF HIS PERSON – TO THE CHRISTIAN READER – Thomas Manton TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. HERE are presented to thy view some of the further profitable and pious labours of that eminent divine, Dr Manton (now with God), who though, like a tree full of fruit, he has already yielded […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 10 – Forever. Amen. – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 10 – Forever. Amen. – Thomas Manton ALL this is sealed up to us in the last word, Amen; which may signify, either so be it, so let it be, or so it shall be. The word Amen sometimes is taken nominally: Rev. iii. 14, Thus saith […]

THE PRECIOUS SAVIOR –

THE PRECIOUS SAVIOR – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 19 1864 ‘UNTO YOU WHO BELIEVE HE IS PRECIOUS.” – 1 PETER 2:7 There are very few people who would not agree with the apostle when he says, that Christ is precious to believers. All who have been educated in a Christian land, however incorrect their views, […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 9 – For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 9 – For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen – Thomas Manton  IN these words we have the conclusion of all, and that which giveth us confidence in the requests we make to God. First, The confirmation is taken from the […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 8 – But deliver us from evil – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 8 – But deliver us from evil – Thomas Manton WE come to the close. The words apo` tou ponerou may be rendered, either from the evil one,’ or from the evil thing.’ First, From the evil one: Mat. xiii. 19, Then cometh, o ponero`s, the evil […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 7 – And lead us not into temptation – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 7 – And lead us not into temptation – Thomas Manton WE are now come to the sixth petition, which is doubly expressed:– 1. Negatively, Lead us not into temptation. 2. Affirmatively, But deliver us from evil. The first part doth more concern preventing grace, that we […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 6 – And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 6 – And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors – Thomas Manton WE have now done with the supplications of this prayer, and are come to the deprecations. The supplications are those petitions which we make to God for obtaining of that which is […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 5 – Give us this day our daily bread – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 5 – Give us this day our daily bread – Thomas Manton WE are now come to the second sort of petitions, that concern ourselves, as the former did more immediately concern God. Now you may observe the style in the prayer is altered. It was before, […]

THE BREAKER UP

THE BREAKER UP – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 12 [Free West Church, Sabbath Evening, February 19, 1844] “I WILL SURELY ASSEMBLE, O JACOB, ALL OF THEE; I WILL SURELY GATHER THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL; I WILL PUT THEM TOGETHER AS THE SHEEP OF BOZRAH, AS THE FLOCK IN THE MIDST OF THEIR FOLD: THEY SHALL […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 4 – Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 4 – Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven – Thomas Manton WE are come to the third petition, which is fitly subjoined to the former. In the preface we own our relation to God, Our Father.’ In the first petition we express […]

TRUE ZEAL

TRUE ZEAL- Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 8 [In February 1844, Mr. Burns visited Perth for ten days, at the earnest request of those who longed to see an in gathering of souls. Besides three services on the Sabbaths, he had a service every evening, as also at 9:15 a.m., for working people, during their breakfast […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 3 – Thy kingdom come – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 3 – Thy kingdom come – Thomas Manton THE first petition concerneth the end, the rest the means. Now, among all the means, none hath such a near and immediate respect to the glory of God as Christ’s kingdom; for here there is more of God discovered, […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 2 -Hallowed be thy name – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 2 – Hallowed be thy name – Thomas Manton WE are now come to the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer; there three things will fall under discussion:– I. The order of this petition. II. The necessity of putting up such a request to God. III. The […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 1 -Our Father which art in heaven – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – 1 -Our Father which art in heaven – Thomas Manton I HAVE insisted upon the foregoing verses, which do concern the duty of prayer; let me now come to the Lord’s Prayer itself. This prayer was formed and indited by Christ, and therefore to be highly esteemed […]

Naaman’s Wrath

Naaman’s Wrath – Alexander Maclaren 2 Kings 5:10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto Naaman, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away. These two figures are significant of much beyond themselves. Elisha the […]

A Miracle Needing Effort

A Miracle Needing Effort – Alexander Maclaren 2 Kings 4:25 So she went, and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite: 26 Run now, I pray thee, […]

WHEN THE OIL FLOWS

WHEN THE OIL FLOWS – Alexander Mclaren ‘And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.’ — 2 KINGS iv.6. The series of miracles ascribed to Elisha are […]

Elijah’s Translation and Elisha’s Deathbed

Elijah’s Translation and Elisha’s Deathbed – Alexander Maclaren 2 Kings 2:12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.’ ‘…And Joash, the King of Israel, came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said. O my father, my father, the chariot of […]

THE TRANSLATION OF ELIJAH AND THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST

THE TRANSLATION OF ELIJAH AND THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST – Alexander Mclaren ‘And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.’ — 2 KINGS ii.11. ‘And […]

UNPOSSESSED POSSESSIONS

UNPOSSESSED POSSESSIONS – Alexander Mclaren ‘And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?’ — 1 KINGS xxii.3. This city of Ramoth in Gilead was an important fortified place on […]

AHAB AND ELIJAH

AHAB AND ELIJAH – Alexander Mclaren ‘And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy!’ — 1 KINGS xxi.20. The keynote of Elijah’s character is force-the force of righteousness. The New Testament, you remember, speaks of the ‘power of Elias.’ The outward appearance of the man corresponds to his function and his […]

ROYAL MURDERERS

ROYAL MURDERERS – Alexander Mclaren ‘And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria 2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because […]

PUTTING ON THE ARMOUR

PUTTING ON THE ARMOUR – Alexander Mclaren And the king of Israel answered and said. Tell him. Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.’ — 1 KINGS xx.11. For the Young. Ahab, King of Israel, was but a poor creature, and, like most weak characters, he […]

ELIJAH STANDING BEFORE THE LORD

ELIJAH STANDING BEFORE THE LORD – Alexander Mclaren And Elijah the Tishbite … said … As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand. — 1 KINGS xvii.1.   This solemn and remarkable adjuration seems to have been habitual upon Elijah’s lips in the great crises of his life. We never find it […]

A PROPHET’S STRANGE PROVIDERS

A PROPHET’S STRANGE PROVIDERS – Alexander Mclaren ‘And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word 2 And the word of the Lord came unto […]

How to Split a Kingdom

How to Split a Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren 1 Kings 12: And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king 2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it (for he was fled from the presence of […]

THE NEW GARMENT RENT

THE NEW GARMENT RENT – Alexander Mclaren ‘And Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda, Solomon’s servant, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king 27 And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and […]

THE FALL OF SOLOMON

THE FALL OF SOLOMON – Alexander Mclaren 1 Kings 11:4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the […]

BUILDING IN SILENCE

BUILDING IN SILENCE – Alexander Mclaren ‘. . . There was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of Iron heard In the house, while it was in building.’ — 1 KINGS vi 7. The Temple was built in silence. It ‘rose like an exhalation.’ ‘No hammer fell, no ponderous axes rung,Like some tall palm […]

A Young Man’s Wise Choice Of Wisdom

A Young Man’s Wise Choice Of Wisdom – Alexander Mclaren 1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before Thee […]

The Royal Jubilee

The Royal Jubilee – Alexander Maclaren 2 Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. [Footnote: Preached on the occasion of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.] ‘… He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling […]

THE DYING KING’S LAST VISIONAND PSALM

THE DYING KING’S LAST VISION AND PSALM – Alexander Mclaren ‘Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, 2 The Spirit of the Lord spake by […]

BARZILLAI

BARZILLAI – Alexander Mclaren ‘And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil! can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I […]

THE WAIL OF A BROKEN HEART

THE WAIL OF A BROKEN HEART – Alexander Mclaren ‘Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king’s dale; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance; and he called the pillar after his own name: and it is called […]

ITTAI OF GATH

ITTAI OF GATH – Alexander Mclaren ‘And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.’ — 2 SAMUEL xv.21. It was the darkest hour […]

THE SECRET PLACE

THE SECRET PLACE – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 5 [Preached in St. Leonard’s Church, Perth, February 8, 1942. The visits which Mr. Burns paid to Perth, from time to time, were eagerly looked forward to by the converts there and in the neighborhood. On each of these occasions, the church was crowded long before the […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – INTRODUCTION – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – INTRODUCTION – Thomas Manton INTRODUCTION. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet; and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father, &c.–Mat. VI. 6-8. I INTEND to go over the Lord’s Prayer; and, to make way for it, I shall speak a little […]

I AM DEBTOR

I AM DEBTOR – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 4 [Preached November 28 th 1841, in Edinburgh, to the Congregation of the Rev. A. Moody Stuart, then absent in Maderia, whose place Mr. Burns supplied.] “I AM DEBTOR BOTH TO THE GREEKS, AND TO THE BARBARIANS; BOTH TO THE WISE, AND TO THE UNWISE.” – Romans […]

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – PREFACE – Thomas Manton

A Practical Exposition of The Lord’s Prayer – PREFACE – Thomas Manton PREFACE. SUCH is the divine matter and admirable order of the Lord’s Prayer, as became the eternal wisdom of God, that composed and dictated it to his disciples. In it are opened the fountains of all our regular petitions, and the arguments contained […]

GOD’S BANISHED ONES

GOD’S BANISHED ONES – Alexander Mclaren God doth devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him.”—2 SAM. xiv. 14. david’s good-for-nothing son Absalom had brought about the murder of one of his brothers, and had fled the country. His father weakly loved the brilliant blackguard, and would fain have had him back, but was […]

THE ARK OF THE HOUSE OF OBED – EDOM

THE ARK OF THE HOUSE OF OBED – EDOM – Alexander Mclaren ‘The ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom, and all his household.’-2 SAMUEL vi.11.   Nearly seventy years had elapsed since the capture of the ark by the Philistines on the […]

DEATH AND LIFE FROM THE ARK

DEATH AND LIFE FROM THE ARK – Alexander Mclaren ‘Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand 2 And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name […]

THE LIMIT SET

THE LIMIT SET – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 3 (The sermon – of which the following are but fragments – was preached while Mr. Burns was a guest at Nonskid, in the church of Tenantry, which is situated in the birch wood overhanging the Pass of Crankiness, on Wednesday evening, September 9, 1840. This service […]

COVENANT MERCY

COVENANT MERCY – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 2 (April 6, 1840, a Farewell Address given in St. Leonard’s Church, to the Converts gathered in during the Revival in Perth, after three months labour there, on his leaving for Aberdeen.) “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart […]

PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM

PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 1 (Preached in St. Leonard’s Church, Perth, in the midst of the Remarkable Work of the Lord there, March 30,1840.) “THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS PREACHED, AND EVERY MAN PRESSETH INTO IT.” – Luke 16:16. Without detaining you by noticing a number of things to which […]

NOTES OF ADDRESSES

NOTES OF ADDRESSES – Burns, William Chalmers Chapter 18 1869 PREFACE It is no longer the ocean that separates us from WILLIAM BURNS. His last utterance in the comfortless little inn of New-chwang, “THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY, forever AND EVER, AMEN,” he repeats now in heaven at his Master’s feet. […]

THE THRONE OF GRACE

THE THRONE OF GRACE- Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 8 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 We considered this passage in part on a former occasion, and endeavored to explain the meaning of the expression, “throne […]

THE GOOD GROUND

THE GOOD GROUND – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 7 “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” – Matthew 13:23 Men’s hearts are, in the parable before us, compared to soil; […]

SAVED BY HOPE

SAVED BY HOPE -Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 6   It is a peculiar complication of trial when we have to labour on through much tribulation, and yet see no fruit of labour. It is then that we get at the meaning of that expression – saved by hope. We require to have this hope in exercise, […]

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 5 – Thomas Manton

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 5 – Thomas Manton  Commentary and Notes on Verse 1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Before I come to the particular verses of this paragraph, it will be necessary to consider the people […]

REFUGES OF LIES

REFUGES OF LIES – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 5 “Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we bid ourselves. Therefore […]

THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION

THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 4 People often speak of the new man and the change of nature, as if it were some incomprehensible work upon them, apart from any of their ordinary faculties and feelings. And so, in one sense, it is. But although the introduction into the soul of […]

SIN CONDEMNED

SIN CONDEMNED – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 3 “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” — Romans 8:3 The word “flesh” in this verse seems to stand for […]

THE SECRET OF COURAGE

THE SECRET OF COURAGE – Alexander Mclaren ‘But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.’ — 1 Samuel xxx.6.   David was at perhaps the very lowest ebb of his fortunes. He had long been a wandering outlaw, and had finally been driven, by Saul’s persistent hostility, to take refuge in the Philistines’ country. […]

A SOUL’S TRAGEDY

A SOUL’S TRAGEDY – Alexander Mclaren 1 Samuel 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war; and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants 6 And it came to pass as […]

THE VICTORY OF UNARMED FAITH

THE VICTORY OF UNARMED FAITH – Alexander Mclaren ‘And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, […]

THE PRECIOUS SAVIOR

THE PRECIOUS SAVIOR – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 2 “Unto you who believe he is precious.” – 1 Peter 2:7 There are very few people who would not agree with the apostle when he says, that Christ is precious to believers. All who have been educated in a Christian land, however incorrect their views, and […]

SAMUEL’S CHALLENGE AND CHARGE

SAMUEL’S CHALLENGE AND CHARGE – Alexander Mclaren ‘And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you 2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with […]

A RACE TO GLORY

A RACE TO GLORY – Burns, William Chalmers CHAPTER 1 “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, […]

REPENTANCE AND VICTORY

REPENTANCE AND VICTORY – Alexander Mclaren ‘And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord 2 And it came to pans, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, […]

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 4 – Thomas Manton

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 4 – Thomas Manton Commentary on Verse 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? In the previous chapter James had spoken against fights, since they proceed from envy, and pressed his readers to a […]

GIDEON’S ALTAR

GIDEON’S ALTAR – Alexander Mclaren “Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom ” (the Lord is peace). Judges vi. 24. The picturesque story is familiar of the simple husbandman up in the hills, engaged furtively in threshing out a little wheat in some hollow in the rock, where he might hide […]

LOVE MAKES SUNS

LOVE MAKES SUNS – Alexander Mclaren ‘Let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.’ JUDGES V.51.These are the closing words of Deborah, the great warrior-prophetess of Israel. They are in singular contrast with the tone of fierce enthusiasm for battle which throbs through the rest of the […]

RECREANT REUBEN

RECREANT REUBEN – Alexander Mclaren Judges 5:16 Why stayed you among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks?… Why satest then among the sheepfolds, to hear the pipings for the flocks? At the watercourses of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.’ I. The fight. The warfare is ever repeated, though in new […]

ISRAEL’S OBSTINACY AND GOD’S PATIENCE

ISRAEL’S OBSTINACY AND GOD’S PATIENCE – Alexander Mclaren ‘And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim; 12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were […]

ADDRESSES FROM A HEARER’S NOTES

ADDRESSES FROM A HEARER’S NOTES – Burns, William Chalmers 1858 PREFACE The following reminiscences of the evangelistic labours of my esteemed friend, Mr. Burns – which were so singularly owned of God in former years to the converting and quickening of many souls in various parts of Scotland – having been recently brought under my […]

China and the Missions at Amoy-1854

China and the Missions at Amoy-1854 -Burns, William Chalmers The staff at Amoy, of the English Presbyterian Church, consists of the Rev. W. C. Burns and Rev. James Johnston, with Dr. Young, who has just returned to this country in enfeebled health. Mr. Burns felt it necessary to accompany him home, so that Mr. Johnston […]

COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT-

COMFORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT – Burns, William Chalmers A LETTER TO THOSE AT EVEN WHO ARE SETTING THEIR FACES ZION WARD – 1843 DEAR FELLOW-SINNERS, Now that I am removed from you I cannot forbear to send you a few lines of comfort and encouragement; and it has been my prayer that the God of salvation […]

THE END OF THE WAR

THE END OF THE WAR – Alexander Mclaren Joshua 21:43 And the LORD gave to Israel all the land which he swore to give to their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelled therein.… And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which He sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, […]

UNWON BUT CLAIMED

UNWON BUT CLAIMED – Alexander Mclaren Joshua 13:1 Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said to him, You are old and stricken in years… ‘There remaineth yet very much land to be possessed, … them will I drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide thou it by […]

THE SUN STAYED

THE SUN STAYED – Alexander Mclaren Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon.’-JOSHUA x.12 ‘The last time,’ what a sad sound that has! In all minds there is a shrinking from the last time of doing even some common act. The walk down a street that we have passed every day for twenty years, and never […]

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 3 – Thomas Manton

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 3 – Thomas Manton Commentary on Verse 1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. Here the apostle diverts to another matter, reinforcing what he had said in the […]

THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD’S HOST

THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD’S HOST – Alexander Mclaren And he said, Nay, but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. JOSHUA v.14. The army of Israel was just beginning a hard conflict under an untried leader. Behind them the Jordan barred their retreat, in front of them Jericho forbade […]

THE UNTRODDEN PATH AND THEGUIDING ARK

THE UNTRODDEN PATH AND THEGUIDING ARK – Alexander Mclaren ‘Come not near unto the ark, that ye may know the way by which ye must go; for ye have not passed this way heretofore.’ — JOSHUA iii.4. It was eminently true of Israel that they had ‘not passed this way heretofore,’ inasmuch as the path […]

THE CHARGE TO THE SOLDIER OF THE LORD

THE CHARGE TO THE SOLDIER OF THE LORD – Alexander Mclaren ‘Only be then strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded thee… that thou mayest prosper wheresoever thou goest.8. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but […]

THE NEW LEADER’S COMMISSION

THE NEW LEADER’S COMMISSION – Alexander Mclaren Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, 2. Moses My servant is dead: now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the […]

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 2 – Thomas Manton

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 2 – Thomas Manton  Commentary on Verse 1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. This chapter has two special admonitions, which were very necessary then. The first is against favoritism because of outward advantages, especially in church matters. […]

GOD AND HIS SAINTS

GOD AND HIS SAINTS – Alexander Maclaren ‘He loved the people; all His saints are in Thy hand: and they sat down at Thy feet; every one shall receive of Thy words.’ — DEUT. xxxiii.3.   The great ode of which these words are a part is called ‘the blessing wherewith Moses blessed the children […]

THE EAGLE AND ITS BROOD

THE EAGLE AND ITS BROOD – Alexander Maclaren ‘As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings.’ — DEUT. xxxii.11. This is an incomplete sentence in the Authorised Version, but really it should be rendered as a complete one; the description of […]

THE LESSON OF MEMORY

THE LESSON OF MEMORY – Alexander Maclaren ‘Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these lofty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.’ — DEUT. viii.2.   The strand of […]

MOSES DESPONDENT

MOSES DESPONDENT – Alexander Maclaren ‘I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.’NUM. xi.14. Detail the circumstances. The leader speaks the truth in his despondency. He is pressed with the feeling of his incapacity for his work. We may take his words here as teaching us […]

THE OLD STORE AND THE NEW

THE OLD STORE AND THE NEW – Alexander Maclaren ‘Ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.’ Leviticus 26:10. This is one of the blessings promised to obedience. No doubt it, like the other elements of that ‘prosperity’ which ‘is the blessing of the Old Testament,’ presupposes a supernatural order […]

THE KINSMAN REDEEMER

THE KINSMAN REDEEMER – Alexander Maclaren ‘After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him.’ — LEV. xxv.48. There are several of the institutions and precepts of the Mosaic legislation which, though not prophetic, nor typical, have yet remarkable correspondences with lofty Christian truth. They may be […]

THE SCAPEGOAT

THE SCAPEGOAT – Alexander Maclaren ‘And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited….’-LEV. xvi.22. The import of the remarkable treatment of this goat does not depend on the interpretation of the obscure phrase rendered in the Authorised Version ‘for the scapegoat.’ Leaving that out of sight for the […]

AN OLD SUBSCRIPTION LIST

AN OLD SUBSCRIPTION LIST – Alexander Maclaren ‘And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering to the work….’ EXODUS xxxv.21. This is the beginning of the catalogue of contributions towards the erection of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It […]

Blessed and Tragic Unconsciousness

Blessed and Tragic Unconsciousness – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.’ — EXODUS xxxiv.29. ‘… And Samson wist not that the Lord had departed from him.’ — JUDGES xvi.20. The recurrence of the same phrase in two such opposite connections is very striking. […]

SIN AND FORGIVENESS

SIN AND FORGIVENESS – Alexander Maclaren ‘… Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty….’ — EXODUS xxiv.7. The former chapter tells us of the majesty of the divine revelation as it was made to Moses on ‘the mount of God.’ Let us notice that, whatever was the […]

THREE INSCRIPTIONS WITH ONE MEANING

THREE INSCRIPTIONS WITH ONE MEANING – Alexander Mclaren “Thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, . . ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ “—exodus xxviii. 36. “In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, ‘ Holiness unto the Lord.’”—Zech. xiv. 20. “His name shall be in their foreheads.”—Rev. xxii. 4. OU will have perceived […]

THE HANDS OF THE MIGHTY GOD OF JACOB

THE HANDS OF THE MIGHTY GOD OF JACOB – Alexander Mclaren The archers shot at him, but his bow abode in strength, 24 and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.’ Genesis 49:23, 24. These picturesque words are part of what purports to be one […]

GROWTH BY TRANSPLANTING

GROWTH BY TRANSPLANTING – Alexander Mclaren ‘Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, My father and my brethren, and their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen. And he took some of his brethren, even […]

RECOGNITION AND RECONCILIATION

RECOGNITION AND RECONCILIATION – Alexander Mclaren ‘Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren 2 And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians and the […]

SALVATION IS OF THE LORD

SALVATION IS OF THE LORD – Burns, William Chalmers A SERMON OCCASIONED BY THE DEATH OF THE REV.R. MURRAY M’CHEYNE. 1843 (PREACHED IN ST. PETER’S CHURCH, ON SABBATH EVENING, APRIL 2, 1843, AND PUBLISHED AT THE REQUEST OF THE KIRK SESSION. TO THE ELDERS AND CONGREGATION OF ST. PETER’S CHURCH, DUNDEE) DEARLY-BELOVED BRETHREN, The following […]

MAN’S PASSIONS ANDGOD’S PURPOSE

MAN’S PASSIONS ANDGOD’S PURPOSE – Alexander Mclaren ‘And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water […]

A FORGOTTEN VOW

A FORGOTTEN VOW – Alexander Mclaren ‘Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother,’GENESIS XXXV.1. Thirty years at least had passed since Jacob’s vow; ten or twenty since his return. He is in no […]

Anxious Sinner

Anxious Sinner- Burns, William Chalmers My Dear Fellow Sinner, There are none in whom I feel so deep an interest, and to whom I am so anxious at present to speak a work in season, as the class of those who have been brought to feel their sin and misery, as apostates from the love […]

THE HEAVENLY PATHWAYAND THE EARTHLY HEART

THE HEAVENLY PATHWAYAND THE EARTHLY HEART – Alexander Mclaren And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in […]

TWO LETTERS TO YOUNG DISCIPLES OF THE LORD EMMANUEL

TWO LETTERS TO YOUNG DISCIPLES OF THE LORD EMMANUEL-Burns, William Chalmers Mr. Burns is constantly urging upon the people at home the great call for prayer on his behalf, and in his letters says: “I desire a continued interest in the prayers of God’s people that my faith may not fail amid the difficulties of […]

CONFIDENCE IN GOD

CONFIDENCE IN GOD- Burns, William Chalmers “I have seemed to see a need of everything God gives me, and want nothing that he denies me; there is no dispensation, though afflict, but either in it, or after it, I find, I could not have done without it. Whether it be taken from me, or not […]

TWO LETTERS TO THE INHABITANTS OF BALNAGUARD

TWO LETTERS TO THE INHABITANTS OF BALNAGUARD – Burns, William Chalmers TWO LETTERS TO THE INHABITANTS OF BLACKGUARD; A VILLAGE IN STRATHTAY  1841 Note: The following Lines were printed without my knowledge at Aberfeldy. I have consented to allow them to be printed again, praying that Jehovah may condescend to bless any word of his […]

Letters to sinners seeking salvation, in aberdeen

Letters to sinners seeking salvation, in aberdeen – Burns, William Chalmers LETTERS TO SINNERS SEEKING SALVATION, IN ABERDEEN, DUNDEE, PERTH, KILSYTH, AND OTHER PLACES LETTERS NUMBER 2 THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN  1841 DEARLY-BELOVED FELLOW-SINNERS, Although I am separated from you in body, I have many an anxious, burdened thought about the state of your precious […]

LETTERS TO SINNERS SEEKING SALVATION

LETTERS TO SINNERS SEEKING SALVATION- Burns, William Chalmers LETTERS TO SINNERS SEEKING SALVATION, IN ABERDEEN,DUNDEE, PERTH,KILOBYTE, AND OTHER PLACES  1841 TO THE READER The following is my reason for printing the Letters, of which the present is the first.When I left Aberdeen, in the beginning of December last, I was lead at the desire of […]

PLAIN SENTENCES TO: PERISHING SINNERS

PLAIN SENTENCES TO: PERISHING SINNERS – Burns, William Chalmers PLAIN SENTENCES TO: PERISHING SINNERS, IN NEWCASTLE AND GATES HEAD – ALSO, A LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF ELIMINATOR.  1841 MY DEAR FELLOW SINNERS, Perhaps you have heard of the wonderful things which the Great God has been doing for us in Scotland. The servants of […]

A LETTER TO SAINTS AND SINNERS

A LETTER TO SAINTS AND SINNERS-Burns, William Chalmers A LETTER TO SAINTS AND SINNERS IN ASHTRAY, BREAD AL BANE, CATHOLIC, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD. 1841 MY DEAR FRIENDS, On arriving here this afternoon, with the view of meeting you again as an ambassador of Christ, I have found that there has been a desire expressed by […]

A LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF MILNATHORT

A LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF MILNATHORT-Burns, William Chalmers 1841 DEAR-BELOVED FRIENDS, I am now far from you in bodily presence; but I can with truth say, that my heart is nearer to you than before, as my eye turns joyfully, from the awful contemplation of sin and ungodliness around me, in this poor town, […]

Walk circumspectly

Walk circumspectly- Burns, William Chalmers A letter to the professed disciples of Christ at Perth   1840  “he that endure to the end shall be saved. “-Matthew 10:22 My dear friends in the lord i have felt the deepest anxiety about the state of your precious souls since we parted last, and have often wished […]

THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN

THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN – Burns, William Chalmers THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN 1840 “And when He is come He will reprove the world of sin.” – John 16:8. MY DEAR FELLOW-SINNERS The object I have at present in view is to guide you to a true and saving knowledge of THE NATURE AND HEINOUSNESS OF […]

A bubble, a shadow, a dream! –

A bubble, a shadow, a dream! – Redpath, Alan “My life passes more swiftly than a runner. It flees away.”Job 9:25 TIME is a precious talent which we are accountable for. Cato and other heathen held that account must be given,not only of our labor—but also of our leisure. At the greatday, it will appear […]

An Exposition of the Epistle of James-James Chapter 1 – Thomas Manton

An Exposition of the Epistle of James – James Chapter 1 – Thomas Manton Commentary on Verse 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. James. There were two people of this name—the son of Zebedee, and the son of Alphaeus (James […]

Who has Seen Him?

Who has Seen Him? – Redpath, Alan “I have had a clear view of Jesus. I have seen Him, felt Him, and I have known Him in a far deeper way than simply by the outward physical appearance; I have felt the reality of His life begin to burn in my heart. I have seen […]

Trusting when We Cannot See

Trusting when We Cannot See – Redpath, Alan He has loved us with an everlasting love. If He had meant to cast us off, He would have had plenty of opportunity to do that long ago–and plenty of reason as well. But no sin which we are capable of committing has ever taken God by […]

Treasure in Earthen Vessels

Treasure in Earthen Vessels – Redpath, Alan The principle of the world is “self-glorification,” and the principle of the Christian is “self-crucifixion.” The principle of the world is “exalt yourself,” and the principle of the Christian is “crucify yourself.” The principle of men is greatness, bigness, pomp, and show; the principle of the cross is […]

Sinking Ship – Does Jesus Care?

Sinking Ship – Does Jesus Care? – Redpath, Alan That is the question we asked, no doubt, in s spirit of complaint. “If you loved us, Lord, then rescue us.” How soon they began to doubt Him! How soon they were ready to rebel, even though they called Him Master! . . . “Does God […]

Response to Suffering-

Response to Suffering – Redpath, Alan The most important effect of any adversity is not its outcome on the world or upon other Christians, but its outcome in your own life. We are not saved in order to be a blessing to other people–you will be that inevitably–but primarily we are saved in order to […]

Our Adequacy in Christ-

Our Adequacy in Christ – Redpath, Alan Verse 3 . . . The revelation of God is not something which is legal or external or outside of Paul, but something that has come into the very depths of his soul, that has touched the hardness of his heart and melted it. “Not that we are […]

Godly vs. Worldly Sorrow

Godly vs. Worldly Sorrow – Redpath, Alan Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Cor. 7:10 NIV Godly Sorrow: 1. Godly sorrow begins with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. 2. Godly sorrow is pain over breaking God’s heart. 3. Godly sorrow is remorse […]

Filled to Overflowing

Filled to Overflowing – Redpath, Alan For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Col. 2:9-10 Fullness is being completely filled to the full, nothing lacking, complete in the character of God, but not in the nature of […]

Contemplation of Jesus

Contemplation of Jesus – Redpath, Alan I saw in Him the glory of a life lived in total abandonment to the sovereign will of His Father in heaven. I saw a life lived in utter poverty yet in absolute contentment. I saw a life triumph over every point where I have failed. I have seen […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 25 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 25 – Thomas Manton Verse 25          Ver. 25. To the only wise God, our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and ever. Amen.          The apostle in this verse goeson with that doxology which he had […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 24 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 24 – Thomas Manton Verse 24         Ver. 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.         The apostle having persuaded them […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 22, 23 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 22, 23 – Thomas Manton Verse 22, 23         Ver. 22, 23. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, putting them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.         […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 21 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 21 – Thomas Manton Verse 21         Ver. 21. Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.         The apostle goeson directing to the means of perseverance. As before […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 20 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 20 – Thomas Manton Verse 20         Ver. 20. But ye, beloved, build up yourselves in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.         Here the apostle comes to exhort; as all along, with the description of seducers, […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 19 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 19 – Thomas Manton Verse 19         Ver. 19. Those be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.         Here the apostle comes to inform them who these mockers were of whom the apostles of the Lord spake. […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 18 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 18 – Thomas Manton Verse 18         Ver. 18. How that they told you that there should be mockers in the last time, walking after their own ungodly lusts.          How that they told you. He meaneth not in word, […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 17 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 17 – Thomas Manton Verse 17         Ver. 17. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.          Having described these seducers, he exhorteth those to whom he wrote to […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 16 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 16 – Thomas Manton Verse 16         Ver. 16. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.         Here the apostle comes to make […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 15 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 15 – Thomas Manton Verse 15        Ver. 15. To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 14 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 14 – Thomas Manton Verse 14         Ver. 14. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints.         The apostle urgeth another argument to imply the destruction […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 13 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 13 – Thomas Manton Verse 13         Ver. 13. Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.         Here are two other comparisons, the one taken from […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 12 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 12 – Thomas Manton Verse 12         Ver. 12. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 11 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 11 – Thomas Manton Verse 11         Ver. 11. Woe unto them, for they have gone the way of Cain, and run greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.         Here the […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 10 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 10 – Thomas Manton Verse 10         Ver. 10. But these speak evil of the things which they know not; but, what they knoiu naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.        In this verse he showeth the […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 9 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 9 – Thomas Manton Verse 9        Ver. 9. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil (he disputed about the body of Moses}, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.         The […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 8 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 8 – Thomas Manton Verse 8        Ver. 8. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.         In this verse you have the apodosis of the former instance: likewise is the adverb that […]

ACCOUNT OF THE COMMUNION-William Chalmers Burns

ACCOUNT OF THE COMMUNION-William Chalmers Burns 15chapter 2account of the communion 1939 about three weeks after this remarkable work commenced, it was considered most desirable andobligatory to have another communion season. The session met for special prayer for direction as to thematter, and afterwards as to the time most suitable. The number of new communicants […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 7 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 7 – Thomas Manton Verse 7         Ver. 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh,are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. […]

KILSYTH-William Chalmers Burns

KILSYTH – William Chalmers Burns Chapter 1kilsyth 1839 . Being the substance of a statement by the rev. Mr. Burns, minister of the parish, drawn up at the request of thepresbytery of glasgow, with additions. I was admitted to the charge of this parish on the 19 th april, 1821, on which i entered “in […]

 Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 4-Robert Murray M’Cheyne 

Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 4 – Robert Murray M’Cheyne Compiled by greg gordon 9. Thanksgiving Obtains The SpiritAppendix I: Various Quotes and Maxim Chapter nine Thanksgiving Obtains The Spirit
“God will either give you what you ask, or something far better.” – Robert Murray M’Cheyne The day here spoken of appears to have […]

 Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 3-Robert Murray M’Cheyne

Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 3 – Robert Murray M’Cheyne Cmpiled by greg gordon 5. A Time of Refreshing6. The Cry for Revival7. The Lord’s Dealings With His People8. Flee Into The Ark9. Thanksgiving Obtains The SpiritAppendix I: Various Quotes and Maxim Chapter five A Time of Refreshing
“The wounds of Christ were the […]

Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 2-Robert Murray M’Cheyne 

Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 2 – Robert Murray M’Cheyne compiled by greg gordon 3. Journal Excerpts – Part 24. Steps To Personal Revival5. A Time of Refreshing6. The Cry for Revival7. The Lord’s Dealings With His People8. Flee Into The Ark9. Thanksgiving Obtains The SpiritAppendix I: Various Quotes and Maxims Chapter three […]

Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 1-Robert Murray M’Cheyne 

Setting the Mind on Eternity – Part 1- Robert Murray M’Cheyne “Live near to God, and so all things will appear to you little In comparison to eternal realities.” compiled by greg gordon Contents Introduction1. The Impressions of Natural Men2. Journal Excerpts – Part 1 Introduction
“Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 6 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 6 – Thomas Manton Verse 6        Ver. 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.          In this […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 5 – Thomas Manton 

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 5 – Thomas Manton Verse 5         Ver. 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, afterwards destroyed them that believed not.     […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE- Verse 4 – Thomas Manton 

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE- Verse 4 – Thomas Manton Verse 4          Ver. 4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation; ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, […]

The Harvest Past-Albert Barnes

The Harvest Past – Albert Barnes The Harvest Past SERMON XXIII. THE HARVEST PAST. Jeremiah viii. 20. The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. Man is placed upon the earth that he may prepare for eternity. His errand in this world is not to gain its wealth, to secure […]

The Burden of Dumah-Albert Barnes

The Burden of Dumah – Albert Barnes The Burden of Dumah SERMON XXII. THE BURDEN OF DUMAH. Isa. xxi. 11, 12. The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night.—If ye will enquire, […]

Preparation to Meet God-Albert Barnes

Preparation to Meet God – Albert Barnes Preparation to Meet God SERMON XXI. PREPARATION TO MEET GOD. Amos iv. 12. Prepare to meet thy God. From these impressive and solemn words, I propose to give an answer to the following enquiries: I. To whom may the command be considered as addressed? II. Why should a […]

Secret Faults-Albert Barnes

Secret Faults – Albert Barnes Secret Faults SERMON XX. SECRET FAULTS. Psalm xix. 13. Who can understand his errors 1 Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Secret Faults.—Men are usually much less anxious to be free from them than they are to be restrained from open transgression. Yetx they enter deeply into the character, and […]

The Sabbath-Albert Barnes

The Sabbath-Albert Barnes The Sabbath SERMON IX. THE SABBATH Ex. xx. 8. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. The Sabbath may be contemplated from many different points of view. It may be considered in its influence on the powers of our nature exhausted through six days of anxiety and toil; in the necessity which […]

Secret Prayer-Albert Barnes

Secret Prayer – Albert Barnes Secret Prayer SERMON XVIII. SECRET PRAYER.’ Matth. vi. 6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. The sense of this text is […]

The Blessings of a Benignant Spirit-Albert Barnes

The Blessings of a Benignant Spirit-Albert Barnes The Blessings of a Benignant Spirit SERMON XVII. THE BLESSINGS OF A BENIGNANT SPIRIT. Coll. iii. 12. Put on, therefore, as the elect of God—kindness. “what, an invaluable- blessing is a kind and benignant spirit.! How invaluable to an individual, in a family, in a church, in any […]

The Rule of Christianity, in Regard to Conformity to the World-Albert Barnes

The Rule of Christianity, in Regard to Conformity to the World – Albert Barnes The Rule of Christianity, in Regard to Conformity to the World SERMON XVI. THE RULE OF CHRISTIANITY, IN REGARD TO CON- FORMITY TO THE WORLD. Rom. zii. 2. And be not conformed to this world. I do not know a more […]

Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 3-Albert Barnes

Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 3 – Albert Barnes Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 3 SERMON XV. ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. NO. 3. Phil. iii. 18. 19. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you. even weeping, that they are the enemies of […]

Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 2-Albert Barnes

Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 2 – Albert Barnes Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 2 SERMON XIV. ENEMIES.OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST. NO. 2. Phil. iii. 18. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross […]

Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 1-Albert Barnes

Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 1 – Albert Barnes Enemies of the Cross of Christ No. 1 SERMON XIII. ENEMIES OF The’CROSS OF CHRIST. NO. I. Phil. iii. 18. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,’that they are the enemies of the cross of […]

The Principles on which a Profession of Religion Should Be Made No. 2-Albert Barnes

The Principles on which a Profession of Religion Should Be Made No. 2 – Albert Barnes The Principles on which a Profession of Religion Should Be Made No. 2 SERMON XII. THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH A PROFESSION OF RELIGION SHOULD BE MADE. NO. 2. 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. Wherefore come out from among them, […]

The Principles on which a Profession of Religion Should Be Made No. 1-Albert Barnes

The Principles on which a Profession of Religion Should Be Made No. 1 – Albert Barnes The Principles on which a Profession of Religion Should Be Made No. 1 ■ SERMON XI. THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH A PROFESSION OF RELIGION SHOULD BE MADE. NO. I.’ II. Cor. vi. 17. 18. Wherefore come out from among […]

Salvation Easy-Albert Barnes

Salvation Easy – Albert Barnes Salvation Easy SERMON X. SALVATION EASY. Matthew xi. 30. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light All religion, like virtue of all kinds, implies restraint. The Saviour did not come to institute a religion that would be without law, or that would give unrestrained indulgence to the passions. […]

Repentance-Albert Barnes

Repentance – Albert Barnes Repentance SERMON IX. REPENTANCE. Acts xvii. 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commandeth all men every where to repent. This command is as positive as any other in the Bible. It is simple and easily understood. From its obligations there are no exceptions, made in […]

God is Worthy of Confidence-Albert Barnes

God is Worthy of Confidence – Albert Barnes God is Worthy of Confidence SERMON VIII. ‘GOD IS WORTHY OF CONFIDENCE. Job ixri. 21. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace. That is, with God. The case to which the text refers was this. Eliphaz—who addresses these words to Job— supposed that he was […]

The Misery of Forsaking God-Albert Barnes

The Misery of Forsaking God-Albert Barnes The Misery of Forsaking God SERMON VII. THE MISERY OF FORSAKING GOD. Jeremiah ii. 13. My people have committed two evils ;—they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. The text affirms that man is guilty […]

The Reasons why Men are not Christians-Albert Barnes

The Reasons why Men are not Christians-Albert Barnes The Reasons why Men are not Christians SERMON VI. THE REASONS WHY MEN ARE NOT CHRISTIANS. Luke Xit. 18. I pray thee have me excused. It is worth every man’s while to ascertain the exact reason why he is not a Christian. It is to be presumed […]

Indecision in Religion-Albert Barnes

Indecision in Religion-Albert Barnes Indecision in Religion SERMON V. INDECISION IN RELIGION. 1 Kings xviii. 21. And Elijah came unto all the people and said, How long halt ye between two opinions 1 If the Lord be God follow him: But if Baal, then follow him. When these words were uttered, the ten tribes had […]

The Deceitfulness of the Heart-Albert Barnes

The Deceitfulness of the Heart-Albert Barnes The Deceitfulness of the Heart SERMON IV. THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE HEART. Jeremiah xvii. 9. The heart is deceitful above all things. That is deceitful which tends to mislead, or in which we cannot confide. A man who professes friendship for us when we are in perplexity, and who […]

Why will ye die?-Albert Barnes

Why will ye die?-Albert Barnes Why will ye die? SERMON III. WHY WILL YE DIE? Ezck. xxxiii. 11. Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye from your evil ways; for […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 3 – Thomas Manton 

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE-Verse 3 – Thomas Manton Verse 3        Ver. 3. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write to you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write to you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which […]

A BAD BARGAIN

A BAD BARGAIN – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xxv. 27-34 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came […]

JEHOVAH-JIREH

JEHOVAH-JIREH – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xxii. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh; (that is, The Lord will provide)  As these two, Abraham and Isaac, were travelling up the hill, the son bearing the wood, and the father with the sad burden of the fire and the knife, the boy said: Where […]

FAITH TESTED AND CROWNED

FAITH TESTED AND CROWNED – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xxii And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of […]

A PETULANT WISH

A PETULANT WISH – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xvii. 18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before Thee! These words sound very devout, and they have often been used by Christian parents yearning for the best interests of their children, and sometimes of their wayward and prodigal children. But consecrated as they […]

FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xv. 6 – And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness. It is remarkable to find this anticipation of New Testament teaching so far back. It is like finding one full-blown flower in a garden where all else is but swelling into […]

The Love of God in the Gift of a Saviour-Albert Barnes

The Love of God in the Gift of a Saviour-Albert Barnes The Love of God in the Gift of a Saviour SERMON II. THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE GIFT OF A SAVIOUR. John iii. 16. God’ so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not […]

THE WORD THAT SCATTERS FEAR

THE WORD THAT SCATTERS FEAR – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xv. 1 – Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. I. Abram was now apparently about eighty-five years old. He had been fourteen years in Palestine, and had, for the only time in his life, quite recently been driven to have […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE – Verse 2 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE – Verse 2 – Thomas Manton Verse 2 Ver. 2. Mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied.        We are now come to the third thing in the inscription, and that is the form of salutation, delivered, as all apostolical salutations are, […]

GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAM

GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAM – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xv. 5-18 – And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to […]

ABRAM THE HEBREW

ABRAM THE HEBREW – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xiv. 13 – And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew. This is a singular designation of Abram as The Hebrew.’ Probably we have in its use here a trace of the customary epithet which he bore among the inhabitants of Canaan, and perhaps […]

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHOICE

THE IMPORTANCE OF A CHOICE – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xiii. 1-13 – And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. And he went on his journeys from the […]

THE FREENESS OF THE GOSPEL-Albert Barnes

THE FREENESS OF THE GOSPEL- Albert Barnes The Freeness of the Gospel PRACTICAL SERMONS. SERMON I. THE FREENESS OF THE GOSPEL. Rev. xxii. 17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, Come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of […]

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. – Verse 1 – Thomas Manton

AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. – Verse 1 – Thomas Manton Verse 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.—Ver. 1. HIS epistle, as others, beginneth with usual Christian salutations; these are continued […]

SERMON XX – Eph 2:10 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XX – Eph 2:10 – Thomas Manton SERMON XX. – Eph. II. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. —Eph. II. 10. WE come now to the end why we are brought into this estate, created unto […]

SERMON XIX – Eph 2:10 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XIX – Eph 2:10 – Thomas Manton SERMON XIX. – Eph. II. 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. —Eph. II. 10. HE apostle in the context asserteth that our whole salvation is of grace, not of […]

 What Is Holiness?-Samuel Logan Brengle

What Is Holiness?-Samuel Logan Brengle A number of years ago, before many of the young people for whom this book is written were born, a girl asked me, ‘What is this sanctification, or holiness, that people are talking so much about?’ She had heard the experience testified to, and talked and preached about, for nearly […]

When Can We Be Made Holy?-Samuel Logan Brengle 

When Can We Be Made Holy?-Samuel Logan Brengle A bright young Soldier got up in one of my meetings several years ago, and said, ‘Since the Lord converted me, I never wanted any bad thing, but there was something in me that did.’ A little boy of my acquaintance got blessedly saved, and was very […]

 Whitened Harvest Fields-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Whitened Harvest Fields-Samuel Logan Brengle Before fields are ready to harvest, they must be plowed and sowed and tilled. When Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest, He looked upon a land plowed by God’s faithful judgments and sowed deep with […]

Whom Do You Trust, Yourself Or Christ? -Samuel Logan Brengle 

Whom Do You Trust, Yourself Or Christ? -Samuel Logan Brengle I have had experience enough to know that feelings do not count for much, and I do know that deep down in my heart there is a peace and sense of security that were not there when I was at your meetings last week. But […]

 Why I Wanted My Wife To Be My Wife-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Why I Wanted My Wife To Be My Wife-Samuel Logan Brengle It was my pleasant privilege once to be entertained for several days in the home of some Swedish friends. The family consisted of husband and wife and three exceptionally bright and lovely children. He was a strong, manly fellow who had made his way […]

 Why Should We Be Holy? -Samuel Logan Brengle 

Why Should We Be Holy? -Samuel Logan Brengle We should be holy because God wants us to be holy. He commands it. He says, ‘As He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy.’ God is in […]

Wrestlers With God-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Wrestlers With God-Samuel Logan Brengle William Bramwell writes in one of his letters, ‘Almost every night there has been a shaking among the people, and I have seen nearly twenty set at liberty.’ Then he adds these heart-searching words: ‘I believe I should have seen many more, but I cannot yet find one pleading man. […]

You-Samuel Logan Brengle 

You-Samuel Logan Brengle Don’t underestimate the power of God in you, nor yet what you, by working quietly and steadily with Him, may accomplish. Paul tells not to think too highly of ourselves. (Romans xii. 3.) But he said of himself, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.’ (Philippians iv. 13.) He […]

Your Own Soul-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Your Own Soul-Samuel Logan Brengle I was once asked the question by a woman: “Cannot one take too much care of one’s own soul? I see all about me, everywhere, so much sorrow and suffering and injustice that I am perplexed at God’s way of ruling the world; and it seems to me as though […]

 Zeal-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Zeal-Samuel Logan Brengle It is said that Sheridan went to battle with all the fury of a madman, and recklessly exposed himself to the shot and shell of the enemy. He told General Horace Porter that he never went into a battle from which he cared to come back alive unless he came as a […]

“Fight The Good Fight Of Faith”-Samuel Logan Brengle 

“Fight The Good Fight Of Faith”-Samuel Logan Brengle A friend with whom I once billeted claimed the blessing of a clean heart, and testified to it at the breakfast table the next morning. He said he had doubted whether there was such an experience; but, since going to The Salvation Army, he had been led […]

“So Spake”-Samuel Logan Brengle 

“So Spake”-Samuel Logan Brengle “And it came to pass in Iconium that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and SO SPAKE that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1.) Bless God for such preachers and such preaching! How did they do it? What […]

“With Peace Unbroken” -Samuel Logan Brengle 

“With Peace Unbroken” -Samuel Logan Brengle “In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of their life (Luke i. 75). The Rev. John Fletcher, whom Wesley thought was the holiest man who had lived since the days of the Apostle John, lost the blessing five times before he was finally established in the grace […]

‘A Man In Christ’-Samuel Logan Brengle 

A Man In Christ’-Samuel Logan Brengle I knew a man in Christ,’ wrote Paul. Think of one writing: I knew a man in Bonaparte, in Buddha, in Caesar,’ and we shall see at once how striking, how startling is this expression. We should be not only startled but shocked to hear this of any but […]

 ‘As With Sons’-Samuel Logan Brengle

‘As With Sons’-Samuel Logan Brengle ‘If ye endure chastening,’ wrote the Apostle to the Hebrews — and that word ‘chastening , means child-discipline for purposes of training — ‘If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is be whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement […]

ABRAM AND THE LIFE OF FAITH

ABRAM AND THE LIFE OF FAITH – Alexander Mclaren A great act of renunciation at the divine call lies at the foundation of Israel’s history, as it does at the foundation of every life that blesses the world or is worth living. The divine Word to Abram first gives the command in all its authoritativeness […]

AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH

AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH – Alexander Mclaren 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: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name […]

THE SIGN FOR MAN AND THE REMEMBRANCER FOR GOD

THE SIGN FOR MAN AND THE REMEMBRANCER FOR GOD – Alexander Mclaren And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and […]

 ‘Don’t Flinch’-Samuel Logan Brengle 

‘Don’t Flinch’-Samuel Logan Brengle The other evening I asked a Captain for the story of her conversion. She told me that a few lines in a little book showed her the way to Jesus. She saw through these lines that if she would ask God to save her and would ‘not flinch’ in her faith, […]

THE SAINT AMONG SINNERS

THE SAINT AMONG SINNERS – Alexander Mclaren These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon […]

‘God Is Faithful’-Samuel Logan Brengle 

‘God Is Faithful’-Samuel Logan Brengle A devout little woman wrote me a letter from Texas recently and said, ‘My text for today is, ” He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust (unrighteous) in the least is unjust (unrighteous) also in much ” (Luke […]

 ‘Retired’-Samuel Logan Brengle 

‘Retired’ – Samuel Logan Brengle There is no discharge in that war.’ ‘They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.’ ‘Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a crown of life.’ When I was a little lad, time went by so slowly and the years […]

What About The Future Of The Salvation Army? -Samuel Logan Brengle 

What About The Future Of The Salvation Army? -Samuel Logan Brengle There are some questions always being asked and never fully answered, for the simple reason that only Omniscience knows the answer, and Omniscience is not disposed to answer questions which can be solved in measure by diligent attention to the spirit and principles revealed […]

 Union With Jesus-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Union With Jesus – Samuel Logan Brengle Jesus said, ‘I and My Father are one’ (John x. 30), and it is His loving purpose that you and I shall be able to say that too, and say it now in this present time, in the face of the devil and in holy, triumphant defiance of […]

The Worst Drunkard In Town Got Saved Last Night And–Samuel Logan Brengle 

A changed attitudeThe Worst Drunkard In Town Got Saved Last Night And – Samuel Logan Brengle  Many years ago I was visiting Riverside, California, for a brief campaign, and was met at the train by the Captain in charge at about ten o’clock in the morning. His face was glowing as he said to me: […]

SERMON XVIII – Matt 7:12 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XVIII – Matt 7:12 – Thomas Manton SERMON XVIII. – Mat. VII. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets. — Mat. VII. 12. T is a general complaint of the world that Christians are […]

 The Terror Of The Lord-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Terror Of The Lord – Samuel Logan Brengle Knowing…. the terror of the Lord, we persuade men (2 Corinthians v. 11.) ‘The Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth,’ (Psalm ix. 16.) The majesty of God’s law can be measured only by the terrors of His judgments. God is rich in mercy, […]

 The Temptations Of A Sanctified Man-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Temptations Of A Sanctified Man – Samuel Logan Brengle How can a man that is “dead to sin” be “tempted?” asked an earnest but unsanctified Christian of me some time ago. “If the very tendencies and inclinations to sin be destroyed, what is there in the man to respond to a solicitation to evil? […]

The Studies Of The Soul-Winner-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Studies Of The Soul-Winner – Samuel Logan Brengle “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. — Paul to Timothy.” (2 Tim. 2:15.) “Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee. Meditate upon […]

 The Special Campaigner-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Special Campaigner – Samuel Logan Brengle I ‘And He gave some . . . Evangelists.’ For many years now my own work has been the work of an evangelist or campaigner. For five years, long before I met The Army, I resisted the Lord’s call to preach. I wanted to be a lawyer and […]

 The Soul-Winner’s Commission To The Children-Samuel Logan Brengle 

 The Soul-Winner’s Commission To The Children-Samuel Logan Brengle “Lovest thou Me? Feed My lambs.” Rough and ready Peter, that horny-handed old fisherman, thought he was cut out for and best fitted to be a prime minister or secretary of state, a bishop, a colonel, or a commander, and it seems had several disputes with […]

The Soul-Winner And The Children-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Soul-Winner And The Children – Samuel Logan Brengle Not only did Jesus say, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not,” but He gave to Peter the positive command, “Feed My lambs,” and in that command laid a responsibility upon soul-winners for the children, for “of such is the Kingdom […]

THE COURSE AND CROWN OF ADEVOUT LIFE

THE COURSE AND CROWN OF A DEVOUT LIFE – Alexander Mclaren And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.’- GENESIS v. 24. This notice of Enoch occurs in the course of a catalogue of the descendants of Adam, from the Creation to the Deluge. It is evidently a very ancient […]

The Secret Of Power – Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Secret Of Power – Samuel Logan Brengle “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah xl. 31). If I were dying, and had the privilege of delivering a last exhortation to all the Christians of the world, and that message had to be condensed into three words, I would say, “Wait […]

The Seamless Coat Of Jesus -Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Seamless Coat Of Jesus -Samuel Logan Brengle Jesus never pitied Himself, nor did He seek the pity of any man. One day He asked His disciples, ‘Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ ‘John the Baptist,’ replied one ‘Elijah,’ said another. ‘Jeremiah or one of the prophets,’ answered a third. […]

SERMON XVII – Deut 30:15 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XVII – Deut 30:15 – Thomas Manton SERMON XVII. – Deut. XXX. 15. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, death and evil. — Deut. XXX. 15. OSES, the man of God, having acquainted the people with the tenor of God’s commandments, both concerning worship and civil conversation, doth enforce […]

The Renewing Of Power-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Renewing Of Power – Samuel Logan Brengle Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. Paul. To do God’s work we must have God’s power. Therefore Jesus said: “Tarry ye in Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49.) And again He said: “Ye […]

 The Radicalism Of Holiness-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Radicalism Of Holiness – Samuel Logan Brengle “Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Cor. xiii. 5). “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. i. 27). Dear brother, do not think you can make holiness popular. It cannot be done. There is […]

WITH, BEFORE, AFTER

WITH, BEFORE, AFTER – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS xvii. 1 Enoch walked with God,’—GENESIS v. 22. Walk before Me. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God.’—DEUTERONOMY xiii. 4. You will have anticipated, I suppose, my purpose in doing what I very seldom do—cutting little snippets out of different verses and putting them together. You see […]

SERMON XVI – John 3:16 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XVI – John 3:16 – Thomas Manton SERMON XVI. – John III. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. —John III. 16. N these words you have the sum and substance of the gospel. In them observe: […]

The Personal Experience Of The Soul Winner-Samuel Logan Brengle

The Personal Experience Of The Soul Winner – Samuel Logan Brengle Every soul-winner is in the secret of the Lord, and has had a definite personal experience of salvation and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which brings him into close fellowship and tender friendship and sympathy with the Saviour. The Psalmist prayed, “Hide Thy […]

 The Outcome Of A Clean Heart-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Outcome Of A Clean Heart – Samuel Logan Brengle David prayed, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. . . . Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners shall […]

The Mystic Universe In My Back Yard-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Mystic Universe In My Back Yard – Samuel Logan Brengle I but open my eyes — and perfection, no more and no less, In the kind I imagined full fronts me, and God is seen God In the star, in the stone, in the flesh, in the soul, and in the clod. — Browning […]

 The Man God Uses-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Man God Uses – Samuel Logan Brengle A while ago I was talking with a Christian merchant who expressed a great and important truth. He said: “People are crying to God to use them, but He cannot. They are not given up to Him; they are not humble and teachable and holy. There are […]

 The Lord’s Own Prayer-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Lord’s Own Prayer-Samuel Logan Brengle One day at a certain place, we are told, the disciples were with Jesus when He was praying, and after He had ceased — I wonder how long He prayed and what was the burden of His prayer? — one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us […]

The Legacy Of Holiness-Samuel Logan Brengle 

A changed attitude “after the death of Abraham, . . . God blessed his son Isaac’ (Gen. xxv. 11). We must die! We feel that we must live, must live for the sake of our sons, for the people of God whom we love as our own souls, and for the perishing sinners about us. […]

The Leakage Of Spiritual Power-Samuel Logan Brengle

The Leakage Of Spiritual Power-Samuel Logan Brengle That man of God and lover of souls, James Caughey, tells in one of his books how he was invited out to tea one evening; and though there was nothing harmful in the talk of the hour, yet when he went into the meeting at night his soul […]

 The Heart Of Jesus-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Heart Of Jesus-Samuel Logan Brengle Give me a heart like Thine; By Thy wonderful power, By Thy grace every hour, Give me a heart like Thine. We sang that verse with all our might, one morning, in one of those hours of heart-humbling and heart-searching, when I was a cadet in the training home, […]

The Frankness Of Jesus-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Frankness Of Jesus – Samuel Logan Brengle Jesus was not a whisperer. No one ever saw Him close to His neighbor’s ear, looking stealthily around lest some one should overhear what He was going to say. He stood upright, looked men squarely and kindly in the eye, and spoke what He had to say […]

The Dangers Of Middle Age-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Dangers Of Middle Age – Samuel Logan Brengle We read and hear much about the dangers of youth, and they are very many and often very deadly; but how little do we hear about the dangers of the middle-aged! And yet they, too, are very many and very deadly. I was vividly reminded of […]

The Cost Of Saving Souls-Samuel Logan Brengle 

A changed attitude Some years ago a young woman-Officer wrote the Colonel in command of a Continental Territory telling him she meant to resign if she could not get souls saved. But she did not resign. A pastor, famous for the revivals which swept his churches and moved the communities where he labored, was sent […]

The Chained Ambassador-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Chained Ambassador – Samuel Logan Brengle My soul was stirred within me the other morning by Paul’s appeal for the prayers of the Church, in which he declares himself to be “an ambassador in bonds” or as the margin reads, “in a chain.” “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and […]

 The Chained Ambassador-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Chained Ambassador-Samuel Logan Brengle “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am […]

The Bible And Religious Experience-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Bible And Religious Experience – Samuel Logan Brengle I Man does not discover God. God reveals Himself to man. God seeks men before men seek God. God reveals His wisdom and power through nature. He reveals His Holiness through conscience. He reveals His hatred of sin through His judgments. He reveals His redeeming love […]

The Angels Song Of Peace-Samuel Logan Brengle

The Angels Song Of Peace-Samuel Logan Brengle Heavenly beings always put the things of Heaven first. Our Lord Jesus placed ever the thought of unseen and eternal glory before the trifles of earth. I have been much impressed with the order of the prayer which Jesus gave His disciples. Before teaching them to ask for […]

 The Ancient Prophets-Samuel Logan Brengle 

The Ancient Prophets – Samuel Logan Brengle For about sixty years I have been reading the Bible, and for nearly fifty I have been reading it through regularly, steadily, consecutively, year after year. When I have finished Revelation, I turn back to Genesis and begin over again, and day by day read my chapter or […]

Thanksgiving-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Thanksgiving – Samuel Logan Brengle Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise be thankful unto Him, and bless His name’ (Ps. C. 4). In every thing give thanks’ (i Thess. v. 18). As lilies of the valley pour forth perfume, so good hearts pour forth thanksgiving. No mercy is too […]

 Testify To The Blessing-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Testify To The Blessing – Samuel Logan Brengle ‘And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony ‘ (Rev. xii. 11). A lieutenant got the blessing of a clean heart in one of my meetings the other day, and then told us that he had had the […]

 Spiritual Power-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Spiritual Power – Samuel Logan Brengle God is the source of all spiritual power, and should be sought for constantly in two ways — by meditation in His word, and by secret prayer — if we would have and retain power. Several years ago I was ‘specialing’ at a New England corps, commanded by a […]

 Spiritual Leadership-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Spiritual Leadership – Samuel Logan Brengle The soul-winner must have the power of spiritual leadership, and spiritual leadership is a thing of the Spirit, and not of birth, or rank, or title, or education, or circumstances. Here is the secret of the power of humble Salvation Army officers from the lowly walks of life. Joseph […]

 Soul Winning-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Soul Winning – Samuel Logan Brengle “The inwrought fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James v. 16, R.V.). All great soul-winners have been men of much and mighty prayer, and all great revivals have been preceded and carried out by persevering, prevailing knee-work in the closet. Before Jesus began His ministry, when great […]

 Some Of My Experiences In Teaching Holiness-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Some Of My Experiences In Teaching Holiness – Samuel Logan Brengle I once received a letter from one of the most devoted young officers I know, in which he said, “I love holiness more and more, but I am just about discouraged. It seems to me that I shall never be able to teach holiness, […]

SERMON XV – Acts 21:14 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XV – Acts 21:14 – Thomas Manton SERMON XV. – Acts XXI. 14. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. —Acts 21:14. HE history that concerns this passage begins at the 8th verse. In the whole you may take notice: — I. Of the […]

SERMON XIV – Eccles 9:11 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XIV – Eccles 9:11 – Thomas Manton SERMON XIV. – Eccles. IX. 11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; […]

SERMON XIII – 1 Tim 6:8 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XIII – 1 Tim 6:8 – Thomas Manton SERMON XIII – 1 Tim. VI. 8. And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. —1 Tim. VI. 8. HE apostle hath mentioned some in the 5th verse that counted ‘gain was godliness; ’ that is, suited their godliness with their worldly ends, or […]

HOW SIN CAME IN

HOW SIN CAME IN – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS iii. 1-15 — HOW SIN CAME IN Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the […]

THE VISION OF CREATION

THE VISION OF CREATION – Alexander Mclaren GENESIS i. 26-ii. 3 — THE VISION OF CREATION And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the […]

The Ray and the Reflection

The Ray and the Reflection – Alexander Maclaren 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. We love Him, because He first loved us. Very simple words! but they go down into the depths of God, lifting burdens off the heart of humanity, turning duty into delight, and changing the aspect of […]

Christ’s Mission the Revelation of God’s Love

Christ’s Mission the Revelation of God’s Love – Alexander Maclaren 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to […]

The Growth and Power of Sin

The Growth and Power of Sin – Alexander Maclaren 1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And why slew he him? Because his own works were evil… ‘And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an […]

Practical Righteousness

Practical Righteousness – Alexander Maclaren 1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. The popular idea of the Apostle John is strangely unlike the […]

The Commandment, Old Yet New

The Commandment, Old Yet New – Alexander Maclaren 1 John 2:7 Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning… I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning…. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which […]

The Message and its Practical Results

The Message and its Practical Results – Alexander Maclaren 1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that […]

The Owner and His Slaves

The Owner and His Slaves – Alexander Maclaren 2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you… Denying the Lord that bought them. The institution of slavery was one of the greatest blots on ancient civilisation. It was twice cursed, cursing both parties, […]

Going Out and Going In

Going Out and Going In – Alexander Maclaren 2 Peter 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. An entrance … my decease. I do not like, and do not often indulge in, the practice of taking fragments of Scripture for […]

Man Summoned by God’s Glory and Energy

Man Summoned by God’s Glory and Energy – Alexander Maclaren 2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness… … His Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us […]

Sylvanus

Sylvanus – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother to you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting… By Sylvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly. I adopt the Revised Version because, in one or two small points, it brings out more clearly the […]

The Slave’s Girdle

The Slave’s Girdle – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 5:5 Likewise, you younger, submit yourselves to the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility… … Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. The Apostle uses here an expression of a […]

Christian Asceticism

Christian Asceticism – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 4:1 For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind… Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath […]

Hallowing Christ

Hallowing Christ – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 3:14 But and if you suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are you: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;… Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. These words are a quotation from the prophet Isaiah, […]

Christ the Exemplar

Christ the Exemplar – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps:… For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps. These words […]

Spiritual Sacrifices

Spiritual Sacrifices – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 2:5 You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices… … Spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. In this verse Peter piles up his metaphors in a fine profusion, perfectly careless of oratorical elegance or propriety. […]

Living Stones on the Living Foundation Stone

Living Stones on the Living Foundation Stone – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as to a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,… To Whom coming, as unto a living stone … ye also, as living stones, are built up. I wonder whether Peter, when he wrote […]

Purifying the Soul

Purifying the Soul – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned love of the brothers… … ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. Note these three subsidiary clauses introduced respectively by […]

Father and Judge

Father and Judge – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:17 And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work… If ye call on Him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. ‘If […]

Hope Perfectly

Hope Perfectly – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:13 Why gird up the loins of your mind, be sober… Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Christianity has transformed hope, and given […]

Christ and His Cross the Centre of the Universe

Christ and His Cross the Centre of the Universe – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come to you:… Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently … the things which are now reported unto you … […]

Joy in Believing

Joy in Believing – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: In Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. The Apostle […]

The True Gold and its Testing

The True Gold and its Testing – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire… That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might […]

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:6 Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations:… Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. You will remember the great saying of […]

Sojourners of the Dispersion

Sojourners of the Dispersion – Alexander Maclaren 1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,… Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered . The words rendered ‘strangers scattered’ are literally ‘sojourners of the Dispersion,’ and are so rendered in the […]

God’s True Treasure in Man

God’s True Treasure in Man – Alexander Maclaren Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. The Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. ‘Jesus Christ (Who) gave Himself for us, that […]

The Conduct that Secures the Real Life

The Conduct that Secures the Real Life – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on […]

One Witness, Many Confessors

One Witness, Many Confessors – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called… Thou . . . hast professed a good profession before many witnesses 13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ […]

Spiritual Athletics

Spiritual Athletics – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself rather to godliness. Exercise thyself unto Godliness. Timothy seems to have been not a very strong character: sensitive, easily discouraged, and perhaps with a constitutional tendency to indolence. At all events, it is very touching to notice […]

Where and How to Pray

Where and How to Pray – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. The context shows that this is part of the Apostle’s directory for […]

The Glory of the King

The Glory of the King – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Now, unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. With this burst of […]

A Test Case

A Test Case – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 1:16 However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering… Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe. The […]

The Gospel in Small

The Gospel in Small – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. […]

The Chief of Sinners

The Chief of Sinners – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Of whom I am chief. The less teachers of religion talk about themselves the better; and yet there is a […]

The Gospel of the Glory of the Happy God’

The Gospel of the Glory of the Happy God’ – Alexander Maclaren 1 Timothy 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. The glorious gospel of the blessed God. Two remarks of an expository character will prepare the way for our consideration of this text. The first […]

The Lord of Peace and the Peace of the Lord

The Lord of Peace and the Peace of the Lord – Alexander Maclaren 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. Now the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace always, by all means. The Lord be with you all. We […]

Everlasting Consolation and Good Hope

Everlasting Consolation and Good Hope – Alexander Maclaren 2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which has loved us… Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace 17 Comfort your […]

Worthy of Your Calling

Worthy of Your Calling – Alexander Maclaren 2 Thessalonians 1:11 Why also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness… We pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the […]

Without and Within

Without and Within – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Them that are without. That is, of course, an expression for the non-Christian world; the outsiders who are beyond the pale of the Church. There was a very broad line of distinction between it and the […]

Risen with Christ

Risen with Christ – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 3:1 If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.… If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God 2 Set your […]

Christian Progress

Christian Progress – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 2:6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk you in him:… As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and builded up in Him. It is characteristic of Paul that he should here use three figures incongruous with each other […]

Christian Endeavour

Christian Endeavour – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 1:29 Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily. I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily. I have chosen this text principally because it brings together the two subjects which are naturally before us to-day. All ‘Western […]

Thankful for Inheritance

Thankful for Inheritance – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:… Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. It is interesting to notice how […]

‘All Power’

‘All Power’ – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, to all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; Strengthened with all power, according to the might of His glory, unto all patience and longsuffering with joy. There is a wonderful rush and fervour in the prayers of Paul. No parts […]

The Gospel-Hope

The Gospel-Hope – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; The hope of the Gospel. ‘God never sends mouths but He sends meat to feed them,’ says the old proverb. And yet it seems […]

SERMON XII – Job 19:25 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XII – Job 19:25 – Thomas Manton SERMON XII. – Job XIX. 25. ‘For I know that my Redeemer liveth. ’—Job XIX. 25. HESE words were spoken by Job, a man for the present miserable, and suspected by his friends as one that neither feared God nor trusted in him. Therefore, to comfort himself […]

SERMON XI – Gal 5:16 – Thomas Manton

SERMON XI – Gal 5:16 – Thomas Manton SERMON XI. – Gal. V. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. —Gal. V. 16. N these words observe—(1. ) A duty enforced; (2. ) The consequent and fruit of it. 1. The duty is […]

SERMON X – Rom 1:29-30 – Thomas Manton

SERMON X – Rom 1:29-30 – Thomas Manton SERMON X. – Rom. I. 29-30. Whisperers, backbiters. —Rom. I. , part of the 29th and 30th verses. HE context showeth how corrupt and miserable man’s nature is with out Christ. His heart was first withdrawn from God, and then became a sink of loathsome sins and […]

 Perfect Peace-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Perfect Peace-Samuel Logan Brengle “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusteth in Thee” (Isaiah xxvi. 3). A wonderful promise is that, and it ought to be the aim of every one of us to make it our experience. The way to do this is simple: it […]

Paul A Pattern-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Paul A Pattern-Samuel Logan Brengle Paul tells us that the Lord Jesus made him ‘a pattern to them which should hereafter believe’ (I Tim. i. 16). This fact makes his life and experience exceptionally interesting and valuable to us. And it is an especial mark of our Heavenly Father’s wisdom and love that He has […]

 Our Mothers — Thoughts For Mother’s Day-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Our Mothers — Thoughts For Mother’s Day-Samuel Logan Brengle How fitting, how beautiful, that a day should be set aside by the nation and the nations to do honour to that vast army of delicate soldiers, infinitely greater in numbers than the men who fought in the Great War, that numberless host whose sentinel watch […]

Obedience-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Obedience – Samuel Logan Brengle “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,” said Paul, and in that saying he reveals the secret of his wonderful success as a soul-winner. The soul-winner is a man sent by God, and will have visions and revelations and secret orders that, if affectionately heeded and heartily and courageously […]

 My Testimony-Samuel Logan Brengle 

My Testimony-Samuel Logan Brengle (1860 — 59 — 1919) Today (June 1, 1919) I am fifty-nine years old, and there is not a cloud in my spiritual heaven. My mouth is full of laughter and my heart is full of joy. I feel so sorry for folks who don’t like to grow old, and who […]

SERMON IX – Matt27:46 – Thomas Manton

SERMON IX – Matt27:46 – Thomas Manton SERMON IX. – Mat. XXVII. 46. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? —Mat. XXVII. 46. N the history of the passion you will find that our […]

 Must You Be Fed With A Spoon?-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Must You Be Fed With A Spoon? – Samuel Logan Brengle I I am watching with much interest and some personal profit the development of my grandchildren. They are a luxury to my old heart; but, like all children, they are somewhat of a problem as well as a joy to their parents. At first, […]

 Misrepresenting God-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Misrepresenting God-Samuel Logan Brengle I read recently of a speaker who preached on the mercy of God ‘until it seemed there was nothing in God but mercy.’ But I fear he misrepresented God. Such misrepresentation is easy, and to people who do not think deeply, and who do not want to take life seriously, it […]

Maintaining The Holiness Standard-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Maintaining The Holiness Standard-Samuel Logan Brengle The Salvation Army was born, not in a cloister, nor in a drawing-room, but on a spiritual battlefield — at the penitent-form. It has been nourished for spiritual conquests, not upon speculative doctrines and fine-spun verbal distinctions, but upon those great doctrines which can be wrought into and worked […]

Love Slaves-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Love Slaves -Samuel Logan Brengle There was a law among the Hebrews that for sore poverty or debt or crime one man might become the servant of another, but he could not be held in servitude beyond a certain period; at the end of six years, he must be allowed to go free. (Ex. 21:1-6; […]

Letting The Truth Slip-Samuel Logan Brengle 

Letting The Truth Slip-Samuel Logan Brengle “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Heb. iii. 1). The truth that saves the soul is not picked up as we would pick up the pebbles along the beach, but […]

SERMON VIII – Eph.1:8 – Thomas Manton

SERMON VIII – Eph.1:8 – Thomas Manton Wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence. —Eph. I. 8. N the context the apostle speaks of the spiritual blessings we have by Christ: he considers them under a threefold reference; — (1. ) As they were appointed and prepared for believers in God’s […]

SERMON VII – 2 Thes. 3:5 – Thomas Manton

SERMON VII – 2 Thes. 3:5 – Thomas Manton And into the patient waiting for Christ. —2 Thes. 3:5. HE words are a prayer; and the apostle prays here for those things which are most necessary to Christians— love to God, and patient waiting for Christ. I come now to handle the second branch. The […]

SERMON VI – 2 Thes. 3:5 – Thomas Manton

SERMON VI – 2 Thes. 3:5 – Thomas Manton And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. —2 Thes. 3:5. HERE are two things keep religion alive in the soul—a love to God, and a hearty intent upon the coming of Christ. These are the […]

SERMON V – Mark 9 – Thomas Manton

SERMON V – Mark 9 – Thomas Manton For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. —Mark 9:49. In the context you have a caution which our Lord gives against scandals and offences given to others, either by defection from the truth, or by a sinful conversation. […]

Saints, Believers, Brethren

Saints, Believers, Brethren – Alexander Maclaren Colossians 1:2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be to you, and peace… . . . The saints and faithful brethren in Christ. ‘The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch,’ says the Acts of the Apostles. It was a name given […]

Gifts Given, Seed Sown

Gifts Given, Seed Sown – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:15 Now you Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia… And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of […]

How to Say ‘thank You’

How to Say ‘thank You’ – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me has flourished again; wherein you were also careful… But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye have revived your thought for me; wherein ye did […]

Think on These Things

Think on These Things – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure… . . . Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good […]

The Warrior Peace

The Warrior Peace – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The great Mosque of Constantinople was once a Christian church, dedicated to […]

Rejoice Evermore

Rejoice Evermore – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.… Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, rejoice! It has been well said that this whole epistle may be summed up in two short sentences: ‘I rejoice’; ‘Rejoice ye!’ The word and the thing crop up […]

Names in the Book of Life

Names in the Book of Life – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:3 And I entreat you also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also… Other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of life. Paul was as gentle as he was strong. Winsome courtesy and delicate […]

How to Obey an Impossible Injunction

How to Obey an Impossible Injunction – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.… Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. It is […]

Farewell Words

Farewell Words – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.… Now unto our God and Father be the glory for ever and ever, Amen. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me salute […]

A Tender Exhortation

A Tender Exhortation – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.… Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. The words I have chosen […]

The Rule of the Road

The Rule of the Road – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Paul has just been laying down a great principle — viz. that if […]

The Race and the Goal

The Race and the Goal – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind… This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark […]

Laid Hold of and Laying Hold

Laid Hold of and Laying Hold – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after… I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended of Christ Jesus. ‘I was laid hold of by Jesus Christ.’ That is how […]

Saving Knowledge

Saving Knowledge – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death; That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death; ifby any means […]

The Gain of Christ

The Gain of Christ – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:8 Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord… That I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, even that which is of the law, but that […]

The Loss of All

The Loss of All – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the […]

Warnings and Hopes

Warnings and Hopes – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Brethren, be ye imitators together of me, and mark them which so walk even as ye have us for an ensample. […]

Preparing to End

Preparing to End – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.… Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not irksome, but […]

Paul and Epaphroditus

Paul and Epaphroditus – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger… But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need 26 […]

Paul and Timothy

Paul and Timothy – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly to you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.… But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, […]

Copies of Jesus

Copies of Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:… Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world, 16 […]

The Ascent of Jesus

The Ascent of Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:9 Why God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:… Wherefore also God highly exalted Him and gave unto Him the name which is above every name; 10 That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of […]

The Descent of the Word

The Descent of the Word – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:… Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, 7 But […]

Work Out Your Own Salvation

Work Out Your Own Salvation – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will […]

A Willing Sacrifice

A Willing Sacrifice – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,… That I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labour in vain […]

A Plea for Unity

A Plea for Unity – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,… If there is therefore any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender […]

A Strait Betwixt Two

A Strait Betwixt Two – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not […]

A Prisoner’s Triumph

A Prisoner’s Triumph – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 1:12 But I would you should understand, brothers… Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel; 13 So that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to […]

A Comprehensive Prayer

A Comprehensive Prayer – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;… And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; 10 So that ye may approve the things that are […]

Loving Greetings

Loving Greetings – Alexander Maclaren Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi… Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace […]

The Wide Range of God’s Grace

The Wide Range of God’s Grace – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. In turning to the great words which I have read as a text, I ask you to […]

The Sword of the Spirit’

The Sword of the Spirit’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We reach here the last and only offensive weapon in the panoply. The ‘of’ here does […]

The Helmet of Salvation’

The Helmet of Salvation’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Take the helmet of salvation. We may, perhaps, trace a certain progress in the enumeration of the various pieces of the Christian armour in this context. Roughly speaking, […]

The Shield of Faith

The Shield of Faith – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Above all, taking the shield of faith, whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. There were two […]

A Soldier’s Shoes

A Soldier’s Shoes – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Paul drew the first draft of this picture of the Christian armour in his first letter. It is a finished picture here. One can […]

The Girdle of Truth’

The Girdle of Truth’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Stand, therefore, having girded your loins with truth. The general exhortation here points to the habitual attitude of the Christian soldier. However many conflicts he may have waged, he is […]

The Breastplate of Righteousness’

The Breastplate of Righteousness’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Having put on the breastplate of righteousness. There can be no doubt that in this whole context the Apostle has in mind the great passage in Isaiah lix. where the […]

The Panoply of God

The Panoply of God – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 6:13 Why take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and […]

Redeeming the Time

Redeeming the Time – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, See, then, that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Some of us have, in all probability, very little more ‘time’ to ‘redeem.’ Some of […]

Sleepers At Noonday

Sleepers At Noonday – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:14 Why he said, Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. Wherefore He saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, This is the close of a short digression about ‘light.’ The […]

Unfruitful Works of Darkness

Unfruitful Works of Darkness – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. We have seen in a former sermon that ‘the fruit,’ or outcome, ‘of the Light’ is a comprehensive […]

Paul’s Reasons for Temperance

Paul’s Reasons for Temperance – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them 12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in […]

Pleasing Christ

Pleasing Christ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable to the Lord. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. These words are closely connected with those which precede them in the 8th verse — ‘Walk as children of light.’ They further explain the mode by which that commandment is to be fulfilled. They […]

The Fruit of the Light

The Fruit of the Light – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) The fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. This is one of the cases in which the Revised Version has done service by giving currency to […]

What Children of Light Should Be

What Children of Light Should Be – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:8 For you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Walk as children of light. It was our Lord who coined this great name for His disciples. Paul’s use of it is probably a reminiscence of […]

God’s Imitators

God’s Imitators – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 5:1 Be you therefore followers of God, as dear children; Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. The Revised Version gives a more literal and more energetic rendering of this verse by reading, ‘Be ye, therefore, imitators of God, as beloved children.’ It is the only place in the Bible where […]

Grieving the Spirit

Grieving the Spirit – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. The miracle of Christianity is the Incarnation. It is not a link in a […]

The New Man

The New Man – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:24 And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. We had occasion to remark in a former sermon that Paul […]

A Dark Picture and a Bright Hope

A Dark Picture and a Bright Hope – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:22 That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; That ye put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. If a doctor knows that […]

Christ Our Lesson and Our Teacher

Christ Our Lesson and Our Teacher – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ;… But ye have not so learned Christ; if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught in Him. The Apostle has been describing in very severe terms the godlessness and corruption of heathenism. He […]

The Goal of Progress

The Goal of Progress – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man… Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown […]

The Measure of Grace’

The Measure of Grace’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:7 But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. The Apostle here makes a swift transition from the […]

The Threefold Unity

The Threefold Unity – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One Lord, one faith, one baptism. The thought of the unity of the Church is very prominent in this epistle. It is difficult for us, amidst our present divisions, to realise how strange and wonderful it then was that a bond […]

The Calling and the Kingdom

The Calling and the Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation with which you are called, I beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. ‘They shall walk with Me in white; for they are […]

The Climax of All Prayer

The Climax of All Prayer – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. The Apostle’s many-linked prayer, which we have been considering in successive sermons, has […]

Love Unknowable and Known

Love Unknowable and Known – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; That ye … may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, […]

the Whole Family’

the Whole Family’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, The whole family in heaven and earth. Grammatically, we are driven to recognise that the Revised Version is more correct than the Authorised, when it reads ‘every family,’ instead of ‘the whole family.’ There is in […]

the Chief Corner-Stone’

the Chief Corner-Stone’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 2:20 And are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;… Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner-stone. The Roman Empire had in Paul’s time gathered into a great unity […]

God’s Workmanship and Our Works

God’s Workmanship and Our Works – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. […]

Salvation: Grace: Faith

Salvation: Grace: Faith – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:… By grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Here are three of the key-words of the New […]

The Riches of Grace’

The Riches of Grace’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. One […]

The Resurrection of Dead Souls

The Resurrection of Dead Souls – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. Scripture paints […]

The Measure of Immeasurable Power

The Measure of Immeasurable Power – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,… That ye may know … what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty […]

The Hope of the Calling

The Hope of the Calling – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling… That ye may know what is the hope of His calling. A man’s prayers for others are a very fair thermometer of his own religious condition. What […]

God’s Inheritance in the Saints

God’s Inheritance in the Saints – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling… That ye may know what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. The misery of Hope is that it so often owes […]

The Earnest and the Inheritance

The Earnest and the Inheritance – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory. The earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession. I have dealt with a portion of this verse in conjunction with the […]

God’s Inheritance and Ours

God’s Inheritance and Ours – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance… In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, … the earnest of our inheritance. A dewdrop twinkles into green and gold as the sunlight falls on it. A diamond flashes many colours as its facets catch the light. […]

According to the Riches of His Grace

According to the Riches of His Grace – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;… According to the riches of His grace. We have seen, in a previous sermon, that a characteristic note of this letter is the frequent […]

According to the Good Pleasure of His Will

According to the Good Pleasure of His Will – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, According to the good pleasure of His will, … According to the riches of His grace. That phrase, ‘according to,’ is […]

‘All Spiritual Blessings’

‘All Spiritual Blessings’ – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:… Blessed be God … who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. It is very characteristic of Paul’s […]

Saints and Faithful

Saints and Faithful – Alexander Maclaren Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:… The saints which are at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus. That is Paul’s way of describing a church. There were […]

The Owner’s Brand

The Owner’s Brand – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 6:17 From now on let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. The reference in these words is probably to the cruel custom of branding slaves as we […]

Doing Good to All

Doing Good to All – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all. ‘As we have therefore’ — that points a finger backwards to what has […]

The Fruit of the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance. ‘The fruit of the Spirit,’ says Paul, not the fruits, as we might […]

Walk in the Spirit’

Walk in the Spirit’ – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. We are not to suppose that the Apostle here uses the familiar contrast of […]

The Universal Prison

The Universal Prison – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 3:22 But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.… But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. The […]

Lessons of Experience

Lessons of Experience – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth… Have ye suffered so many things in vain? Preached on the last Sunday of the year. This vehement question is usually taken to be a reminder to the fickle Galatians that their Christian […]

From Centre to Circumference

From Centre to Circumference – Alexander Maclaren Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me… The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. We have a […]

A Militant Message

A Militant Message – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God… Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; and being in readiness to […]

God’s Unspeakable Gift

God’s Unspeakable Gift – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. It seems strange that there should ever have been any doubt as to what gift it is which evokes this burst of thanksgiving. There is but one of God’s many […]

Willing and not Doing

Willing and not Doing – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 8:11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will… Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will so there may be a performance also. The Revised Version reads: ‘But now complete the […]

Rich Yet Poor

Rich Yet Poor – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor… For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye […]

Giving and Asking

Giving and Asking – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 8:1 Moreover, brothers, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;… Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; 2 How that in a great trial of affliction the […]

Hope and Holiness

Hope and Holiness – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit… Having therefore these promises . . . let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. It is […]

The Entreaties of God

The Entreaties of God – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be you reconciled to God. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech … by us: we pray … in […]

The Love that Constrains

The Love that Constrains – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: The love of Christ constraineth us. It is a dangerous thing to be unlike other people. It is still more dangerous to be better […]

The Patient Workman

The Patient Workman – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 5:5 Now he that has worked us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. Now He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God. These words penetrate deep into the secrets of God. They assume […]

The Triumphal Procession

The Triumphal Procession – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be to God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the aroma of his knowledge by us in every place. Thanks be unto God, which always leadeth us in triumph in Christ and maketh manifest through us the savour of […]

Seal and Earnest

Seal and Earnest – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 1:23 Moreover I call God for a record on my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth.… Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. There are three strong metaphors in this and the preceding […]

Anointed and Stablished

Anointed and Stablished – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 1:21 Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God;… Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God. The connection in which these words occur is a remarkable illustration of the Apostle’s habit of […]

Corinthians. God’s Yea; Man’s Amen

Corinthians. God’s Yea; Man’s Amen – Alexander Maclaren 2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us. For how many soever be the promises of God, in Him is the yea: wherefore also through Him is the Amen. This is […]

Strong and Loving

Strong and Loving – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.… Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong 14 Let all your things be done with charity. There is a singular contrast between the first four of these […]

Small Duties and the Great Hope

Small Duties and the Great Hope – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another 10 And […]

The Death of Death

The Death of Death – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the […]

The Unity of Apostolic Teaching

The Unity of Apostolic Teaching – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 15:11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so you believed. Whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. Party spirit and faction were the curses of Greek civic life, and they had crept into at […]

Paul’s Estimate of Himself

Paul’s Estimate of Himself – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed on me was not in vain… By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. […]

Remaining and Falling Asleep

Remaining and Falling Asleep Alexander Maclaren- 1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brothers at once; of whom the greater part remain to this present… After that He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto thispresent, but some are fallen asleep. […]

The Power of the Resurrection

The Power of the Resurrection – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ‘I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according […]

What Lasts

What Lasts – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease… Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, […]

The Universal Gift

The Universal Gift – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The great fact which to-day[1] commemorates is too often regarded as if it were a transient gift, limited to those […]

In Remembrance of Me’

In Remembrance of Me’ – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. This do in remembrance of Me. The account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, contained in […]

The Limits of Liberty

The Limits of Liberty – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify […]

Concerning the Crown’

Concerning the Crown’ – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 9:25 And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown… They do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we are incorruptible. One of the most famous of the Greek athletic festivals was held […]

How the Victor Runs

How the Victor Runs – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 9:24 Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.… So run, that ye may obtain. ‘So run.’ Does that mean ‘Run so that ye obtain?’ Most people, I suppose, superficially reading the […]

Servants and Lords

Servants and Lords – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;… All things are yours; 22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; 23 And ye are Christ’s. The […]

Death, the Friend

Death, the Friend – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 3:21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;… … All things are yours … death. What Jesus Christ is to a man settles what everything else is to Him. Our relation to Jesus determines our relation to the universe. If we belong […]

God’s Fellow-Workers

God’s Fellow-Workers – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are laborers together with God: you are God’s husbandry, you are God’s building. Labourers together with God. The characteristic Greek tendency to factions was threatening to rend the Corinthian Church, and each faction was swearing by a favourite teacher. Paul and his companion, Apollos, had […]

The Apostle’s Theme

The Apostle’s Theme – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Many of you are aware that to-day I close forty years of ministry in this city […]

Perishing or Being Saved

Perishing or Being Saved – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us which are saved it is the power of God. For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the […]

Calling on the Name

Calling on the Name – Alexander Maclaren 1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints… All that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours. There are some difficulties, with which […]

Quartus a Brother

Quartus a Brother – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:23 Gaius my host, and of the whole church, salutes you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city salutes you, and Quartus a brother. Quartus a brother. I am afraid very few of us read often, or with much interest, those long lists of names at the end of […]

A Crushed Snake

A Crushed Snake – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.… The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. There are three other Scriptural sayings which may have been floating in the […]

Tryphena and Tryphosa

Tryphena and Tryphosa – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. The number of salutations to members of the Roman Church is remarkable when we take into account that Paul […]

Persis

Persis – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, who laboured much in the Lord. There are a great number of otherwise unknown Christians who pass for a moment before our view in this chapter. […]

Two Households

Two Households – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household.… … Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household.11. … Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. There does not seem much to be got out of these two sets […]

Priscilla and Aquila

Priscilla and Aquila – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:… Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus; 4 (Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but so all the churches of the Gentiles:) 5 Likewise greet […]

Phoebe

Phoebe – Alexander Maclaren Romans 16:1 I commend to you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:… I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the Church that is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the Saints, and […]

Joy and Peace in Believing

Joy and Peace in Believing – Alexander Maclaren Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in […]

Two Fountains, One Stream

Two Fountains, One Stream – Alexander Maclaren Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning… That we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope 13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope. There is a […]

The Limits of Liberty

The Limits of Liberty – Alexander Maclaren Romans 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock, […]

The Soldier’s Morning-Call

The Soldier’s Morning-Call – Alexander Maclaren Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us put on the armour of light. It is interesting to notice that the metaphor of the Christian […]

Salvation Nearer

Salvation Nearer – Alexander Maclaren Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.… … Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. There is no doubt, I suppose, that the Apostle, in common with […]

Love and the Day

Love and the Day – Alexander Maclaren Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loves another has fulfilled the law. Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou […]

Still Another Triplet

Still Another Triplet – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay… Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord 20 Therefore […]

Still Another Triplet

Still Another Triplet – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honourable in the light of all men 18 If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at […]

Still Another Triplet

Still Another Triplet – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are […]

Still Another Triplet

Still Another Triplet – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. In these verses we pass from […]

Another Triplet of Graces

Another Triplet of Graces – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. These three closely connected clauses occur, as you all know, in the midst of that outline of the Christian life with which the Apostle begins the […]

A Triplet of Graces

A Triplet of Graces – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. Paul believed that Christian doctrine was meant to influence Christian practice; and therefore, after the fundamental and profound exhibition of the central truths of Christianity which […]

Love that Can Hate

Love that Can Hate – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; hold to that which is good. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good 10 In love of the brethren be tenderly affectioned one to another; in honour […]

Grace and Graces

Grace and Graces – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy… Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our […]

Many and One

Many and One – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:… For we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members […]

Sober Thinking

Sober Thinking – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think… For I say, through the grace that is given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to […]

The Sacrifice of the Body

The Sacrifice of the Body – Alexander Maclaren Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God… I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which […]

The Interceding Spirit

The Interceding Spirit – Alexander Maclaren Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought… The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Pentecost was a transitory sign of a perpetual gift. The tongues of fire and the […]

The Redemption of the Body

The Redemption of the Body – Alexander Maclaren Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves… The adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. In a previous verse Paul has said that all true Christians have received ‘the Spirit […]

The Revelation of Sons

The Revelation of Sons – Alexander Maclaren Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.… For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. The Apostle has been describing believers as ‘sons’ and ‘heirs.’ He drops from these […]

thy Free Spirit’

thy Free Spirit’ – Alexander Maclaren Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. We have to distinguish […]

Christ Condemning Sin

Christ Condemning Sin – Alexander Maclaren Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh… For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in […]

The Form of Teaching’

The Form of Teaching’ – Alexander Maclaren Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin… … Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. There is room for difference of opinion as to what Paul precisely means by ‘form’ here. The word so rendered […]

The Warring Queens

The Warring Queens – Alexander Maclaren Romans 5:21 That as sin has reigned to death, even so might grace reign through righteousness to eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.’ — ROMANS v.21. I […]

What Proves God’s Love

What Proves God’s Love – Alexander Maclaren Romans 5:8 But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We have seen in previous sermons on the preceding context that […]

A Threefold Cord

A Threefold Cord – Alexander Maclaren Romans 5:5 And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us. And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is […]

The Sources of Hope

The Sources of Hope – Alexander Maclaren Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation […]

Access into Grace

Access into Grace – Alexander Maclaren Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. I may be allowed to begin with a word or […]

Let Us have Peace

Let Us have Peace – Alexander Maclaren Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. In the rendering of the Revised Version, ‘Let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,’ the alteration […]

Waiting Faith Rewarded and Strengthened by New Revelations

Waiting Faith Rewarded and Strengthened by New Revelations – Alexander Maclaren Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ‘And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and […]

No Difference

No Difference – Alexander Maclaren Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ to all and on all them that believe: for there is no difference: ‘There is no difference. The things in which all men are alike are far more important than those in which they differ. The […]

Paul’s Longing

Paul’s Longing – Alexander Maclaren Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established; I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; 12 That is, that I […]

SERMON IV- 2 Peter 1:4 – Thomas Manton

SERMON IV- 2 Peter 1:4 – Thomas Manton Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. —2 Pet. I. 4. In these words the apostle extolleth the grace of God towards […]

SERMON III. Acts 3:26 – Thomas Manton 

SERMON III. Acts 3:26 – Thomas Manton SERMON III. – Acts III. 26. Unto you first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.— Acts 3:26. THESE words are the conclusion of the second sermon that was preached after the pouring […]

SERMON II. Psalms32:1-2 – Thomas Manton 

SERMON II. Psalms32:1-2 – Thomas Manton Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.—Ps. XXXII. 1, 2. In this text I observed, that it is a great degree and step towards, yea, a […]

The Handwriting Blotted Out – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Handwriting Blotted Out – Dwight Lyman Moody We have now considered the Ten Commandments, and the question for each one of us is — are we keeping them? If God should weigh us by them, would we be found wanting or not wanting? Do we keep the law, the whole law? Are we obeying God with […]

The Dying Child – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Dying Child – Dwight Lyman Moody A lady had a little child that was dying. She thought it was resting sweetly in the arms of Jesus. She went into the room and the child asked her: “What are those clouds and mountains that I see so dark?” “Why, Eddy,” said his mother, “there are […]

Tenth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Tenth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” In the twelfth chapter of Luke our Saviour lifted two danger signals. “Beware ye of the leaven […]

Sixth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Sixth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Thou shalt not kill.” I used to say: “What is the use of taking up a law like this in an audience where, probably, there isn’t a man who ever thought of, or ever will commit murder?” But as one gets on in years, he sees many a murder […]

Seventh Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Seventh Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” An English army-officer in India who had been living an impure life went around one evening to argue religion with the chaplain. During their talk the officer said: “Religion is all very well, but you must admit that there are difficulties — about the […]

Second Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Second Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I […]

Ninth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Ninth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” Two out of the Ten Commandments deal with sins that find expression by the tongue — the third commandment, which forbids taking God’s name in vain, and this ninth commandment, which forbids false witness against our neighbor. This two-fold prohibition […]

‘The Value of a Thought’-Andrew Bonar 

The Value of a Thought ’- Andrew Bonar The value of a ‘thought’ may be very great. Everybody knows this. It may be the seed of a great harvest. But it is not the thought merely in itself, but the thought carried out and used.It is like what in the mechanical department has been found […]

 Winning Christ-Andrew Bonar 

Winning Christ-Andrew Bonar .and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.’ Philipp. 3:8For a man to have ‘won Christ,’ in the scriptural sense […]

Moody Asks a Few Questions – Dwight Lyman Moody

Moody Asks a Few Questions – Dwight Lyman Moody Let me ask you a question. Do you think that those gamblers, thieves, harlots, and drunkards who are trampling the ten commandments under their feet, they who have never given any respect to God’s Word or to His instructions — do you think they will be […]

What gives assurance-Andrew Bonar 

What gives assurance – Andrew Bonar [This was originally a sermon preached at Ferryden, during the awakening in the end of 1859. It was thought to be useful in disentangling the perplexities of some anxious souls; and this gave rise to the request for its publication. (This address was published by Messrs. Chas. Glass and […]

 Time With God-Andrew Bonar 

Time With God-Andrew Bonar “The fruit of the Spirit is. . .joy. . .” (Gal. 5:22). Preached with little freedom. Weariness of body is against me; but still more want of much prayer through the previous week. God will not let me preach with power when I am not much with Him. More than ever […]

The Word brought nigh to the sorrowful-Andrew Bonar 

 The Word brought nigh to the sorrowful – Andrew Bonar (From The Visitor’s Book of Texts. Chapter 4 from Part 3 ” The Word brought nigh to the sorrowful”)(In a few cases the wording of the Bible text will be found to differ from the Authorised Version. This is how it was printed originally, […]

Privilege and Obligation

Privilege and Obligation – Alexander Maclaren Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. This is the address of the Epistle. […]

The Trial of Faith-Andrew Bonar 

The Trial of Faith-Andrew Bonar Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at […]

 The Three Ananiases-Andrew Bonar 

The Three Ananiases- A ndrew Bonar The Acts of the Apostles, Chapters 23 ; 5 ; 9.It is sometimes useful to put in juxtaposition separate facts and characters. The three Crosses—how instructive! the three Marys, the three Centurions. Here we have the three Ananiases. Their name means ‘Jehovah is gracious.’ Their parents thought it a […]

The Witness of the Resurrection

The Witness of the Resurrection – Alexander Maclaren Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Declared to be the Son of God with power, … by the resurrection of the dead. It is a great mistake to treat […]

The Scapegoat-Andrew Bonar 

The Scapegoat-Andrew Bonar Published in The Sunday at Home: A Family Magazine for Sabbath Reading 3 March 1866 (No.618) ” And Aaron shall take the two goats, and present them before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the […]

Paul in Rome

Paul in Rome – Alexander Maclaren Acts 28:30 And Paul dwelled two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in to him,… And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those […]

The resurrection of the Son of the Widow of Sarepta-Andrew Bonar 

The resurrection of the Son of the Widow of Sarepta-Andrew Bonar 1 Kings 17‘To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.’ (Rom. 14: 9) There never was a resurrection in the world or in the Church of Christ before this […]

The Last Glimpse of Paul

The Last Glimpse of Paul – Alexander Maclaren Acts 28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said to them… ‘And it came to pass, that, after three days, Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and […]

The Pins of the Tabernacle-Andrew Bonar 

The Pins of the Tabernacle-Andrew Bonar Exodus 27:19; 38:31; 39:40. These verses teach us a great deal. I. God’s notice of little things.—He takes time to speak about them, and bids Moses write about them. He says as much about the ‘pins’ in these passages as He does about the work of creation. II. God’s […]

 The napkin about Christ’s Head-Andrew Bonar 

The napkin about Christ’s Head-Andrew Bonar ‘And the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself ‘ John 20:7Why ‘wrapped together in a place by itself ‘? Because Jesus wished to show that He arose calmly: no haste, no hurry, not as if […]

The Mercy Seat-Andrew Bonar 

The Mercy Seat- Andrew Bonar “It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17: 11).“There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat” (Exod. 25: 22). READER! Have you ever felt your need of salvation! Have you ever sought it, as one who must […]

After the Wreck

After the Wreck – Alexander Maclaren Acts 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.… ‘And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita 2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every […]

A Short Confession of Faith

A Short Confession of Faith – Alexander Maclaren Acts 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,… ‘…There stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve. I turn especially to those last words, ‘Whose I am […]

 The Man who lent Christ the Upper Room-Andrew Bonar 

The Man who lent Christ the Upper Room – Andrew Bonar Matth. 26: 17-19,  The disciples did not go to look for a room till they had consulted with their Lord. Never do anything without asking counsel of your Master. But why did they need to do this? It was Christ’s way to wait till […]

Tempest and Trust

Tempest and Trust – Alexander Maclaren Acts 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing there, they sailed close by Crete. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete 14 But not long after […]

 The Love of the Father-Andrew Bonar 

The Love of the Father – Andrew Bonar ‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up […]

A Total Wreck, All Hands Saved

A Total Wreck, All Hands Saved – Alexander Maclaren Acts 27:1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to one named Julius… ‘And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, […]

 The Leper drawing forth the Saviour’s Grace-Andrew Bonar 

The Leper drawing forth the Saviour’s Grace – Andrew Bonar “And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand and touched him, and saith unto him,I will, be thou […]

the Heavenly Vision’

the Heavenly Vision’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:… ‘Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision. This is Paul’s account of the decisive moment in his life on which all his own future, and a great deal of the […]

The Hope of the Lord’s Return-Andrew Bonar 

The Hope of the Lord’s Return – Andrew Bonar The Importance of the Doctrine of the Second Advent as a Motive and Help to Holiness.NOTES OF AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE EDINBURGH CONFERENCE, 1888.It would be very pleasant and instructive to hear brethren relate incidents connected with this blessed hope, and its effect upon the […]

Before Governors and Kings’

Before Governors and Kings’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision:… ‘Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judsea, and then to the […]

Me a Christian!’

Me a Christian!’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 26:1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:… ‘Then Agrlppa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. This Agrippa was son of the other Herod of whom we hear […]

 The Holy Spirit convincing-Andrew Bonar 

The Holy Spirit convincing – Andrew Bonar And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:’ John 16:8NOTES OF AN ADDRESS GIVEN AT THE PERTH CONVENTION, 1883. Shall we not honour and bless and adore the Holy Spirit? Surely it might well be expected that our […]

Felix Before Paul

Felix Before Paul – Alexander Maclaren Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go your way for this time… A Sermon to the Young ‘And as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; […]

Paul Before Felix

Paul Before Felix – Alexander Maclaren Acts 24:10 Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned to him to speak, answered… ‘Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully […]

A Loyal Tribute

A Loyal Tribute – Alexander Maclaren Acts 24:2 And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by you we enjoy great quietness… [Footnote: Preached on the occasion of the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.] ‘…Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto […]

A Plot Detected

A Plot Detected – Alexander Maclaren Acts 23:12 And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse… ‘And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they bad killed Paul […]

Christ’s Witnesses

Christ’s Witnesses – Alexander Maclaren Acts 23:11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem… ‘And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me […]

Rome Protects Paul

Rome Protects Paul – Alexander Maclaren Acts 22:17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;… ‘And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the Temple, I was […]

Paul on His Own Conversion

Paul on His Own Conversion – Alexander Maclaren Acts 22:6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come near to Damascus about noon… ‘And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great […]

Paul in the Temple

Paul in the Temple – Alexander Maclaren Acts 21:27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people… ‘And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia when they saw him in the […]

Philip the Evangelist

Philip the Evangelist – Alexander Maclaren Acts 21:8 And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came to Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist… ‘… We entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. The life […]

Drawing Nearer to the Storm

Drawing Nearer to the Storm – Alexander Maclaren Acts 21:1 And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course to Coos… ‘And it came to pass, that, after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto […]

The Blessedness of Giving

The Blessedness of Giving – Alexander Maclaren Acts 20:35 I have showed you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus… ‘…It is more blessed to give than to receive. How ‘many other things Jesus did’ and said ‘which are not written […]

Parting Words

Parting Words – Alexander Maclaren Acts 20:32 And now, brothers, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up… ‘And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace… I may be pardoned if my remarks now should assume somewhat […]

A Fulfilled Aspiration

A Fulfilled Aspiration – Alexander Maclaren Acts 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry… ‘So that I might finish my course… ‘I have finished my course… I do not suppose that Paul in prison, […]

Parting Counsels

Parting Counsels – Alexander Maclaren Acts 20:22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there:… ‘And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in […]

The Fight with Wild Beasts At Ephesus

The Fight with Wild Beasts At Ephesus – Alexander Maclaren Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying… ‘After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go […]

Would-Be Exorcists

Would-Be Exorcists – Alexander Maclaren Acts 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? ‘…Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?’ These exorcists had no personal union with Jesus. To them He was only ‘Jesus whom Paul preached.’ They spoke […]

Two Fruitful Years

Two Fruitful Years – Alexander Maclaren Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus… ‘And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples 2 […]

Gallio

Gallio – Alexander Maclaren Acts 18:14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O you Jews… ‘And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of […]

Constrained by the Word’

Constrained by the Word’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.… ‘And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified. The Revised Version, in concurrence […]

Paul At Corinth

Paul At Corinth – Alexander Maclaren Acts 18:1 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;… ‘After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth; 2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all […]

The Man Who is Judge

The Man Who is Judge – Alexander Maclaren Acts 17:31 Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained… ‘…He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, […]

Paul At Athens

Paul At Athens – Alexander Maclaren Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the middle of Mars’ hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. ‘Then Paul stood In the midst of Mars-hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are […]

Thessalonica and Berea

Thessalonica and Berea – Alexander Maclaren Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: ‘Now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, […]

The Riot At Philippi

The Riot At Philippi – Alexander Maclaren Acts 16:19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas… ‘And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20 […]

Paul At Philippi

Paul At Philippi – Alexander Maclaren Acts 16:13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down… ‘And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate, by a river side, where we supposed there was a place […]

How to Secure a Prosperous Voyage

How to Secure a Prosperous Voyage – Alexander Maclaren Acts 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia… ‘And after [Paul] had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them 11 […]

A Good Man’s Faults

A Good Man’s Faults – Alexander Maclaren Acts 15:37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.… ‘And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark 38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them […]

The Charter of Gentile Liberty

The Charter of Gentile Liberty – Alexander Maclaren Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul… ‘Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them 13 And after they had held […]

The Breaking Out of Discord

The Breaking Out of Discord – Alexander Maclaren Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brothers, and said, Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses… ‘And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye […]

The Door of Faith’

The Door of Faith’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 14:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them… ‘And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the […]

Dream and Reality

Dream and Reality – Alexander Maclaren Acts 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia… ‘The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. This was the spontaneous instinctive utterance of simple villagers when they saw a deed of […]

Deified and Stoned

Deified and Stoned – Alexander Maclaren Acts 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia… ‘And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us […]

Full of the Holy Ghost’

Full of the Holy Ghost’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. ‘And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. That joy was as strange as a garden full of flowers would be in bitter winter weather. For everything in the […]

Unworthy of Life

Unworthy of Life – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you… ‘… Seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. So ended the first […]

Jewish Rejecters and Gentile Receivers

Jewish Rejecters and Gentile Receivers – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. ‘And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled […]

A Stone on the Cairn

A Stone on the Cairn – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid to his fathers, and saw corruption: ‘For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was […]

The First Preaching in Asia Minor

The First Preaching in Asia Minor – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:26 Men and brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and whoever among you fears God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. ‘Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word […]

Why Saul Became Paul

Why Saul Became Paul – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him. ‘Saul (who also is called Paul)’ .. Hitherto the Apostle has been known by the former of these names, henceforward he is known exclusively by the latter. Hitherto he […]

To the Regions Beyond

To the Regions Beyond – Alexander Maclaren Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger… ‘Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius […]

Peter After His Escape

Peter After His Escape – Alexander Maclaren Acts 12:17 But he, beckoning to them with the hand to hold their peace, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison… But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him […]

Sober Certainty’

Sober Certainty’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 12:11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the LORD has sent his angel… ‘And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me […]

The Angel’s Touch

The Angel’s Touch – Alexander Maclaren Acts 12:7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came on him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up… ‘And, behold, the angel of the Lord … smote Peter…. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote […]

Peter’s Deliverance from Prison

Peter’s Deliverance from Prison – Alexander Maclaren Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church to God for him. ‘Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the Church unto God for him. The narrative of Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison […]

A Nickname Accepted

A Nickname Accepted – Alexander Maclaren Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church… ‘The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch Nations and parties, both political and religious, very often call themselves by one […]

Peter’s Apologia

Peter’s Apologia – Alexander Maclaren Acts 11:1 And the apostles and brothers that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.… ‘And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God 2 And when Peter was come up to […]

God is no Respecter of Persons’

God is no Respecter of Persons’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold… ‘And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in […]

What God Hath Cleansed

What God Hath Cleansed – Alexander Maclaren Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, ‘There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with […]

Copies of Christ’s Manner

Copies of Christ’s Manner – Alexander Maclaren Acts 9:34 And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes you whole: arise, and make your bed. And he arose immediately. ‘And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed 40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down […]

A Bird’s-Eye View of the Early Church

A Bird’s-Eye View of the Early Church – Alexander Maclaren Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord… ‘So the Church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of […]

this Way’

This Way’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 9:2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women… ‘Any of this way. The name of ‘Christian’ was not applied to themselves by the followers of Jesus before the completion of the New […]

Grace Triumphant

Grace Triumphant – Alexander Maclaren Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,… ‘And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the […]

A Meeting in the Desert

A Meeting in the Desert – Alexander Maclaren Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza… ‘And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way […]

Simon the Sorcerer

Simon the Sorcerer – Alexander Maclaren Acts 8:21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ‘Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. The era of the birth of Christianity […]

Seed Scattered and Taking Root

Seed Scattered and Taking Root – Alexander Maclaren Acts 8:1 And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem… ‘And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at […]

The Death of the Master and the Death of the Servant

The Death of the Master and the Death of the Servant – Alexander Maclaren Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling on God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. ‘And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, […]

The Young Saul and the Aged Paul

The Young Saul and the Aged Paul – Alexander Maclaren Acts 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. ‘…the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. ‘…Paul the […]

Stephen’s Vision

Stephen’s Vision – Alexander Maclaren Acts 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God I. The vision of the Son of Man, or the […]

Filled with the Spirit

Filled with the Spirit – Alexander Maclaren Acts 6:3 Why, brothers, look you out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom… ‘Men … full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.’ … ‘A man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost….’ ‘Stephen, full of faith and power. I […]

Gamaliel’s Counsel

Gamaliel’s Counsel – Alexander Maclaren Acts 5:38 And now I say to you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nothing:… ‘Refrain from these men, and let them alone; for if this counsel or this work be of men, it […]

Our Captain

Our Captain – Alexander Maclaren Acts 5:31 Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. ‘Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince. The word rendered ‘Prince’ is a rather infrequent designation of our […]

Whom to Obey — Annas or Angel?

Whom to Obey — Annas or Angel? – Alexander Maclaren Acts 5:17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, ‘Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of […]

The Wheat and the Tares

The Wheat and the Tares – Alexander Maclaren Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul… ‘And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his […]

Impossible Silence

Impossible Silence – Alexander Maclaren Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. ‘We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. The context tells us that the Jewish Council were surprised, as they well might be, at the boldness of Peter and John, and […]

Obedient Disobedience

Obedient Disobedience – Alexander Maclaren Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, judge you.… ‘But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken […]

With and Like Christ

With and Like Christ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled… ‘Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of […]

The First Blast of Tempest

The First Blast of Tempest – Alexander Maclaren Acts 4:1 And as they spoke to the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came on them,… ‘And as they spoke unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 2 Being grieved […]

The Healing Power of the Name

The Healing Power of the Name – Alexander Maclaren Acts 3:16 And his name through faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes… ‘And His name through faith in His name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by Him […]

The Prince of Life’

The Prince of Life’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 3:14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted to you; ‘But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath […]

Then Shall the Lame Man Leap as an Hart’

Then Shall the Lame Man Leap as an Hart’ – Alexander Maclaren Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. ‘Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour 2 And a […]

A Fourfold Cord

A Fourfold Cord – Alexander Maclaren Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.… ‘And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. The Early Church was not a pattern for us, and the […]

The Name Above Every Name

The Name Above Every Name – Alexander Maclaren Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made the same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both […]

Peter’s First Sermon

Peter’s First Sermon – Alexander Maclaren Acts 2:32 This Jesus has God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. ‘This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed […]

The Abiding Gift and its Transitory Accompaniments

The Abiding Gift and its Transitory Accompaniments – Alexander Maclaren Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.… ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place 2 And suddenly there came a sound […]

The Apostolic Witnesses

The Apostolic Witnesses – Alexander Maclaren Acts 1:21 Why of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,… ‘Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us … must one […]

The Unknown To-Morrow

The Unknown To-Morrow – Alexander Maclaren Acts 1:7 And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power. A New Year’s Sermon ‘It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put […]

The Forty Days

The Forty Days – Alexander Maclaren Acts 1:3 To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days… ‘To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to […]

The Theme of Acts

The Theme of Acts – Alexander Maclaren Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ‘The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach 2 Until the day in which He was taken up. […]

The Ascension

The Ascension – Alexander Maclaren Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,… ‘The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which He was taken up, after that […]

They Also Serve Who Only Stand and Wait’

They Also Serve Who Only Stand and Wait’ – Alexander Maclaren John 21:21 Peter seeing him said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? ‘Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do! Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that […]

Youth and Age, and the Command for Both

Youth and Age, and the Command for Both – Alexander Maclaren John 21:18 Truly, truly, I say to you, When you were young, you gird yourself, and walked where you would: but when you shall be old… Annual Sermon to the Young ‘… When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: […]

‘Lovest Thou Me?’

‘Lovest Thou Me?’ – Alexander Maclaren John 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, love you me more than these? He said to him, Yes… ‘Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou […]

It is the Lord!’

It is the Lord!’ – Alexander Maclaren John 21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord… ‘Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. It seems a very strange thing that these disciples had […]

The Beach and the Sea

The Beach and the Sea – Alexander Maclaren John 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. ‘When the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. The incident recorded in […]

An Eloquent Catalogue

An Eloquent Catalogue – Alexander Maclaren John 21:2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee… ‘There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples. This […]

Thomas and Jesus

Thomas and Jesus – Alexander Maclaren John 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut… ‘And after eight days, again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus. There is nothing more remarkable about the narrative of the resurrection, […]

The Risen Lord’s Charge and Gift

The Risen Lord’s Charge and Gift – Alexander Maclaren John 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be to you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you. ‘Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto yon: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when […]

The Resurrection Morning

The Resurrection Morning – Alexander Maclaren John 20:1 The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, to the sepulcher… ‘The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she […]

The Grave in a Garden

The Grave in a Garden – Alexander Maclaren John 19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid.… ‘In the garden a new tomb. This is possibly no more than a topographical note introduced merely for the sake […]

Joseph and Nicodemus

Joseph and Nicodemus – Alexander Maclaren John 19:38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews… ‘And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; […]

Christ Our Passover

Christ Our Passover – Alexander Maclaren John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. ‘These things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken. The Evangelist, in the words of this text, points to […]

The Irrevocable Past

The Irrevocable Past – Alexander Maclaren John 19:22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. ‘What I have written I have written. This was a mere piece of obstinacy. Pilate knew that he had prostituted his office in condemning Jesus, and he revenged himself for weak compliance by ill-timed mulishness. A cool-headed governor […]

The Title on the Cross

The Title on the Cross – Alexander Maclaren John 19:19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. ‘Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. This title is recorded by all four Evangelists, in words varying […]

An Eye-Witness’ Account of the Crucifixion

An Eye-Witness’ Account of the Crucifixion – Alexander Maclaren John 19:17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:… ‘And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the […]

Jesus Sentenced

Jesus Sentenced – Alexander Maclaren John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. ‘Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote […]

Art Thou a King?

Art Thou a King? – Alexander Maclaren John 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas to the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall… ‘Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the […]

Jesus Before Caiaphas

Jesus Before Caiaphas – Alexander Maclaren John 18:15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known to the high priest… ‘And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high […]

Christ’s Summary of His Work

Christ’s Summary of His Work – Alexander Maclaren John 17:26 And I have declared to them your name, and will declare it: that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. ‘I have declared onto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou […]

The Folded Flock

The Folded Flock – Alexander Maclaren John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me… ‘I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may […]

The High Priest’s Prayer

The High Priest’s Prayer – Alexander Maclaren John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;… ‘Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art […]

the Lord Thee Keeps’

the Lord Thee Keeps’ – Alexander Maclaren John 17:14 I have given them your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ‘…They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou […]

The Intercessor

The Intercessor – Alexander Maclaren John 17:1 These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify your Son… ‘These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify […]

Glad Confession and Sad Warning

Glad Confession and Sad Warning – Alexander Maclaren John 16:29 His disciples said to him, See, now speak you plainly, and speak no proverb.… ‘His disciples said unto Jesus, Lo! now speakest Thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask […]

From’ and ‘to’

From’ and ‘to’ – Alexander Maclaren John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. ‘I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. These majestic and […]

The Joys of ‘that Day’

The Joys of ‘that Day’ – Alexander Maclaren John 16:25 These things have I spoken to you in proverbs: but the time comes, when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs… ‘These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in […]

In that Day’

In that Day’ – Alexander Maclaren John 16:23 And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name… ‘And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My […]

Christ’s ‘Little Whiles’

Christ’s ‘Little Whiles’ – Alexander Maclaren John 16:16 A little while, and you shall not see me: and again, a little while, and you shall see me, because I go to the Father.… ‘A little while, and ye shall not see Me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go […]

The Convicting Facts

The Convicting Facts – Alexander Maclaren John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; ‘Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Our Lord has just been telling His […]

The Departing Christ and the Coming Spirit

The Departing Christ and the Coming Spirit – Alexander Maclaren John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you… ‘Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: […]

Why Christ Speaks

Why Christ Speaks – Alexander Maclaren John 16:1 These things have I spoken to you, that you should not be offended. ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth […]

Our Ally

Our Ally – Alexander Maclaren John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father… ‘But when the Comforter Is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from […]

Christ Foreseeing His Passion

Christ Foreseeing His Passion – Alexander Maclaren John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me. ‘Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. But that the world may know […]

Joy and Faith, the Fruits of Christ’s Departure

Joy and Faith, the Fruits of Christ’s Departure – Alexander Maclaren John 14:28 You have heard how I said to you, I go away, and come again to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said… ‘Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. […]

Who Bring Christ

Who Bring Christ – Alexander Maclaren John 14:22 Judas said to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world? ‘Judas saith unto Him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and […]

The Gifts of the Present Christ

The Gifts of the Present Christ – Alexander Maclaren John 14:20 At that day you shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ‘At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My […]

The Comforter Given

The Comforter Given – Alexander Maclaren John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ‘And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of Truth; […]

Christ’s Works and Ours

Christ’s Works and Ours – Alexander Maclaren John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do… ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he […]

The True Vision of God

The True Vision of God – Alexander Maclaren John 14:8 Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffises us.… ‘Philip saith unto Jesus, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us 9 Jesus saith unto Him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known […]

The Way

The Way – Alexander Maclaren John 14:4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.… ‘And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, […]

‘Many Mansions’

‘Many Mansions’ – Alexander Maclaren John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.… ‘In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. Sorrow needs simple words for its […]

Faith in God and Christ

Faith in God and Christ – Alexander Maclaren John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.… ‘Let not your heart be troubled … believe in God, believe also in Me. The twelve were sitting in the upper chamber, stupefied with the dreary, half-understood prospect of Christ’s departure. […]

A Rash Vow

A Rash Vow – Alexander Maclaren John 13:38 Jesus answered him, Will you lay down your life for my sake? Truly, truly, I say to you, The cock shall not crow… ‘Jesus answered him, Wilt them lay down thy life for My sake? Verily, verily I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till […]

Quo Vadis?

Quo Vadis? – Alexander Maclaren John 13:37 Peter said to him, Lord, why cannot I follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake. ‘Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now! I will lay down my life for Thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy […]

As I have Loved’

As I have Loved’ – Alexander Maclaren John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.… ‘A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another: as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. […]

Seeking Jesus

Seeking Jesus – Alexander Maclaren John 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me: and as I said to the Jews, Where I go, you cannot come… ‘… Ye shall seek Me. In the former sermon on this verse I pointed out that it, in its fullness, applies […]

Cannot and Can

Cannot and Can – Alexander Maclaren John 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You shall seek me: and as I said to the Jews, Where I go, you cannot come… ‘Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek Me: and as I said unto the […]

The Glory of the Cross

The Glory of the Cross – Alexander Maclaren John 13:31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ‘Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God he […]

The Dismissal of Judas

The Dismissal of Judas – Alexander Maclaren John 13:27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus to him, That you do, do quickly. ‘… Then said Jesus unto Judas, That thou doest, do quickly. When our Lord gave the morsel, dipped in the dish, to Judas, only John knew the significance […]

Is it I?’

Is it I?’ – Alexander Maclaren John 13:25 He then lying on Jesus’ breast said to him, Lord, who is it? ‘And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto Him, Lord, is it I? 25 Then Judas, which betrayed Him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said […]

The Servant-Master

The Servant-Master – Alexander Maclaren John 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; ‘Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God; He riseth […]

A Parting Warning

A Parting Warning – Alexander Maclaren John 12:35 Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come on you… ‘Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness […]

 The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Preface – Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Preface – Andrew Bonar IN this new Edition no change of any importance has been made beyond the correction of errata, and extending the texts quoted. The object of the book is to draw more attention to the great subject of connecting at all times the […]

The Universal Magnet

The Universal Magnet – Alexander Maclaren John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me. ‘I, if I be lifted up … will draw all men unto Me. Never man spake like this Man,’ said the wondering Temple officials who were sent to apprehend Jesus. There […]

After Christ: with Christ

After Christ: with Christ – Alexander Maclaren John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor. ‘If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My […]

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 6-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 6 – Andrew Bonar HOW THIS LOOKING TO THE PERSON AFFECTS OUR VIEWS OF DEATH AND OUR HOPE OF THE LORD’S SECOND COMING.IN proportion as the soul advances in grace, its state coincides with that of the apostle, ‘I am in a strait betwixt two, […]

A New Kind of King

A New Kind of King – Alexander Maclaren John 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,… ‘On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of […]

Love’s Prodigality Censured and Vindicated

Love’s Prodigality Censured and Vindicated – Alexander Maclaren John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.… ‘Then Jesus, six days before the passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom He raised from the […]

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 5-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 5 – Andrew Bonar HOW LOOKING TO THE PERSON TENDS TO ADVANCE HOLINESS IN THE SOUL.“SANCTIFY them by the truth” was our Lord’s prayer; but it is truth in connection with Himself. For, separate from Him, doctrines “have no living power, but are as waters […]

Caiaphas

Caiaphas – Alexander Maclaren John 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, You know nothing at all,… ‘And one of them, named Caiaphas being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for […]

The Seventh Miracle in John’s Gospel — the Raising of Lazarus

The Seventh Miracle in John’s Gospel — the Raising of Lazarus – Alexander Maclaren John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. ‘And when Jesus thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, Come forth 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound […]

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 4-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 4 – Andrew Bonar HOW LOOKING TO THE PERSON OF CHRIST TENDS TO PROMOTE THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING.No one could be supposed to have seen the Alps, if he tells you that all he saw was some rocky ridges of hills which his eye […]

The Open Grave At Bethany

The Open Grave At Bethany – Alexander Maclaren John 11:30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. ‘Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him. The Jews then which were with her in the […]

Christ’s Question to Each

Christ’s Question to Each – Alexander Maclaren John 11:26 And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this? For the Young ‘… Believest then this? She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord. As each of these annual sermons which I have preached for so long comes round, I feel more solemnly the […]

 The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 3-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 3 – Andrew Bonar THE HELP AFFORDED BY CHRIST’S PERSON TO A SOUL SEEKING TO KNOW SIN AND THE APPLICATION OF SALVATION.Many of the early fathers use the word “theology,” in the sense of “A discoursing upon the Divinity of Christ,” and they called the […]

‘Other Sheep’

‘Other Sheep’ – Alexander Maclaren [Footnote: Preached before the Baptist Missionary Society.] ‘Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock and one Shepherd.’ — JOHN x.16 (R.V.). There were many strange and bitter lessons in this […]

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 2-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 2 – Andrew Bonar THE GOSPEL, FROM THE FALL TO THE DAY OF THE APOSTLES, WAS FOUND IN THE PERSON OF THE SAVIOUR. In the New Testament, the name of “Mystery” is often attached to the truths that form the Gospel. The chief part of […]

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd – Alexander Maclaren John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ‘I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine 15 As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for […]

 The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 1-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Chapter 1 – Andrew Bonar STATEMENT OF THE FACT THAT THE PERSON OF CHRISTIS THE ESSENCE OF THE GLAD TIDINGS.From the beginning, the Gospel has come to the awakened sinner with the same consciousness of important news to tell, as that messenger who ran to David, […]

 The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Appendix-Andrew Bonar 

The Gospel pointing to the Person of Christ – Appendix-Andrew Bonar EXTRACTS FROM OLD AUTHORS.“God would have us pitch our faith upon The Person of His Son, and not barely upon the Promise. And therefore, He has so ordered things in His divine wisdom that the Promises should all hold on Christ, and be Yea […]

One Metaphor and Two Meanings

One Metaphor and Two Meanings – Alexander Maclaren John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can work. ‘I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work. ‘The […]

The Fear Nots of the Old and New Testament-Andrew Bonar 

The Fear Nots of the Old and New Testament – Andrew Bonar [God’s promises are all “Yea and Amen” in Christ Jesus. But let us see that we take them all from the hand of Jesus. Let the Owner of the Vineyard give us the grapes; let us not pick them as they hang over […]

Never in Bondage’

Never in Bondage’ – Alexander Maclaren John 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how say you, You shall be made free?… ‘We… were never in bondage to any man: how gayest Thou, Ye shall be made free! ‘Never in bondage to any man’? Then what […]

Three Aspects of Faith

Three Aspects of Faith – Alexander Maclaren John 8:30 As he spoke these words, many believed on him. ‘Many believed on Him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him. The Revised Version accurately represents the original by varying the expression in these two clauses, retaining ‘believed on Him’ in the former, and […]

The Rock and the Water

The Rock and the Water – Alexander Maclaren John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink.… ‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, […]

The Manna

The Manna – Alexander Maclaren John 6:48 I am that bread of life. ‘I am that bread of life 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. ‘This is of a truth […]

How to Work the Work of God

How to Work the Work of God – Alexander Maclaren John 6:28 Then said they to him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?… ‘Then said they unto Him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is […]

The Fifth Miracle in John’s Gospel

The Fifth Miracle in John’s Gospel – Alexander Maclaren John 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the ship… ‘So when they had rowed about five-and-twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing […]

Fragments’ or ‘Broken Pieces’

Fragments’ or ‘Broken Pieces’ – Alexander Maclaren John 6:12 When they were filled, he said to his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.… ‘When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. The Revised Version correctly makes a very slight, […]

The Fourth Miracle in John’s Gospel

The Fourth Miracle in John’s Gospel – Alexander Maclaren John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down… ‘And Jesus took the loaves; and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples […]

The Life-Giver and Judge

The Life-Giver and Judge – Alexander Maclaren John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father works till now, and I work. ‘But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work 18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God […]

The Second Miracle

The Second Miracle – Alexander Maclaren John 4:54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee. ‘This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when He was come out of Judaea into Galilee. The Evangelist evidently intends us to connect together the two miracles […]

The Gift and the Giver

The Gift and the Giver – Alexander Maclaren John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that said to you, Give me to drink… ‘Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto […]

Give Me to Drink’

Give Me to Drink’ – Alexander Maclaren John 4:7 There comes a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus said to her, Give me to drink. ‘… Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink…. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. This Evangelist very significantly sets side by side our […]

The Wearied Christ

The Wearied Christ – Alexander Maclaren John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. ‘Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well…. He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye […]

The Lake and the River

The Lake and the River – Alexander Maclaren John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish… ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. […]

Christ’s Musts

Christ’s Musts – Alexander Maclaren John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:… ‘… Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. I have chosen this text for the sake of one word in it, that solemn ‘must’ which […]

Wind and Spirit

Wind and Spirit – Alexander Maclaren John 3:8 The wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell from where it comes, and where it goes… ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth, and them hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: […]

Teacher or Saviour?

Teacher or Saviour? – Alexander Maclaren John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God… ‘The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a Teacher come from God: for no man […]

The Destroyers and the Restorer

The Destroyers and the Restorer – Alexander Maclaren John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up. This is our Lord’s answer to the Jewish request […]

Christ Cleansing the Temple

Christ Cleansing the Temple – Alexander Maclaren John 2:16 And said to them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. ‘Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house an house of merchandise. The other Evangelists do not record this cleansing of the Temple at the […]

The First Miracle in Cana — the Water Made Wine

The First Miracle in Cana — the Water Made Wine – Alexander Maclaren John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. ‘This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory. The keynote of this […]

Jesus the Joy-Bringer

Jesus the Joy-Bringer – Alexander Maclaren John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:… ‘And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, […]

The First Disciples: V. Believing and Seeing

The First Disciples: V. Believing and Seeing – Alexander Maclaren John 1:50 Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, believe you?… ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see […]

The First Disciples: Iv. Nathanael

The First Disciples: Iv. Nathanael – Alexander Maclaren John 1:45 Philip finds Nathanael, and said to him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth… ‘Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, […]

The First Disciples: Iii. Philip

The First Disciples: Iii. Philip – Alexander Maclaren John 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and finds Philip, and said to him, Follow me.… ‘The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me. ‘The day following’ — we have a diary in […]

The First Disciples: Ii. Simon Peter

The First Disciples: Ii. Simon Peter – Alexander Maclaren John 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.… ‘One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, […]

The First Disciples: I. John and Andrew

The First Disciples: I. John and Andrew – Alexander Maclaren John 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.… ‘And the two disciples heard Him speak, and they followed Jesus 38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which […]

The World’s Sin-Bearer

The World’s Sin-Bearer – Alexander Maclaren John 1:29 The next day John sees Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. ‘The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the […]

three Tabernacles’

three Tabernacles’ – Alexander Maclaren John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelled among us, (and we beheld his glory… ‘The Word … dwelt among us. ‘… He that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them. ‘… Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. The […]

The Light and the Lamps

The Light and the Lamps – Alexander Maclaren John 1:8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ‘He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ‘He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in […]

The Word in Eternity, in the World, and in the Flesh

The Word in Eternity, in the World, and in the Flesh – Alexander Maclaren John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God 2 The same was in […]

The Ascension

The Ascension – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.… ‘And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and blessed them 51 And it came to pass, while He blessed them, […]

Christ’s Witnesses

Christ’s Witnesses – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:48 And you are witnesses of these things. ‘Ye are witnesses of these things 49 And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke’s account of the Resurrection and […]

The Triumphant End

The Triumphant End – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:36 And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the middle of them, and said to them, Peace be to you.… ‘And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you 37 But they were terrified […]

Fourth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Fourth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, 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 […]

Peter Alone with Jesus

Peter Alone with Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon. ‘The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. The other appearances of the risen Lord to individuals on the day of Resurrection are narrated with much particularity, and at considerable length. John gives […]

Detaining Christ

Detaining Christ – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:28 And they drew near to the village, where they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. ‘And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and He made as though He would have gone further 29 But they constrained Him, saying, Abide with […]

The Risen Lord’s Self-Revelation to Wavering Disciples

The Risen Lord’s Self-Revelation to Wavering Disciples – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs.… ‘And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs […]

The First Easter Sunrise

The First Easter Sunrise – Alexander Maclaren Luke 24:1 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared… ‘Now, upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came onto the sepulchre, bringing the spices […]

First Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

First Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” My friend, are you ready to be weighed against this commandment? Have you fulfilled, or are you willing to fulfil, all the requirements of this law? Put it into one of the scales, and step into the other. Is your heart […]

Words from the Cross

Words from the Cross – Alexander Maclaren Luke 23:33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand… ‘And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the […]

Jesus and Pilate

Jesus and Pilate – Alexander Maclaren Luke 23:13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, ‘And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth […]

Fifth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Fifth Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” We are living in dark days on this question too. It really seems as if the days the apostle Paul wrote about are upon us: “In the […]

A Soul’s Tragedy

A Soul’s Tragedy – Alexander Maclaren Luke 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. ‘Then Herod questioned with Him in many words; but He answered him nothing. Four Herods play their parts in the New Testament story. The first of them is the grim old tiger who slew […]

the Rulers Take Counsel Together’

the Rulers Take Counsel Together’ – Alexander Maclaren Luke 23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him to Pilate. ‘And the whole multitude of them arose, and led Him unto Pilate 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to […]

Christ’s Look

Christ’s Look – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, Before the cock crow… ‘And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. All four Evangelists tell the story of Peter’s threefold denial and swift repentance, but […]

In the High Priest’s Palace

In the High Priest’s Palace – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. ‘Then took they Him, and led Him, and brought Him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off 55 And when they had […]

The Cross the Victory and Defeat of Darkness

The Cross the Victory and Defeat of Darkness – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:53 When I was daily with you in the temple, you stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. ‘This is your hour, and the power of darkness. The darkness was the right time for […]

Gethsemane

Gethsemane – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.… ‘And He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him 40 And when He was at the […]

A Great Fall and a Great Recovery

A Great Fall and a Great Recovery – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith fail not: and when you are converted, strengthen your brothers. ‘But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Our Lord has just been […]

Christ’s Ideal of a Monarch

Christ’s Ideal of a Monarch – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:25 And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them… And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors 26 But ye shall not be so: […]

Parting Promises and Warnings

Parting Promises and Warnings – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.… ‘And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest 25 And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over […]

The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed 8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat 9 And they said […]

The Lonely Christ

The Lonely Christ – Alexander Maclaren Luke 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew near, which is called the Passover. ‘Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations We wonder at the disciples when we read of the unseemly strife for precedence which jars on the tender solemnities of the Last […]

When Shall These Things Be?

When Shall These Things Be? – Alexander Maclaren Luke 21:20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is near. ‘And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh 21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the […]

Whose Image and Superscription?

Whose Image and Superscription? – Alexander Maclaren Luke 20:24 Show me a penny. Whose image and superscription has it? They answered and said, Caesar’s. ‘Whose image and superscription hath it? It is no unusual thing for antagonists to join forces in order to crush a third person obnoxious to both. So in this incident we […]

Tenants Who Wanted to be Owners

Tenants Who Wanted to be Owners – Alexander Maclaren Luke 20:9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to farmers… ‘Then began He to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, […]

A New Kind of King

A New Kind of King – Alexander Maclaren Luke 19:37 And when he was come near, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives… ‘And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with […]

The Rewards of the Trading Servants

The Rewards of the Trading Servants – Alexander Maclaren Luke 19:17 And he said to him, Well, you good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, have you authority over ten cities. ‘Because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities… Be thou also over five […]

The Trading Servants

The Trading Servants – Alexander Maclaren Luke 19:16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds. ‘Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds…. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. The Evangelist, contrary to his usual practice, tells us what was the […]

Melted by Kindness

Melted by Kindness – Alexander Maclaren Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said to him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down… ‘And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for […]

The Man that Stopped Jesus

The Man that Stopped Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Luke 18:40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought to him: and when he was come near, he asked him, ‘And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto Him: and when he was come near, He asked him, 41. Saying, What wilt thou […]

The Dialectic of Life and its Origin -Andrew Bonar 

The Dialectic of Life and its Origin -Andrew Bonar TO some minds, origins are of little interest; facts are facts and let them be faced as such. To others an attempt: at the explanation of the origin of things can alone satisfy the heart and mind. They must not only know what thing does, but […]

The City of Refuge-Andrew Bonar

The City of Refuge – Andrew Bonar ‘Appoint for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood’ Joshua 20:2,3There were six cities of refuge in the land of Israel. These were so situated that any manslayer, when pursued, […]

 The City of Refuge-Andrew Bonar 

The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life – The life defined G-Andrew Bonar 

The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life – The life defined G – Andrew Bonar In the first chapter I have tried to settle the question regarding the scriptural basis of the experience sometimes called the higher Christian life. It is the only true Christian life which is best described in the words, the “life […]

An Infidel Who Would not Talk Infidelity Before His Daughter – Dwight Lyman Moody

An Infidel Who Would not Talk Infidelity Before His Daughter – Dwight Lyman Moody Not long ago I went into a man’s house, and when I commenced to talk about religion he turned to his daughter and said: “You had better go out of the room; I want to say a few words to Mr. […]

 THE BRETHREN OF OUR LORD-Andrew Bonar 

THE BRETHREN OF OUR LORD-Andrew Bonar ‘For neither did his brethren believe in him.’ John 7:5WE know the names of four of our Lord’s brethren, James, Simon, Joses, Juda (Mark 6:3). There seems to have been a large family. The idea is held by some that these were only relatives, not brethren in the strict […]

the Atoning Blood-Andrew Bonar 

the Atoning Blood – Andrew Bonar Christ needed the storm on the Lake of Galilee that He might show how His single word could quiet it. He needed a troubled conscience that He might show how His atoning blood could calm and quiet it. And He needed a great and guilty sinner in order to […]

THE ALTAR OF ABRAHAM-Andrew Bonar 

THE ALTAR OF ABRAHAM – Andrew Bonar ‘And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God’ Gen. 21:33In that spot, half desert, but near a cluster of wells full of clear, clean water, Abraham planted a group of trees – a grove of trees. Now […]

Affecting Incident At Sea – Dwight Lyman Moody

Affecting Incident At Sea – Dwight Lyman Moody Moody’s Love and Prayer for 700 “Quaking Souls.” “I remember clearly lying in my berth early that Saturday morning (Nov.26th, 1892, on the steamer Spree when she was one thousand miles out from Southampton on her way to New York), congratulating myself that I had gotten passage […]

 Singing before suffering-Andrew Bonar 

Singing before suffering-Andrew Bonar ‘When they had sung an hymn’ Matt. 26:30 ‘NEVER man spake like this man,’ and possibly the same might be true of Christ’s singing, ‘never man sang like this man.’ Did angels listen then as did the prisoners to the singing of Paul and Silas at Philippi? What fragrant associations has […]

A Sad and Singular Story – Dwight Lyman Moody

A Sad and Singular Story – Dwight Lyman Moody When I was a young boy — before I was a Christian — I was in a field one day with a man who was hoeing. He was weeping, and he told me a strange story, which I have never forgotten. When he left home his […]

 Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – The Latter Days of His Ministry 160-Andrew Bonar 

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – The Latter Days of His Ministry 160-Andrew Bonar CHAPTER 6In The Latter Days of f His Ministry My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work. John 4:34 During the summer of 1842, he was exposed to several attacks of illness, experienced some […]

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – His Youth, and Preparation for the Ministry 1-Andrew Bonar 

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – His Youth, and Preparation for the Ministry 1 – Andrew Bonar Chapter 1His Youth and Preparation for the Ministry Many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord. Luke 1:14,15In the midst of the restless activity of such a day as ours, we […]

A Little Child Converts an Infidel – Dwight Lyman Moody

A Little Child Converts an Infidel – Dwight Lyman Moody I remember hearing of a Sabbath-school teacher who had led every one of her children to Christ. She was a faithful teacher. Then she tried to get her children to go out and bring other children into the school. One day one of them came […]

 Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – His Mission to Palestine and the Jews 93-Andrew Bonar 

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – His Mission to Palestine and the Jews 93 – Andrew Bonar CHAPTER 4His Mission to Palestine and the JewsHere am I; send me. Isaiah 6:8 Though engaged night and day with his flock in St. Peter’s, Mr. McCheyne ever cherished a missionary spirit. “This place hardens me for a foreign land,” […]

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – His Labors in the Vineyard Before Ordination 35-Andrew Bonar 

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – His Labors in the Vineyard Before Ordination 35-Andrew Bonar CHAPTER 2His Labors in the Vineyard Before Ordination He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.(Psalm 126:6) While he was still undergoing a student’s usual examinations before the Presbytery, in […]

 Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – First Years of Labor in Dundee 59-Andrew Bonar 

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – First Years of Labor in Dundee 59 – Andrew Bonar CHAPTER 3 First Years of Labor in Dundee Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many […]

Entering the Kingdom

Entering the Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren Luke 18:15 And they brought to him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.… ‘And they brought unto Him also infants, that He would touch them: but when His disciples saw it, they rebuked them 16 But Jesus called them […]

Three Kinds Op Praying

Three Kinds Op Praying – Alexander Maclaren Luke 18:1 And he spoke a parable to them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ‘And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a […]

Where are the Nine?

Where are the Nine? – Alexander Maclaren Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the middle of Samaria and Galilee.… ‘And it came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee 12 And as He entered into […]

God’s Slaves

God’s Slaves – Alexander Maclaren Luke 17:9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. ‘Doth He thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him! I trow not 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are […]

Dives and Lazarus

Dives and Lazarus – Alexander Maclaren Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:… ‘There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, […]

Two Kinds of Riches

Two Kinds of Riches – Alexander Maclaren Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.… ‘He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust […]

The Follies of the Wise

The Follies of the Wise – Alexander Maclaren Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely… ‘The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. The parable of which these words are the close is remarkable in that it proposes a piece of […]

Gifts to the Prodigal

Gifts to the Prodigal – Alexander Maclaren Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: ‘… Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his […]

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – Days of Revival 129-Andrew Bonar 

Robert Murray Mc’Cheyne – Days of Revival 129-Andrew Bonar CHAPTER 5Days of Revival They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses. Isaiah 44:4 His people, who had never ceased to pray for him, welcomed his arrival among them with the greatest joy. He reached Dundee on a Thursday afternoon; […]

 Redeeming Time-Andrew Bonar 

Redeeming Time – Andrew Bonar “Pray without ceasing”(1 Thess. 5:17). God has this week been impressing much upon me the way of redeeming time for prayer by learning to pray while walking or going from place to place. Also He has been showing me how to make more direct use of Scripture to my own […]

 Ready to Go-Andrew Bonar 

Ready to Go – Andrew Bonar “I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me” (2 Kings 2:9). 0 that his mantle would fall upon me! Evil days are begun. He was so reverent toward God, so full also in desire toward Him, whether in family prayer or at common ordinary […]

The Prodigal and His Father

The Prodigal and His Father – Alexander Maclaren Luke 15:11 And he said, A certain man had two sons:… ‘And He said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living […]

Psalm 77-Andrew Bonar 

Psalm 77 – Andrew Bonar PSALM LXXVII (77)To the chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph. I cried unto God with my voice,Even unto God with my voice ; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord:My sore ran in the night, and ceased not : […]

that Which was Lost’

that Which was Lost’ – Alexander Maclaren Luke 15:4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness… ‘An hundred sheep … ten pieces of silver,… two sons. The immediate occasion of these three inimitable parables, which have found their […]

 Psalm 13-Andrew Bonar 

Psalm 13-Andrew Bonar PSALM XIII (13)To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever?How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?How long shall I take counsel in my soul, – having sorrow in my heart daily?How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?Consider and […]

 Praise-Andrew Bonar 

Praise – Andrew Bonar Praise ye the LORD : for it is good to sing praises unto our God ; for it is pleasant ; and praise is comely. Psalm 147:1 There are many things that might be said about praise ; but you remember the Psalms have given us three statements that may guide […]

The Rash Builder

The Rash Builder – Alexander Maclaren Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sits not down first, and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?… ‘Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?’ […]

Excuses not Reasons

Excuses not Reasons – Alexander Maclaren Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground… ‘They all with one consent began to make excuse. Jesus Christ was at a feast in a Pharisee’s house. It was a strange place for […]

The Lessons of a Feast

The Lessons of a Feast – Alexander Maclaren Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.… ‘And it came to pass, as He went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees […]

 Pentecost-Andrew Bonar 

Pentecost-Andrew Bonar The subject is the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day after the Passover. It might be interesting and profitable at another time to take up the question, ‘In what did the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament saints differ from His work in the […]

Christ’s Message to Herod

Christ’s Message to Herod – Alexander Maclaren Luke 13:32 And he said to them, Go you, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow… ‘And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day […]

 Paul’s fifteen days’ visit to Peter-Andrew Bonar 

Paul’s fifteen days’ visit to Peter – Andrew Bonar ‘Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.’Galatians 1:18For three years after his conversion Paul was out of sight in Arabia. The Lord sent him there, as He sent Moses to Midian, to be trained for […]

The Strait Gate

The Strait Gate – Alexander Maclaren Luke 13:22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. ‘And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem 23 Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And He said unto them, 24 Strive to […]

True Sabbath Observance

True Sabbath Observance – Alexander Maclaren Luke 13:10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.… ‘And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath 11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no […]

Fire on Earth

Fire on Earth – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:49 I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? ‘I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled! We have here one of the rare glimpses which our Lord […]

The Servant-Lord

The Servant-Lord – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching: truly I say to you, that he shall gird himself… Verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth, and serve them. […]

Servants and Stewards Here and Hereafter

Servants and Stewards Here and Hereafter – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he comes shall find watching: truly I say to you, that he shall gird himself… ‘Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching: Verily I shall say unto you, that He […]

It Will Kill Her – Dwight Lyman Moody

It Will Kill Her – Dwight Lyman Moody I was thinking to-day of the difference between those who knew Christ when trouble comes upon them and those who knew Him not. I know several members of families who are just stumbling into their graves over trouble. I know two widows in Chicago who are weeping […]

The Equipment of the Servants

The Equipment of the Servants – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;… ‘Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord. These words ought to stir us like the sound of a trumpet. But, […]

 Palestine for the Young – The Tribe of Levi-Andrew Bonar 

Palestine for the Young – The Tribe of Levi-Andrew Bonar The prophecy of Jacob regarding Levi was remarkably fulfilled : “I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel” (Gen. 49. 7). You have to search for their dwellings in every corner of the land. They were scattered and divided over all Israel; […]

Onesiphorus: The New Testament Ebedmelech-Andrew Bonar 

Onesiphorus: The New Testament Ebedmelech-Andrew Bonar 2 Timothy 1: 16-18 and 4: 19 Paul had a heart that felt everything keenly. It is from his pen that ‘Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep’ comes. It is he who wrote in Phil.4: 8: ‘the bowels of Christ Jesus.’ Many times […]

On Holy Ground-Andrew Bonar 

On Holy Ground – Andrew Bonar You can remember when you thought you were to get into heaven in spite of God’s holiness. Now you know that it is because of His Holiness that you get there, for none but the all-holy God would have sent His Son to die for us, or would have […]

Nicodemus.-Andrew Bonar 

Nicodemus .- Andrew Bonar John 3:1-21 ; 7:50 ; 19:39We have three scenes given us in the life of Nicodemus. The first is his interview with Christ. How he was awakened we do not know. It is of no consequence when and how it is done, if it is the beginning of the great change. […]

Free – Dwight Lyman Moody

Free – Dwight Lyman Moody You will remember when we had slavery we used to have men come up from Kentucky, Tennessee, and other slave states in order to escape from slavery. I hope if there are any Southern people here they will not think in this allusion I am trying to wound their feelings. […]

 Mr. James Mudie, Montrose (3)-Andrew Bonar

Mr. James Mudie, Montrose (3) – Andrew Bonar COLLACE, May 31st, 1844. MY DEAR BROTHER,—. . . I did not observe that there were five Sabbaths in June. I suppose therefore I that our Communion will be the last day of June. Now this would leave me the interval of one Sabbath to come to […]

Meeting as a congregation.-Andrew Bonar 

Meeting as a congregation.-Andrew Bonar “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18. 20). I believe you will find the origin of public worship in the book of Genesis, that book of beginnings (4. 26). Enos, the son of Seth, was the […]

 Let’s Not Trouble Ourselves With “What Ifs?” -Andrew Bonar 

Let’s Not Trouble Ourselves With “What Ifs?” -Andrew Bonar Their past experience was not of great use to the Israelites in their journeyings. They needed always to consult God. If you think you will get through anything because you got through before, you will certainly fail. You must ask fresh counsel of God and consult […]

 Letters: Written for one in spiritual despair (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Written for one in spiritual despair (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 9th Oct. 1872.MY DEAR MISS M.,—. . . I read with great interest your own letter about your friend who seems so near despair, and this morning your sister has given me more particulars from your friend’s letter to you. It is a […]

A Day of Decision – Dwight Lyman Moody

A Day of Decision – Dwight Lyman Moody I believe there is a day of decision in our lives — a day upon which the crisis of our lives occurs. There is a day when the Son of Man comes and stands at our heart and knocks and knocks for the last time and leaves […]

The Spirit Quenched – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Spirit Quenched – Dwight Lyman Moody 1 Thessalonians 5:19Quench not the Spirit. A few months ago in New York a physician called upon a young man who was ill. He sat for a little by the bedside examining his patient, and then he honestly told him the sad intelligence that he had but a […]

Unmercenary Motives – Dwight Lyman Moody

Unmercenary Motives – Dwight Lyman Moody 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:… “When I gave up my business sixteen years ago, after three months of the severest struggle of my life, whether I should go for dollars and cents or for souls, from that day to […]

Stillness in Storm

Stillness in Storm – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:29 And seek not you what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, neither be you of doubtful mind. ‘… Neither be ye of doubtful mind. I think that these words convey no very definite idea to most readers. The thing forbidden is not very sharply defined […]

Brought Nigh Through Death – Dwight Lyman Moody

Brought Nigh Through Death – Dwight Lyman Moody Ephesians 2:13But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. A mother in New York whose son had got into dissipated and abandoned habits, after repeated remonstrances and threats, was turned out of doors by his father, […]

Anxious About Earth, or Earnest About the Kingdom

Anxious About Earth, or Earnest About the Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:22 And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat; neither for the body… ‘And He said unto His disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, […]

The Rich Fool

The Rich Fool – Alexander Maclaren Luke 12:13 And one of the company said to him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.… ‘And one of the company said unto Him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me 14 And He said unto him, Man, […]

How to Pray

How to Pray – Alexander Maclaren Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, Lord… ‘And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said […]

The Tables Turned: the Questioners Questioned

The Tables Turned: the Questioners Questioned – Alexander Maclaren Luke 10:27 And he answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength… ‘But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together 35 […]

Neighbours Far Off

Neighbours Far Off – Alexander Maclaren Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?… ‘And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26 He said unto him, What is […]

Christ’s Messengers: Their Equipment and Work

Christ’s Messengers: Their Equipment and Work – Alexander Maclaren Luke 10:1 After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place… ‘After these things, the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city […]

In the Holy Mount’

In the Holy Mount’ – Alexander Maclaren Luke 9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:… ‘And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31. Who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem. The mysterious incident which […]

Prayer and Transfiguration

Prayer and Transfiguration – Alexander Maclaren Luke 9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. ‘And as He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered. This Evangelist is especially careful to record the instances of our Lord’s prayers. That is in accordance with […]

 Letters: The Misses Leiper, Crossford (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: The Misses Leiper, Crossford (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 17th Feb.1886.DEAR SISTERS ‘in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ’ !Do you not hear the Master saying, as He points downwards to our earth and to your dwelling, ‘Our friend Lazarus sleepeth! but I am going to awaken him out of […]

Christ’s Cross and Ours

Christ’s Cross and Ours – Alexander Maclaren Luke 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?… ‘And it came to pass, as He was alone praying, His disciples were with Him; and He asked them, […]

 Letters: The Misses Church, Glasgow (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: The Misses Church, Glasgow (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 16th Jan. 1884. MY DEAR SISTERS, —An old minister, whom you have had some knowledge of, wrote to his friend a salutation that I offer to you— ‘Grace, mercy, and peace shall be with you.’ He did not say, ‘May grace, mercy, and peace be […]

 Letters: Rev. William Armstrong, Rutherglen (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. William Armstrong, Rutherglen (2) – Andrew Bonar 20 INDIA STREET, 1st Decr.1885.MY DEAR MR. ARMSTRONG,— It was very kind in Mrs. Armstrong to write to me, letting me know that you are making some progress. I wonder what your meditations have been. Did you ever see the little book I enclose (Thoughts in […]

 Letters: Rev. Malcolm White, Blairgowrie (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Malcolm White, Blairgowrie (1) – Andrew Bonar STRACHUR, 28th August 1879.MY DEAR MR. WHITE,—One word to assure Mrs. White and yourself that you are not forgotten in your sorrow. ‘The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.’ When the Lord Jesus returns, He will bring with Him the little ones who fell asleep […]

Letters: Rev. John Purves, Jedburgh (1)-Andrew Bonar

Letters: Rev. John Purves, Jedburgh (1)-Andrew Bonar DURING THE VISIT OF THE DEPUTATION TO THE HOLY LAND JERUSALEM, June 17th, 1839. MY DEAR JOHN,—I scarcely know how to write when sending you a letter from Jerusalem and Mount Zion. Our present residence is actually on the hill of Zion, and our windows look directly on […]

 Letters: Rev. John Milne, Perth (13)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. John Milne, Perth (13) – Andrew Bonar KELSO, April 28th, 1846.MY DEAR BROTHER,—Do not forget Monday next. (Day of prayer and fasting) In spite of Satan and the flesh keep it from morning to evening. In spite of the temptation, ‘O this must be done, or ‘that sick person must be seen,’ or […]

 Letters: Rev. James Manson (4)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. James Manson (4) – Andrew Bonar COLLACE, August 30, 1844. MY DEAR FRIEND,—I am longing to hear of you. Are you better? and where are you? It is a sore trial to be laid aside, but it must be very sanctifying. It seems to be peculiarly a minister’s furnace. Remember the Baptist. He […]

 Letters: Rev. J.H.Wilson Edinburgh (3)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. J.H.Wilson Edinburgh (3) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 14th Jan. 1863. MY DEAR MR. WILSON,—I have been hearing tidings of your state of health that are not very pleasant. Will you, if convenient, drop me a few lines letting me know? For you know Paul, had he been in our day, would have sent […]

Letters: Rev. J.H.Thomson, Hightae (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. J.H.Thomson, Hightae (1) – Andrew Bonar CRAIGNURE, ISLE OF MULL, Augst. 16th, 1884.MAN OF ZEBULON, who ‘handlest the pen of the writer,’ and follower of Ezra and his band, who not only read in the law of God distinctly, but who also ‘gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading,’ peace […]

 Letters: Rev. Horatius Bonar his brother (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Horatius Bonar his brother (2) – Andrew Bonar DURNESS, SUTHERLANDSHIRE, 11th August 1869.MY DEAR HORACE,—I am often thinking on you and Jane, and the past ways of our God. ‘Even so, Father.’ May we not apply Christ’s words— ‘Thou takest away the gift which we would have kept, and givest other gifts. Even […]

 Letters: Rev. Duncan Stewart, Hawick (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Duncan Stewart, Hawick (1) -Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, I3th Feb. 1886.MY DEAR MR. STEWART,—Your ‘Lectures’ (On the Covenanters, which Mr. Stewart had been delivering in Hawick.) have reached me this week and last—both of them very fresh and most interesting. It has been to you a labour of love, and of ‘brotherly love;’ for […]

The Sting of Death Extracted – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Sting of Death Extracted – Dwight Lyman Moody 1 Corinthians 15:55-58O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?… The reason I like the gospel is that it has taken out of my path the worst enemies I ever had. My mind goes back to twenty years ago, before I was […]

 Letters: Rev. Dr. MacDonald, North Leith (3)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Dr. MacDonald, North Leith (3) -Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 9th December 1878. MY DEAR ROBERT,—From Day to Day is a book of most pleasant and profitable reading. It is 365 meditations—as many as Samuel Rutherford’s Letters—as many as Enoch’s years of earthly pilgrimage and walking with God. There is a clearness and pointedness in […]

Andrew Bonar : Letters: Rev. Dr. John J. Bonar his brother, Greenock (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Andrew Bonar : Letters: Rev. Dr. John J. Bonar his brother, Greenock (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 28th Oct. 1864.MY DEAR JOHN,—I cannot tell how helpful you have been to me during this season. No one could have given more sympathy, no one could have done more to cheer than you have done. I look […]

Confession of Christ Indispensable – Dwight Lyman Moody

Confession of Christ Indispensable – Dwight Lyman Moody Romans 10:10For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. During a series of evangelistic services in Ireland a young man found peace with God, but three nights after I found him again in the inquiry room. “What’s wrong?” […]

The Law the Standard – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Law the Standard – Dwight Lyman Moody Romans 3:19-20Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped… When Chicago was a small town it was incorporated and made a city. There was one clause in the new law […]

The Lord that Healeth Thee’

The Lord that Healeth Thee’ – Alexander Maclaren Luke 9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God… ‘He healed them that had need of healing. Jesus was seeking a little quiet and rest for Himself and His followers. For that […]

Bread from Heaven

Bread from Heaven – Alexander Maclaren Luke 9:10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them… ‘And the apostles, when they were returned, told Him all that they had done. And He took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the […]

A Miracle Within a Miracle

A Miracle Within a Miracle – Alexander Maclaren Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living on physicians, neither could be healed of any,… ‘And a woman, having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be […]

Seed Among Thorns

Seed Among Thorns – Alexander Maclaren Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth… ‘And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares, and riches, and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to […]

One Seed and Diverse Soils

One Seed and Diverse Soils – Alexander Maclaren Luke 8:4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable:… ‘And when much people were gathered together, and were come to Him out of every city, He spake by a parable: 5 A sower […]

Go into Peace

Go into Peace – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:50 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace. ‘And He said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace. We find that our Lord twice, and twice only, employs this form of sending away those who had received […]

The Two Debtors

The Two Debtors – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. ‘There was a certain creditor which had two debtors; the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he […]

A Gluttonous Man and a Winebibber

A Gluttonous Man and a Winebibber – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and you say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners! ‘The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, […]

Thwarting God’s Purpose

Thwarting God’s Purpose – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. ‘The Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of Him. Our Lord has just been pouring unstinted praise on the head of John the […]

Greatness in the Kingdom

Greatness in the Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:28 For I say to you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist… ‘He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. We were speaking in a preceding sermon about the elements of […]

John’s Doubts and Christ’s Praise

John’s Doubts and Christ’s Praise – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:18 ‘And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things 19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou He that should come? or look we for another? 20 When the men were come unto Him, they […]

Jesus At the Bier

Jesus At the Bier – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, Weep not. ‘And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not 14 And He came and touched the bier: and they that bare […]

Worthy-Not Worthy

Worthy-Not Worthy – Alexander Maclaren Luke 7:4 And when they came to Jesus, they sought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: ‘… They besought Him … saying, That he was worthy for whom He should do this:… 6 I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my […]

Three Condensed Parables

Three Condensed Parables – Alexander Maclaren Luke 6:41 And why behold you the mote that is in your brother’s eye, but perceive not the beam that is in your own eye? ‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceiveth not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 […]

Laws of the Kingdom

Laws of the Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren Luke 6:20 ‘And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God, 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh 22 Blessed are […]

Blasphemer, or — Who?

Blasphemer, or — Who? – Alexander Maclaren Luke 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by… ‘And it came to pass on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law […]

Instructions for Fishermen

Instructions for Fishermen – Alexander Maclaren Luke 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said to Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. ‘Now when He had left speaking, He said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. The […]

The Temptation

The Temptation – Alexander Maclaren Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 4 And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into thewilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. […]

John’s Witness to Jesus, and God’s

John’s Witness to Jesus, and God’s – Alexander Maclaren Luke 3:15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;… ‘And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, […]

The Boy in the Temple

The Boy in the Temple – Alexander Maclaren Luke 2:49 And he said to them, How is it that you sought me? knew you not that I must be about my Father’s business? ‘And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me! wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s […]

Simeon’s Swan-Song

Simeon’s Swan-Song – Alexander Maclaren Luke 2:29 Lord, now let you your servant depart in peace, according to your word:… ‘Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: 30. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. That scene, when the old man took the Infant in his withered arms, is […]

Was, Is, is to Come

Was, Is, is to Come – Alexander Maclaren Luke 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. ‘… The babe lying in a manger. ‘… While He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven… ‘This same Jesus… shall so come […]

While Christ is Near We Must Cry to Him for Pardon – Dwight Lyman Moody

While Christ is Near We Must Cry to Him for Pardon – Dwight Lyman Moody John 7:31-36And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ comes, will he do more miracles than these which this man has done?… A few years ago, when Pennsylvania had a Christian governor, there was a young […]

 Letters: Rev. Dr. Bannerman, Perth (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Dr. Bannerman, Perth (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 6th Dec. 1892.MY DEAR DR. BANNERMAN,—I return the old letter.(An old letter, which Dr. Bannernman has sent him to read, describing the Deputation appointed to visit the Holy Land in 1839.) It has, you may believe, a peculiar interest to me, and the writer’s estimate […]

 Letters: Rev. Dr. Andrew, Glasgow (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Dr. Andrew, Glasgow (1) – Andrew Bonar 20 INDIA STREET, GLASGOW, 23rd January 1892MY DEAR FELLOW-PILGRIM,—Very many thanks for your Visit to Palestine. It is a capital book for the young, and reading your narrative is just like taking a walk with you and hearing you all the time calling our attention to […]

Unquenchable Enthusiasm – Dwight Lyman Moody

Unquenchable Enthusiasm – Dwight Lyman Moody John 4:1-42When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,… When I was going to Europe in 1867, my friend Mr. Stuart, of Philadelphia, said, “Be sure to be at the General Assembly in Edinburgh, in June. I was […]

 Letters: Rev. Dr. Andrew, Glasgow (1)-Andrew Bonar 

 Letters: Rev. D.M.M’Intyre, College Park, on his acceptance of the call to Finnieston (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. D.M.M’Intyre, College Park, on his acceptance of the call to Finnieston (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 24th June 1891.MY DEAR MR. M’INTYRE,—I am very very thankful for your decision, and not I only, but very many here. If you knew all, I think you would recognise the Lord’s answer to continued prayer in […]

Whosoever – Dwight Lyman Moody

Whosoever – Dwight Lyman Moody John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish… — Somebody said he would rather read “Whosoever” than see his own name, because he should be afraid it might refer to some other man who might have the […]

 Letters: Rev. Andrew Inglis, Dundee (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. Andrew Inglis, Dundee (2 ) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 9th July 1891.MY DEAR MR. INGLIS,—I have just been at Greenock, hearing the particulars of my brother John’s last hours. He died really like one falling asleep ‘in a good old age.’ But you, dear brother, are mourning over a beloved daughter called away […]

 Letters: Rev. A.N.Somerville Glasgow (8)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Rev. A.N.Somerville Glasgow (8) – Andrew Bonar Monday, Dec. 11th, 1837.MY DEAR ALIC,—? Have you felt as the young priest— some young son of Aaron—would feel on the day when first the anointing oil that ordained him to his office was poured on his head, and himself permitted for the first time to go […]

How a Young Irishman Opened Moody’s Eyes – Dwight Lyman Moody

How a Young Irishman Opened Moody’s Eyes – Dwight Lyman Moody John 3:1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:… I want to tell you how I got my eyes open to the truth that God loves the sinner. When I went over to Europe I was preaching in […]

 Letters: Mrs. William Bonar his sister-in-law (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. William Bonar his sister-in-law (2) – Andrew Bonar GIRVAN, 16th Aug. 1862.MY DEAR JESSIE,… It is so still to-day, the sea like glass, and somehow everything seems to fall in suitably with our present feelings. We have bidden dear Christian our last farewell. It is so strange to try to realise that we […]

Letters: Mrs. Thom, Aberfeldy (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. Thom, Aberfeldy (2) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, March 1st, 1879. DEAR MRS. THOM,—I was glad to hear from you. You seem to thrive on Highland air and Highland services. . . . Pray for us here, seek power from on high to minister and people. I read the other day that two American […]

Letters: Mrs. Thom, Aberfeldy (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. Thom, Aberfeldy (2) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, March 1st, 1879.DEAR MRS. THOM, —I was glad to hear from you. You seem to thrive on Highland air and Highland services. . . . Pray for us here, seek power from on high to minister and people. I read the other day that two American […]

Letters: Mrs. R. M. Ballantyne, his niece, Harrow-on-the-Hill (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. R. M. Ballantyne, his niece, Harrow-on-the-Hill (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 18th April 1890.MY DEAR JANE, —I shall try to do as you request.I have a list of names—sons of godly parents—who are still ‘far off,’ for whom I pray from time to time that they may be ‘brought nigh by the blood […]

Shepherds and Angels

Shepherds and Angels – Alexander Maclaren Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.… ‘And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came […]

The Dayspring from on High

The Dayspring from on High – Alexander Maclaren Luke 1:78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, ‘The day-spring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into […]

Zacharias’ Hymn

Zacharias’ Hymn – Alexander Maclaren Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, ‘And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, 69 And hath raised up an […]

 Letters: Mrs. Mudie (1)-Andrew Bonar

Letters: Mrs. Mudie (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 5th June 1891.MY DEAR MRS. MUDIE,—I was altogether taken by surprise when the news came, ‘Mr. Mudie is gone!’ —gone to the ‘mountain of myrrh and hill of frankincense till the Daybreak.’ You do not know how many of Christ’s friends here and elsewhere will miss him. […]

The Magnificat

The Magnificat – Alexander Maclaren Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord,… ‘And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour 48 For He hath regarded the low estate of His hand-maiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me […]

Is the Prayer of Faith Always Answered – Dwight Lyman Moody

Is the Prayer of Faith Always Answered – Dwight Lyman Moody Luke 11:9-10And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.… I haven’t time to answer that question as I should like to do; but faith must have a […]

True Greatness

True Greatness – Alexander Maclaren Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink… He shall be great in the sight of the Lord. So spake the angel who foretold the birth of John the Baptist. ‘In the sight of the Lord’ — […]

Elijah Come Again

Elijah Come Again – Alexander Maclaren Luke 1:5 THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia… ‘There was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of […]

The World-Wide Commission

The World-Wide Commission – Alexander Maclaren Mark 16:15 And he said to them, Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. ‘Every creature. The missionary enterprise has been put on many bases. People do not like commandments, but yet it is a great relief and strength to come back to […]

The Angel in the Tomb

The Angel in the Tomb – Alexander Maclaren Mark 16:5 And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment… ‘They saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were aifrighted.6. And he saith unto […]

The Incredulous Disciples

The Incredulous Disciples – Alexander Maclaren Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices… ‘And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him […]

The Death Which Gives Life

The Death Which Gives Life – Alexander Maclaren Mark 15:21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. ‘And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and […]

Simon the Cyrenian

Simon the Cyrenian – Alexander Maclaren Mark 15:21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. ‘And they compel one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to […]

The Condemnation Which Condemns the Judges

The Condemnation Which Condemns the Judges – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. ‘And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death; and found none 56 For […]

The Captive Christ and the Circle Round Him

The Captive Christ and the Circle Round Him – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:43 And immediately, while he yet spoke, comes Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves… ‘And immediately, while He yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords […]

The Sleeping Apostle

The Sleeping Apostle – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:37 And he comes, and finds them sleeping, and said to Peter, Simon, sleep you? could not you watch one hour? ‘Simon, sleepest thou! It is a very old Christian tradition that this Gospel is in some sense the Apostle Peter’s. There are not many features in the […]

Strong Crying and Tears’

Strong Crying and Tears’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:32 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Sit you here, while I shall pray.… ‘And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and He saith to His disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray […]

Is it I?’

Is it I?’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? ‘Is it I? The scene shows that Judas had not as yet drawn any suspicion on himself. Here the Apostles seem to be higher […]

The New Passover

The New Passover – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said to him… ‘And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the Passover, the disciples said unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we go and prepare that Thou mayest eat the […]

A Secret Rendezvous

A Secret Rendezvous – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said to him… ‘And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the pastorer, His disciples said unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we go and prepare that Thou mayest eat the […]

The Alabaster Box

The Alabaster Box – Alexander Maclaren Mark 14:6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble you her? she has worked a good work on me. ‘And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on Me 8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand […]

Authority and Work

Authority and Work – Alexander Maclaren Mark 13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work… ‘For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and […]

Not Far and not In

Not Far and not In – Alexander Maclaren Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God… ‘Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. ‘A bruised reed He will not break, and the smoking flax He will not quench.’ […]

God’s Last Arrow

God’s Last Arrow – Alexander Maclaren Mark 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his well beloved, he sent him also last to them, saying, They will reverence my son. ‘Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them. Reference to Isaiah v. There are differences in detail here which need […]

Dishonest Tenants

Dishonest Tenants – Alexander Maclaren Mark 12:1 And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and dig a place for the winefat… ‘And He began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about […]

Nothing But Leaves

Nothing But Leaves – Alexander Maclaren Mark 11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it… ‘And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find any thing thereon: and when He […]

Christ’s Need of Us and Ours

Christ’s Need of Us and Ours – Alexander Maclaren Mark 11:3 And if any man say to you, Why do you this? say you that the Lord has need of him; and straightway he will send him here. ‘… Say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. […]

Almost a Disciple

Almost a Disciple – Alexander Maclaren Mark 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master… ‘And when He was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him. Good Master, what shall I […]

Salt in Yourselves’

Salt in Yourselves’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, with which will you season it? Have salt in yourselves… ‘Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. In the context ‘salt’ is employed to express the preserving, purifying, divine energy which is otherwise […]

Salted with Fire

Salted with Fire – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. ‘Every one shall be salted with fire. Our Lord has just been uttering some of the most solemn words that ever came from His gracious lips. He has been enjoining the […]

Receiving and Forbidding

Receiving and Forbidding – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?… ‘And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house He asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the […]

An Unanswered Question

An Unanswered Question – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?… ‘What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way? Was it not a strange time to squabble when they had just […]

Unbelieving Belief

Unbelieving Belief – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help you my unbelief. ‘And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. We owe to Mark’s Gospel the fullest account […]

The Omnipotence of Faith

The Omnipotence of Faith – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. Jesus said unto him, If them canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. The necessity and power of faith is the prominent lesson of this narrative of […]

Christ’s Lament Over Our Faithlessness

Christ’s Lament Over Our Faithlessness – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:19 He answers him, and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me. ‘He answereth him and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer […]

Jesus Only!

Jesus Only! – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. ‘They saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. The Transfiguration was the solemn inauguration of Jesus for His sufferings and death. Moses, the founder, and Elijah, […]

this is My Beloved Son: Hear Him’

this is My Beloved Son: Hear Him’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. ‘And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is […]

The Transfiguration

The Transfiguration – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into an high mountain apart by themselves… ‘And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: […]

Christ’s Cross, and Ours

Christ’s Cross, and Ours – Alexander Maclaren Mark 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying to them… And Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way He asked His disciples, saying […]

The Religious Uses of Memory

The Religious Uses of Memory – Alexander Maclaren Mark 8:18 Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? and do you not remember? ‘Do ye not remember! The disciples had misunderstood our Lord’s warning ‘against the leaven of the Pharisees,’ which they supposed to have been occasioned by their neglect to bring […]

The Patient Teacher, and the Slow Scholars

The Patient Teacher, and the Slow Scholars – Alexander Maclaren Mark 8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he said to them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? perceive you not yet, neither understand?… ‘And when Jesus knew It, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not […]

The Cross and Crown – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Cross and Crown – Dwight Lyman Moody Matthew 8:1When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.… At last He cried, with a loud voice: “It is finished!” Perhaps not many on earth heard it, or cared about it when they did hear it; but I can imagine there were not […]

A Father’s Solicitude for the Erring – Dwight Lyman MoodyA

A Father’s Solicitude for the Erring – Dwight Lyman MoodyA Hosea 11:8-9 How shall I give you up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver you, Israel? how shall I make you as Admah? how shall I set you as Zeboim?… A number of years ago, before any railway came into Chicago, they used to bring in […]

The Edict of Darcius – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Edict of Darcius – Dwight Lyman Moody Daniel 6:9Why king Darius signed the writing and the decree. We find that Darius — who was probably one of the high military commanders engaged in the siege of Babylon — takes the kingdom, while Cyrus is off conquering other parts of the world. As soon as […]

Third Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody

Third Commandment – Dwight Lyman Moody Psalm 111:9He sent redemption to his people: he has commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.” I was […]

A Campaign for God

A Campaign for God – Dwight Lyman Moody Numbers 13:30And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.… The Israelites sent twelve spies into Paran and Kadesh to reconnoitre. I suppose they wanted to see if God’s word […]

A Royal Progress

A Royal Progress – Alexander Maclaren Mark 11:2 And said to them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as you be entered into it, you shall find a colt tied… ‘… Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, […]

Love’s Question

Love’s Question – Alexander Maclaren Mark 10:51 And Jesus answered and said to him, What will you that I should do to you? The blind man said to him, Lord… ‘What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? ‘What wilt Thou have me to do! Christ asks the first question of a petitioner, and […]

An Eager Coming

An Eager Coming – Alexander Maclaren Mark 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. ‘And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. Mark’s vivid picture — long wail of the man, crowd silencing him, but wheeling round when Christ calls him — and the quick energy of […]

Bartimaeus

Bartimaeus – Alexander Maclaren Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus… Blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. The narrative of this miracle is contained in all the Synoptical Gospels, but the […]

Dignity and Service

Dignity and Service – Alexander Maclaren Mark 10:35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying, Master, we would that you should do for us whatever we shall desire.… ‘And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto Him, saying, Master, we would that Thou shouldest do for us whatsoever […]

Children and Childlike Men

Children and Childlike Men – Alexander Maclaren Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.… ‘And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them.14. But when Jesus saw it, He […]

Salt in Yourselves’

Salt in Yourselves’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:50 Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltiness, with which will you season it? Have salt in yourselves… ‘Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. In the context ‘salt’ is employed to express the preserving, purifying, divine energy which is otherwise […]

Salted with Fire

Salted with Fire – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. ‘Every one shall be salted with fire. Our Lord has just been uttering some of the most solemn words that ever came from His gracious lips. He has been enjoining the […]

Receiving and Forbidding

Receiving and Forbidding – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?… ‘And He came to Capernaum: and being in the house He asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the […]

An Unanswered Question

An Unanswered Question – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?… ‘What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?’  Was it not a strange time to squabble when they had just […]

Unbelieving Belief

Unbelieving Belief – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help you my unbelief. ‘And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. We owe to Mark’s Gospel the fullest account […]

The Omnipotence of Faith

The Omnipotence of Faith – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. Jesus said unto him, If them canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. The necessity and power of faith is the prominent lesson of this narrative of […]

Christ’s Lament Over Our Faithlessness

Christ’s Lament Over Our Faithlessness – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:19 He answers him, and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me. ‘He answereth him and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer […]

Jesus Only!

Jesus Only! – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:8 And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. ‘They saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. The Transfiguration was the solemn inauguration of Jesus for His sufferings and death. Moses, the founder, and Elijah, […]

this is My Beloved Son: Hear Him’

this is My Beloved Son: Hear Him’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. ‘And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is […]

The Transfiguration

The Transfiguration – Alexander Maclaren Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John, and leads them up into an high mountain apart by themselves… ‘And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: […]

Christ’s Cross, and Ours

Christ’s Cross, and Ours – Alexander Maclaren Mark 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying to them… And Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way He asked His disciples, saying […]

The Religious Uses of Memory

The Religious Uses of Memory – Alexander Maclaren Mark 8:18 Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? and do you not remember? ‘Do ye not remember! The disciples had misunderstood our Lord’s warning ‘against the leaven of the Pharisees,’ which they supposed to have been occasioned by their neglect to bring […]

The Patient Teacher, and the Slow Scholars

The Patient Teacher, and the Slow Scholars – Alexander Maclaren Mark 8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he said to them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? perceive you not yet, neither understand?… ‘And when Jesus knew It, He saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not […]

Children and Little Dogs

Children and Little Dogs – Alexander Maclaren Mark 7:24 And from there he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it… ‘And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered Into an house, and […]

The World’s Bread

The World’s Bread – Alexander Maclaren Mark 6:30 ‘And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught 31  And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, […]

The Martyrdom of John

The Martyrdom of John – Alexander Maclaren Mark 6:17 ‘For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife 19 […]

Herod — a Startled Conscience

Herod — a Startled Conscience – Alexander Maclaren Mark 6:16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. ‘But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. The character of this Herod, surnamed Antipas, […]

Christ Thwarted

Christ Thwarted – Alexander Maclaren Mark 6:5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and healed them.… ‘And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because […]

The Master Rejected: the Servants Sent Forth

The Master Rejected: the Servants Sent Forth – Alexander Maclaren Mark 6:1 ‘And He went out from thence, and came into His own country; and His disciples follow Him 2 And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man […]

Touch or Faith?

Touch or Faith? – Alexander Maclaren Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole…. Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. I. The erroneous faith. — In general terms there is here an illustration of how […]

Talitha Cumi

Talitha Cumi – Alexander Maclaren Mark 5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet, 23 And besought Him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray Thee, come and lay Thy hands on her, […]

A Refused Bequest

A Refused Bequest – Alexander Maclaren Mark 5:18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.… ‘He that had been possessed with the devil prayed Jesus that he might be with Him.19. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith […]

The Lord of Demons

The Lord of Demons – Alexander Maclaren Mark 5:1 ‘And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes 2 And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among […]

The Toiling Christ

The Toiling Christ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 4:36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. ‘They took Him even as He was in the ship…. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, […]

The Storm Stilled

The Storm Stilled – Alexander Maclaren Mark 4:35 ‘And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side 36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little […]

Lamps and Bushels

Lamps and Bushels – Alexander Maclaren Mark 4:21 And he said to them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?… ‘And Jesus said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and […]

Four Soils for One Seed

Four Soils for One Seed – Alexander Maclaren Mark 4:10 ‘And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable 11 And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these […]

Christ’s Relations

Christ’s Relations – Alexander Maclaren Mark 3:35 For whoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. ‘Whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother. There was a conspiracy to seize Jesus because He is ‘mad,’ and Mary […]

Christ’s Kindred

Christ’s Kindred – Alexander Maclaren Mark 3:31 ‘There came then His brethren and His mother, and, standing without, sent unto Him, calling Him 32 And the multitude sat about Him; and they said unto Him, Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren without seek for Thee 33 And He answered them, saying, Who is My mother, or […]

The Mistakes of Christ’s Foes and Friends

The Mistakes of Christ’s Foes and Friends – Alexander Maclaren Mark 3:22 ‘And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth He out devils 23 And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 And […]

He is Beside Himself’

He is Beside Himself’ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 3:21 And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. ‘And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him: for they said, He is beside Himself’. There had […]

Ambassadors for Christ

Ambassadors for Christ – Alexander Maclaren Mark 3:6 ‘And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodlans against Him, how they might destroy Him 7 But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judaa 8 And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaa […]

The Anger and Grief of Jesus

The Anger and Grief of Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Mark 3:5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man… He looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. Our Lord goes into […]

Works Which Hallow the Sabbath

Works Which Hallow the Sabbath – Alexander Maclaren Mark 2:23 ‘And it came to pass, that He went through the cornfields on the Sabbath day; and His disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn 24 And the Pharisees said unto Him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is […]

The Secret of Gladness

The Secret of Gladness – Alexander Maclaren Mark 2:19 And Jesus said to them, Can the children of the bridal chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?… ‘And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? This part of our Lord’s answer to the question […]

The Publicans’ Friend

The Publicans’ Friend – Alexander Maclaren Mark 2:13 ‘And He went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them 14 And as He passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose […]

Christ’s Authority to Forgive

Christ’s Authority to Forgive – Alexander Maclaren Mark 2:1 And again He entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that He was in the house 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door; and He preached the […]

Christ’s Touch

Christ’s Touch – Alexander Maclaren Mark 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and said to him, I will; be you clean. ‘Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him. Behold the servant of the Lord’ might be the motto of this Gospel, and ‘He went about doing good […]

 Letters: Mrs. Milne on the death of her father (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. Milne on the death of her father (1) – Andrew Bonar ON THE DEATH OF HER FATHER. COLLACE, F. C. Manse, Dec. 13th, 1855. MY DEAR MRS. MILNE, —I write because it might be some variety to you in your sojourn at Hastings, something like a visit. We felt for you in your […]

A Parable in a Miracle

A Parable in a Miracle – Alexander Maclaren Mark 1:40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying to him, If you will, you can make me clean.… ‘And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, and saying unto Him, If […]

Healing and Service

Healing and Service – Alexander Maclaren Mark 1:30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and immediately they tell him of her. ‘Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell Him of her: 31. And He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up; and the […]

 Letters: Mrs. Manson (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. Manson (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 17th March 1858. MY DEAR MRS. MANSON,— Thanks for writing me, for in truth I was meditating to write you (i.e. your husband and you=one), but could not make out whereabouts you were at this time. I am glad you are to be near Crieff ; we […]

Mighty in Word and Deed

Mighty in Word and Deed – Alexander Maclaren Mark 1:21 ‘And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught 22 And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes 23 And there was in their […]

What ‘the Gospel’ Is

What ‘the Gospel’ Is – Alexander Maclaren Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. My purpose now is to point out some of the various connections in which the New Testament uses that familiar phrase, ‘the gospel,’ and briefly to […]

Letters: Mrs. James Bonar, his daughter-in-law (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. James Bonar, his daughter-in-law (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 29th Decr. 1884.MY DEAR MARY,— ‘Along the river of time we glide,The swiftly flowing resistless tide !’ Only think! the year is nearly done, and I have lived seventy-four years in this world, and must be getting near the edge of the wilderness. But […]

The Strong Forerunner and the Stronger Son

The Strong Forerunner and the Stronger Son – Alexander Maclaren Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare […]

On the Mountain

On the Mountain – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. ‘Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.17. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some doubted. ‘After that, He was […]

 Letters: Mrs. Horatius Bonar his sister-in-law (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. Horatius Bonar his sister-in-law (2) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 28th Oct. 1864.MY DEAR JANE,— Perhaps you and Horace will excuse me for not writing sooner. It requires something to raise me before I can at present take up the pen. The bewilderment is passing away—all appears too real now, but the loneliness, when […]

The Prince of Life

The Prince of Life – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 28:1 ‘In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came […]

The Veil Rent

The Veil Rent – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; ‘Behold, the veil of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. As I suppose we are […]

 Letters: Mrs. Grant his sister-in-law, on the death of her husband, the Rev. Wm. Grant of Cavers (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mrs. Grant his sister-in-law, on the death of her husband, the Rev. Wm. Grant of Cavers (1) – Andrew Bonar ON THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, THE REV. WM. GRANT OF CAVERS. COLLACE, Oct. 18th, 1853. MY DEAR JEANIE,— ‘The heart knoweth its own bitterness.’ You have felt this and have experienced how powerless […]

Taunts Turning to Testimonies

Taunts Turning to Testimonies – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 27:41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, ‘… The chief priests mocking Him … said, 42. He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be theKing of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will […]

The Crucifixion

The Crucifixion – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 27:33 ‘And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 34 They gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink 35 And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: […]

The Sentence Which Condemned the Judges

The Sentence Which Condemned the Judges – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 27:11 And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest 12 And when He was accused of the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing 13 Then said Pilate […]

Letters: Mr. William Dickson Edinburgh (5)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. William Dickson Edinburgh (5)-Andrew Bonar COLLACE, Oct. 6th, 1846.MY DEAR FRIEND, —I have this moment got a refreshing word which being a piece of the Bread of Life I may share with you. It is Ruth 1:21: ‘The Almighty hath afflicted me.’ The word ‘Almighty’ is John Bunyan’s word ‘Shaddai,’ the ‘All-sufficient One.’ […]

See Thou to That!’

See Thou to That!’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 27:4 ‘I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that 24 I am innocent of the blood of this just Person: see ye to it.   So, what the priests said to Judas, Pilate said […]

 Letters: Mr. William Bonar his brother (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. William Bonar his brother (1) – Andrew Bonar COLLACE, Tuesday Morning. (probably written about 1845)MY DEAR WILLIAM,— Here is a neat plan of Jerusalem and the country round, to which I have added a few names. By means of it you may ‘walk about Zion and tell the towers thereof,’ just as you […]

Jesus Charged with Blasphemy

Jesus Charged with Blasphemy – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He has spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold…   Jesus was tried and condemned by two tribunals, the Jewish ecclesiastical and the Roman civil. In each case the charge corresponded to the Court. The […]

Letters: Mr. Wikinson at the Mildmay Mission to the Jews (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. Wikinson at the Mildmay Mission to the Jews (1)-Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, November 8th 1881MY DEAR MR. WILKINSON, Last night I was present with Mr. Baron at a most interesting meeting of Jews, fifteen in number, and could at once see that the stagnant waters had been stirred by Mr. Baron’s visit. I am […]

The Real High Priest and His Counterfeit

The Real High Priest and His Counterfeit – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:57 ‘And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled 58 But Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, […]

 Letters: Mr. Robert Young Edinburgh (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. Robert Young Edinburgh (1) – Andrew Bonar AFTER MRS. BONAR’S DEATH GLASGOW, 17th Oct. 1864. MY DEAR MR. YOUNG, —This has been an awfully sudden and solemn stroke. All went well till the afternoon of Friday—nothing indeed to startle us till about six o’clock, and in three hours all was over. . . […]

Gethsemane, the Oil-Press

Gethsemane, the Oil-Press – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:36 ‘Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy 38 Then saith He unto […]

Until that Day’

Until that Day’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:29 But I say to you, I will not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine… ‘I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in myFather’s kingdom. This remarkable saying of our […]

Letters: Mr. Robert Noble, Clapham (1)-Andrew Bonar

Letters: Mr. Robert Noble, Clapham (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 14th Dec. 1891.MY DEAR MR. NOBLE, —You sympathise with us, I know, though far off; and so I write to tell you of another stroke on our congregation. Last week George Jackson, (an elder in Finniston Church for many years) who to the last was […]

this Cup’

this Cup’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink you all of it; ‘And Jesus took the cup, and grave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28. For this is My blood of the new testament, […]

Letters: Mr. Lewis Grant, his nephew, Kirkcaldy (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. Lewis Grant, his nephew, Kirkcaldy (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 16th January 1880.MY DEAR LEWIS, —Your note has just come with its burden of heavy tidings. I had written an hour ago to Uncle William, whose letter expressed anxious alarm, but we were not prepared for your announcement, for Willie’s note of yesterday […]

The New Passover

The New Passover – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:17 ‘Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the passover? 18 And He said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, […]

The Defence of Uncalculating Love

The Defence of Uncalculating Love – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 26:6 ‘Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head, as He sat at meat 8 But when His disciples saw it, they […]

The King on His Judgment Throne

The King on His Judgment Throne – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 25:31 ‘When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: 32 And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a […]

Traders for the Master

Traders for the Master – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; […]

they that Were Ready’

they that Were Ready’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ‘They that were ready went in with him to the marriage. It is interesting to notice the variety of aspects […]

Dying Lamps

Dying Lamps – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ‘Our lamps are gone out. This is one of the many cases in which the Revised Version, by accuracy of rendering the tense of a verb, gives a much more […]

The Waiting Maidens

The Waiting Maidens – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 25:1 ‘Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But […]

Watching for the King

Watching for the King – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your Lord does come. ‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come 43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would […]

The Carrion and the Vultures

The Carrion and the Vultures – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 24:28 For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. ‘Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. This grim parable has, of course, a strong Eastern colouring. It is best appreciated by dwellers in those lands. They tell us […]

Two Forms of One Saying

Two Forms of One Saying – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. ‘He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved ‘In your patience possess ye your souls. These two sayings, different as they sound in our Version, are probably divergent representations […]

Two Ways of Despising God’s Feast

Two Ways of Despising God’s Feast – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 22:1 ‘And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and […]

The Stone of Stumbling

The Stone of Stumbling – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 21:44 And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. ‘Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. As Christ’s ministry […]

The Vineyard and its Keepers

The Vineyard and its Keepers – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 21:33 ‘Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34  And when the time of the […]

A New Kind of King

A New Kind of King – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, […]

The Coming of the King to His Palace

The Coming of the King to His Palace – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 21:1 ‘And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a […]

What the Historic Christ Taught About His Death

What the Historic Christ Taught About His Death – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ‘The Son of Man came… to give His life a ransom for many. We hear a great deal […]

The Servant-Lord and His Servants

The Servant-Lord and His Servants – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ‘Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. It seems at first sight strangely […]

 Letters: Mr. David Dickson, his brother-in-law (1)-Andrew Bonar

Letters: Mr. David Dickson, his brother-in-law (1) – Andrew Bonar ABERNYTE, Saturday, 3rd August 1867.MY DEAR DAVID,— Your note was another cloud in our sky. I thought you had got better accounts of your dear boy. But if the Lord is indeed threatening to let him continue with you only for a short time, be […]

Letters: Mr. D. Maclagan (Gives some interesting details about his time as a missionary with R.S. Candlish)(1)- Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. D. Maclagan (Gives some interesting details about his time as a missionary with R.S. Candlish)(1) – Andrew Bonar 5th March, 1874“It was November 1836 that I came from Jedburgh (where I had been for eighteen months partly as a friend and partly as a missionary with Mr. Purves) to be missionary in St. […]

Letters: Mr. and Mrs. James Bonar, Hampstead (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Mr. and Mrs. James Bonar, Hampstead (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 29th May 1889. Very many thanks to my son and daughter for their congratulations to me on my birthday! And let me say specially to Mary that the sweet fragrance of both words and flowers is filling my study to-day, and from time […]

 Letters: Miss Macphun, Zenana Mission, Benares, India (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Miss Macphun, Zenana Mission, Benares, India (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, Sept 1st, 1888. MY DEAR MISS MACPHUN,— We are to ‘rejoice with those that do rejoice,’ as well as to sympathise with those that weep, and so I wish to-day to join with you in praises and thanks. You have been getting much […]

 Letters: Miss Clarke, Edinburgh (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Miss Clarke, Edinburgh (1) – Andrew Bonar CRAIGNURE, ISLE OF MULL, 18th August 1882.DEAR MISS C., —It was very kind in you to let me know of your sister’s illness. She is safe in any case in ‘the everlasting arms’. During all her time of trial and pain, the same Holy Spirit who upheld […]

Oil as a Symbol: Service Permeated by the Holy Spirit

Oil as a Symbol: Service Permeated by the Holy Spirit – Dwight Lyman Moody Leviticus 2:1-16And when any will offer a meat offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it… Two women used to come to my meetings, and I could tell from the expression […]

 Letters: Miss Anne Whittit (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Miss Anne Whittit (2) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 19th March 1873.DEAR MISS ANNE,—Many thanks for your narrative of the Lord’s doings. I was so interested that I just told all over at my prayer-meeting, with a few remarks as I went along. You see the Master has not cast you aside. You are not […]

For the Sake of the Substitute

For the Sake of the Substitute – Dwight Lyman Moody Leviticus 1:4And he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. I was led into the church of Dr. Kirk, at Boston, when some special meetings were going on. I […]

Weighed in the Balances

Weighed in the Balances – Dwight Lyman Moody Exodus 20:1And God spoke all these words, saying, In the fifth chapter of Daniel we read the history of King Belshazzar. One chapter tells us all we know about him. One short sight of his career is all we have. He bursts in upon the scene and […]

Conditions of Successful Work for God

Conditions of Successful Work for God – Dwight Lyman Moody Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, Now shall you see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go… 1. Faith in God, and honest conviction that God will do as He says He will. 2. Courage to ,do what […]

 Letters: Isabella, his daughter (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: Isabella, his daughter (1)-Andrew Bonar Tuesday, 2nd April 1867.MY DEAR ISABELLA,—. . . This is a week of many interruptions of course, people calling about the Communion, etc. . . . No news here. The stream of life glides on, and we are on its banks. It will take many turns and windings, and […]

God Hears the Cry of His Suffering Children

God Hears the Cry of His Suffering Children – Dwight Lyman Moody Exodus 2:23-25And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage…  My little boy has three calls. He opens the study door and calls, “Papa.” I pay […]

Letters: His son James (2)-Andrew Bonar

Letters: His son James (2) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 14th Feby. 1873.MY DEAR JAMES,—I have this week been lighting upon some passages in the poets that seemed to me to illustrate, or, rather, to put in a good setting, some truths that are usually stated in Bible language. Reading a little of Carey’s ‘Dante’ (which […]

 Letters: His niece in school at Kelso (1)-Andrew Bonar

Letters: His niece in school at Kelso (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 14th December 1874.MY DEAR NIECE EMILY,—It was very good in you to write me so nice a letter. It was well written every way, and makes me think you are already greatly the better of being away from home, breathing your native air. […]

Letters: A servant in his congregation (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: A servant in his congregation (1) – Andrew Bonar CRAIGNURE, ISLE OF MULL, 6th August 1884.DEAR MARGARET,— I was greatly surprised on receiving your letter. But I suppose you were yourself taken altogether unawares. This comfort, however, you have, sure and full, viz., that E. has only gone to ‘the mountain of myrrh and […]

The Family in the Ark

The Family in the Ark – Dwight Lyman Moody And the LORD said to Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation.…  Genesis 7:1-3    I should like to see every father in this room safe in the ark; and then I […]

 Letters: A schoolboy in London (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: A schoolboy in London (1) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 20 INDIA STREET, 21st October 1873. MY DEAR WALTER,—I wonder how your soul prospers? You know we can go on busily with work, and all the more busily, when enjoying the sunshine round us—it makes all so cheerful. It is even thus with us in […]

Entering into Christ as into an Ark

Entering into Christ as into an Ark – Dwight Lyman Moody And the LORD said to Noah, Come you and all your house into the ark; for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation.…   GENESIS 7:1-3 When I was in Manchester, I went into the gallery one Sunday night to have a […]

Nearest to Christ

Nearest to Christ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 20:23 And he said to them, You shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with… ‘To sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom […]

The Requirements of the King

The Requirements of the King – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 19:16 ‘And, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And He said unto him, Why callest thou Me good? there is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt […]

Forgiven and Unforgiving

Forgiven and Unforgiving – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 18:22 Jesus said to him, I say not to you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. ‘Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Untilseven times; but, Until seventy times seven. The disciples had been squabbling about pre-eminence in the kingdom which they thought was […]

Persistence of Thwarted Love

Persistence of Thwarted Love – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 18:13 And if so be that he find it, truly I say to you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. ‘If so be that he find it. ‘Until he find it. Like other teachers, Jesus seems to […]

The Law of Precedence in the Kingdom

The Law of Precedence in the Kingdom – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 18:1 ‘At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except […]

The Coin in the Fish’s Mouth

The Coin in the Fish’s Mouth – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 17:25 He said, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What think you, Simon?… ‘And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest them, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take […]

The Divine Christ Confessed, the Suffering Christ Denied

The Divine Christ Confessed, the Suffering Christ Denied – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 16:13 ‘When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Phllippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or […]

Crumbs and the Bread

Crumbs and the Bread – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 15:21 ‘Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a […]

Peter on the Waves

Peter on the Waves – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be you, bid me come to you on the water.… ‘And Peter answered Him and said, Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water. We owe this account of an episode in […]

The King’s Highway

The King’s Highway – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 14:22 ‘And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening […]

The Martyrdom of John

The Martyrdom of John – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 14:1 ‘At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him 3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and […]

Treasure and Pearl

Treasure and Pearl – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like to treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides… The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof […]

Leaven

Leaven – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:33 Another parable spoke he to them; The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal… ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and bid to three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. […]

Mingled in Growth, Separated in Maturity

Mingled in Growth, Separated in Maturity – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:24 ‘Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way 26 But when […]

to Him that Hath Shall be Given’

to Him that Hath Shall be Given’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:12 For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever has not… ‘Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that […]

Ears and no Ears

Ears and no Ears – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundred times, some sixty times, some thirty times.… ‘Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. This saying was frequently on our Lord’s lips, and that in very various connections. He sometimes, as in […]

Seeing and Blind

Seeing and Blind – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.… ‘They seeing, see not. This is true about all the senses of the word ‘seeing’; there is not one man in ten thousand who sees the things before his eyes. Is not […]

Four Sowings and One Ripening

Four Sowings and One Ripening – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 13:1 ‘The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore 3 And He spake many […]

A Greater than Solomon’

A Greater than Solomon’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 12:42 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it… ‘A greater than Solomon is here. It is condescension in Him to compare Himself with any; yet if any might have been selected, it is that great name. To […]

A Greater than Jonas’

A Greater than Jonas’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas… ‘A greater than Jonas is here. There never was any man in his right mind, still more of influence on his fellows, who […]

Make the Tree Good’

Make the Tree Good’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt… ‘… Make the tree good, and his fruit good… In this Gospel we find that our Lord twice uses this image of a tree and its fruit. […]

An Attempt to Account for Jesus

An Attempt to Account for Jesus – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. ‘But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This man doth not cast out demons, but by Beelzebub, the prince of […]

The Pharisees’ Sabbath and Christ’s

The Pharisees’ Sabbath and Christ’s – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 12:1 ‘At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat 2 But when the Pharisees saw it they said unto Him, Behold, Thy disciples do that which is […]

The Rest Giver

The Rest Giver – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek […]

Christ’s Strange Thanksgiving

Christ’s Strange Thanksgiving – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth… ‘I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. When Jesus was about […]

Sodom, Capernaum, Manchester

Sodom, Capernaum, Manchester – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:… ‘Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not. These words, and the woes which they introduce, are […]

The Friend of Publicans and Sinners

The Friend of Publicans and Sinners – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners… ‘The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend […]

John’s Doubts of Jesus, and Jesus’ Praise of John

John’s Doubts of Jesus, and Jesus’ Praise of John – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 11:2 ‘Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto Him, Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, […]

The Greatest in the Kingdom, and Their Reward

The Greatest in the Kingdom, and Their Reward – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 10:41 He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward… ‘He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name […]

The King’s Charge to His Ambassadors

The King’s Charge to His Ambassadors – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 10:32 ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven 33 But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven 34 Think not that I am […]

Like Teacher, Like Scholar

Like Teacher, Like Scholar – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 10:24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. ‘The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.26. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. These words […]

The Widened Mission, its Perils and Defences

The Widened Mission, its Perils and Defences – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 10:16 ‘Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves 17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18 […]

The Obscure Apostles

The Obscure Apostles – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles… ‘These twelve Jesus sent forth. And half of ‘these twelve’ are never heard of as doing any work for Christ. Peter and James and John we know; the other James […]

Christ’s Charge to His Heralds

Christ’s Charge to His Heralds – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 10:5 ‘These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, do not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, […]

A Christlike Judgment of Men

A Christlike Judgment of Men – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad… ‘But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved withcompassion on them, because they fainted, and werescattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. In the […]

The Touch of Faith and the Touch of Christ

The Touch of Faith and the Touch of Christ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 9:18 ‘While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live 19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and […]

Soul-Healing First: Body-Healing Second

Soul-Healing First: Body-Healing Second – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 9:6 But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise… ‘That ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins (then saith He […]

Christ’s Encouragements

Christ’s Encouragements – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said to the sick of the palsy… ‘Son, be of good cheer. This word of encouragement, which exhorts to both cheerfulness and courage, is often upon Christ’s […]

The Peace-Bringer in the Spiritual World

The Peace-Bringer in the Spiritual World – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils… ‘And when He was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, […]

The Peace-Bringer in the Natural World

The Peace-Bringer in the Natural World – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.… And when He was entered into a ship, His disciples followed Him.24. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but […]

Christ Repressing Rash Discipleship

Christ Repressing Rash Discipleship – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said to him, Master, I will follow you wherever you go.… ‘And a certain scribe came, and said unto Him, Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest.20. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds […]

The Healing Christ

The Healing Christ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses. ‘Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. You will remember, probably, that in our Old Testament translation of these words they are made to refer […]

The Touch that Cleanses

The Touch that Cleanses – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. ‘When He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.1. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou […]

Swift Healing and Immediate Service

Swift Healing and Immediate Service – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.15. And He touched her hand, and the […]

The Faith Which Christ Praises

The Faith Which Christ Praises – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof: but speak the word only… ‘The centurion answered and said: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and […]

 Letters: A friend in the country (1)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: A friend in the country (1) – Andrew Bonar MY DEAR SIR,—I have been too long in replying to your welcome letter. Do you think letters ever passed between the families of Moses and Jethro? Would not Moses or his son Gershom write occasionally to their friends in Midian, and tell of the wilderness […]

 “Strangers have devoured his strength”

“Strangers have devoured his strength” – Dwight Lyman Moody Strangers have devoured his strength — from Hosea 7:9 What gives spiritual weakness like allowed sin? It was so with Israel, it will ever be so with us. Yielding to unhallowed association (with) strangers devour our strength. If you ever saw a cake not turned, baked […]

“Pull for the Shore, Sailor,”

“Pull for the Shore, Sailor,” – Dwight Lyman Moody A vessel was wrecked off the shore. Eager eyes were watching and strong arms manned the life-boat. For hours they tried to reach that vessel through the great breakers that raged and foamed on the sand-bank, but it seemed impossible. The boat appeared to be leaving […]

“Let the Lower Lights be Burning”

“Let the Lower Lights be Burning” – Dwight Lyman Moody A few years ago, at the mouth of Cleveland harbor, there were two lights, one at each side of the bay, called the upper and lower lights; and to enter the harbor safely by night, vessels must sight both of the lights. These western lakes […]

 “Hold the Fort for I am Coming”

“Hold the Fort for I am Coming” – Dwight Lyman Moody I am told that when General Sherman went through Atlanta toward the sea, through the southern states; he left in the fort, in the Kenesaw mountains, a little handful of men to guard some rations that he brought there. And General Hood got into […]

Worldly Amusements

Worldly Amusements – Dwight Lyman Moody Then, another thing, I think, that grieves the Spirit, is the miserable policy of introducing questionable entertainments. There are lotteries, for instance, that we have in many churches. If a man wants to gamble, he doesn’t have to go to some gambling den; he can stay in the church. […]

Witnessing in Power

Witnessing in Power – Dwight Lyman Moody The subject of witness-bearing in the power of the Holy Ghost is not sufficiently understood by the Church. Until we have more intelligence on this point we are laboring under great disadvantage. Now, if you will take your Bible and turn to the 5th chapter of John and […]

Why Some Fail?

Why Some Fail? – Dwight Lyman Moody We read in John 20:22:“And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”Then see Luke 24:49:“And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued […]

What Wins

What Wins – Dwight Lyman Moody A great many parents have inquired of me how to win their children. They say they have talked with them, and sometimes they have scolded them and have lectured them, and signally failed. I think there is no way so sure to win our families and our neighbors, and […]

Letters: A friend in Blairgowrie (2)-Andrew Bonar 

Letters: A friend in Blairgowrie (2) – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 2nd Sept. 1859.DEAR FOLLOWER OF THE LAMB,— He that believeth shall not make haste. Go on quietly resting in the grace of Jesus, for His grace is like a full well which you may draw from and yet no way exhaust. Sit beside this well, […]

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

What Must I Do To Be Saved? – Dwight Lyman Moody Suppose you do not want to hear a sermon (on this last night) so much as you want to know how to be saved. I want, if I can, to answer that question, “What must I do to be saved?” There is no question […]

 Letter: CRAIGNURE, ISLE OF MULL, 18th August 1882-Andrew Bonar 

Letter: CRAIGNURE, ISLE OF MULL, 18th August 1882 – Andrew Bonar GLASGOW, 9th April 1883.MY DEAR MISS MARY,— Amidst our Communion services yesterday, we did not fail to remember ‘a former member of the congregation now lingering in the valley of the shadow of death.’ Nor did we forget yourself, watching by the sick while […]

What Man thinks – God says – Dwight Lyman Moody

What Man thinks – God says – Dwight Lyman Moody WHAT MAN THINKS GOD SAYSI am not so bad as others There is no difference, all have sinned. (Rom 3:22)I will do the best I can, then God will make up the rest. Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph. 2:9)I will try […]

What It Is Not

What It Is Not – Dwight Lyman Moody I admit there is such a thing as resisting the Spirit of God, and resisting till the Spirit of God has departed; but if the Spirit of God has left any, they will not be troubled about their sins. The very fact that they are troubled, shows […]

 What is Testimony?

What is Testimony? – Dwight Lyman Moody If we keep back the Gospel of Christ and do not bring Christ before the people, then the Spirit has not the opportunity to work. But the moment Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost and bore testimony to this one fact, that Christ died for sin, […]

 Leaning on the Beloved-Andrew Bonar 

Leaning on the Beloved – Andrew Bonar ‘Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved ?’Song 8: 5 Leaning on the Beloved is faith – faith which looks out to Christ, as distinguished from feeling, which looks in to self. Faith has regard to what the Lord has done and […]

Kept by the power of God-Andrew Bonar

Kept by the power of God – Andrew Bonar 1 Peter 1: 5ARE there any believers here who are afraid that they will some day bring disgrace on their profession ? Let them study these words. Kept’ is the whole history of a believer’s life. It tells us we are very weak, for we need […]

What is Success?

What is Success? – Dwight Lyman Moody The Gospel has not lost its power; it is just as powerful today as it ever has been. We don’t want any new doctrine. It is still the old Gospel with the old power, the Holy Ghost power; and if the churches will but confess their sins and […]

What is Needed – Dwight Lyman Moody

What is Needed – Dwight Lyman Moody Nine-tenths, at least, of the church members never think of speaking for Christ. If they see a man, perhaps a near relative, just going right down to ruin, going rapidly, they never think of speaking to him about his sinful course and of seeking to win him to […]

Jonathan and his Armour-bearer-Andrew Bonar 

Jonathan and his Armour-bearer – Andrew Bonar 1 Samuel 14, I would like to have known the name of the Armour-bearer, but we are not told his name. There are a great many cases of useful persons whose names are hid. Sometimes God puts honour upon them before the church; sometimes He says, ‘never mind, […]

Unconverted Choirs

Unconverted Choirs – Dwight Lyman Moody Paul tells us not to speak in an unknown tongue, and if we have choirs who are singing in an unknown tongue, why is not that just as great an abomination? I have been in churches where they have had a choir, who would rise and sing, and sing, […]

Jethro-Andrew Bonar 

Jethro – Andrew Bonar Exodus 18I. Jethro’s name. – His personal name was Reuel or Raguel, ‘God’s Shepherd.’ His father must have been a good man, not an idolater. Jethro is his official title, meaning his highness, or ‘his excellency.’ So this man was at once a priest of God and a man of high […]

 Tomorrow May Be Too Late

Tomorrow May Be Too Late – Dwight Lyman Moody “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” Isa. 55:6. I have learned that when anyone becomes in earnest about his soul’s salvation and he begins to seek God, it does not take long for an anxious […]

 Indwelling sin-Andrew Bonar

Indwelling sin – Andrew Bonar And I John saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not : for I am thy fellowservant, and of […]

To the Afflicted

To the Afflicted If I were to ask this audience what Christ came into this world for, every one of you would say to save sinners, and then you would stop. A great many think that is all Christ came to do – to save sinners. Now, we are told that He came, to be […]

 Three Groans – Dwight Lyman Moody

Three Groans – Dwight Lyman Moody Three Groans There are three groans mentioned in Romans 8: The groan of creationThe groan of the believerThe groan of the Holy Spirit

 How faith receives Christ-Andrew Bonar 

How faith receives Christ – Andrew Bonar It is often best for us not to attempt to define Faith and its actings, but to show how the soul that has been awakened and is seeking a resting-place, may be gently led by the Spirit to meet Christ, in whom it finds all it desires, without […]

 Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – September 29

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – September 29 – Dwight Lyman Moody This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. —1 John 5:4 The world conquers me when it succeeds in hindering me from seeing, loving, holding communion with, and serving my Father, God. I conquer it when I lay my hand […]

First-fruits of the Resurrection-Andrew Bonar 

First-fruits of the Resurrection – Andrew Bonar ‘The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose.’Matt. 27: 50-53This is a passage about which very little has been written. Commentators seem to pass it by as something very mysterious. But if the Holy Spirit be with us we will find that there […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – September 28

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – September 28 – Dwight Lyman Moody Wait for the promise of the Father. —Acts 1:4 Tarry at a promise till God meets you there. He always returns by way of His promises. —Selected

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 9

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 9 – Dwight Lyman Moody Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. —Psalm 55:22 He that taketh his own cares upon himself loads himself with an uneasy burden. The fear of what may come, expectation of what will come, desire of what will not […]

 EPAPHRAS-Andrew Bonar 

EPAPHRAS – Andrew Bonar ‘Always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God’ Col. 4:12.Epaphras was a citizen of Colosse. Hence his deep interest in the Colossians. The Lord does not ask His people to give up their patriotism when they turn to Him. […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 8

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 8 – Dwight Lyman Moody Thou shalt never wash my feet. —John 13:8 Whatever hinders us from receiving a blessing that God is willing to bestow upon us is not humility, but the mockery of it. A genuine humility will ever feel the need of the largest measures […]

 Development of Antichrist – Preface-Andrew Bonar

Development of Antichrist – Preface – Andrew Bonar The principle of interpreting the prophetic portions of Holy Scripture as literally as the historical is recognized throughout the following pages, and it is upon this ground alone that the writer builds his hope of escaping a charge of presumption in submitting them for consideration, as he […]

Development of Antichrist – Conclusion-Andrew Bonar 

Development of Antichrist – Conclusion-Andrew Bonar There would be no conclusion to draw from all this were it true, as is so frequently insinuated, that prophecy is of no private interpretation as far as our own individual interests are concerned. There may undoubtedly be a risk not alone of neglecting, but also on the other […]

 Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 7

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 7 – Dwight Lyman Moody As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. —Galatians 3:27 Not simply the righteousness of our Savior, not simply the beauty of His holiness or the graces of His character, are we to put on as a […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 6

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 6 – Dwight Lyman Moody Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord…I know that…whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the […]

Development of Antichrist – Chapter 4. His Destruction and Its Consequences-Andrew Bonar 

Development of Antichrist – Chapter 4. His Destruction and Its Consequences – Andrew Bonar In saying so much of Antichrist, it was impossible not to anticipate to a certain extent, what ought in proper order to have fallen under this division of the subject. It was necessary to allude to some of its circumstances in […]

Andrew Bonar : Development of Antichrist – Chapter 3. His Characteristics and Duration-Andrew Bonar 

Development of Antichrist – Chapter 3. His Characteristics and Duration-Andrew Bonar The very name of Antichrist implies a denial of Christ having come in the flesh as well as an assumption of His place and dignity; and so exactly does this description apply, that to deny Christ in any measure or shape is held to […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 5

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 5 – Dwight Lyman Moody A certain man…who never had walked…heard Paul speak: who…perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said…Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. —Acts 14:8-10 Where true faith is, it will induce obedience and where it does induce obedience, it […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 19

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 19 – Dwight Lyman Moody Endure…as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. —2 Timothy 2:3 Life is not victory, but battle. Be patient a little longer. By and by, each in his turn, we shall hear the sunset gun. —Selected

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 18

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 18 – Dwight Lyman Moody We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. —1 John 4:16 The secret of walking closely with Christ, and working successfully for Him, is to fully realize that we are His beloved. Let us but feel that He has […]

 Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 17

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 17 – Dwight Lyman Moody Wait for the promise of the Father. —Acts 1:4 When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place…and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. —Acts 2:1, 4 Obedience to a divine prompting transforms […]

 Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 16

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 16 I know whom I have believed. —2 Timothy 1:12 Personal acquaintance with Christ is a living thing. Like a tree that uses every hour for growth, it thrives in sunshine, it is refreshed by rain—even the storm drives it to fasten its grip more firmly in the […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 15

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 15 – Dwight Lyman Moody I have set thee…that thou shouldst be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. —Acts 13:47 Ye shall be witnesses unto me…unto the uttermost parts of the earth. —Acts 1:8 Men are questioning now, as they never have questioned before, whether Christianity […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 14

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 14 – Dwight Lyman Moody I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land. —Genesis 28:15 “With thee,” companionship; “Keep thee,” guardianship; “Bring thee,” guidance.

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 13

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 13 – Dwight Lyman Moody Come out from among them, and be ye separate. —2 Corintians 6:17 With all the world in his choice, God placed His ancient people in a very remarkable situation. On the north they were walled in by the snowy ranges of Lebanon; a […]

 Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 12

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 12 – Dwight Lyman Moody Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15 Have thy tools ready; God will find thee work. —Charles Kingsley

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 11

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 11 – Dwight Lyman Moody Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship. —Matthew 14:22 Jesus constrained them to go! One would think that if ever there was the certain promise of success in a mission, it was here. Surely, here, if anywhere, a triumphant issue might […]

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 10 –

Thoughts for the Quiet Hour – June 10 – Dwight Lyman Moody Well done, good and faithful servant…Thou wicked and slothful servant. —Matthew 25:21, 26 God holds us responsible not for what we have, but for what we might have; not for what we are, but for what we might be. —Mark Guy Pearse

The Unpardonable Sin – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Unpardonable Sin – Dwight Lyman Moody Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, […]

The Unerring Guide – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Unerring Guide – Dwight Lyman Moody I am told by people who have been over the Alps, that the guide fastens them, if they are going in a dangerous place, right to himself, and he just goes on before: they are fastened to the guide. And so should the Christian be linked to His […]

The Triumphs of Love – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Triumphs of Love – Dwight Lyman Moody In the fifteenth chapter of Romans, thirteenth verse, the Apostle says: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.” The next thing then is hope. Did you ever […]

The Ten Commandments – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Ten Commandments – Dwight Lyman Moody The Ten Commandments:Exodus 20:3-171. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. […]

The Sure Guide – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Sure Guide – Dwight Lyman Moody Turn to the sixteenth chapter of John, in the thirteenth verse, and read: “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 […]

The Seven “I Will’s” of Christ – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Seven “I Will’s” of Christ – Dwight Lyman Moody When a man says, “I will,” it may not mean much. We very often say “I will” when we don’t mean to fulfill what we say. But when we come to the “I will” of Christ, He means to fulfill it. Everything He promised to […]

The Reward of the Faithful – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Reward of the Faithful – Dwight Lyman Moody I can speak from experience – I have been in the Lord’s service for twenty one years, and I want to testify that He is a good paymaster – that He pays promptly. Oh, I think I see faces before me light up at these words. […]

The Qualifications for Soul Winning – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Qualifications for Soul Winning – Dwight Lyman Moody 1. Shake off the vipers that are in the Church, formalism, pride, and self-importance, etc. 2. It is the only happy life to live for the salvation of souls. 3. We must be willing to do little things for Christ. 4. Must be of good courage. […]

The Ministry of Sympathy – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Ministry of Sympathy – Dwight Lyman Moody Mark 10:49 “And Jesus stood still.” Do we not need, in reading the life of the great Exemplar, to note how His ministry was without haste. In these busy lives of ours, we are so apt to miss this part of sympathy in ministering to others, which […]

The Lord’s Work – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Lord’s Work – Dwight Lyman Moody What men want in doing the Lord’s work is (1) Courage, (2) Enthusiasm, (3) Perseverance, (4) Sympathy.1. Courage. – The man who is afraid, who holds down his head like a bulrush, is not the worker whom God will bless; but God gives courage to him whom He […]

The Greatest Weapon – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Greatest Weapon – Dwight Lyman Moody The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, and what we need specially is to be filled with the Spirit, so we shall know how to use the Word. There was a Christian man talking to a skeptic, who was using the Word, and the skeptic […]

The Fear of the Lord – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Fear of the Lord – Dwight Lyman Moody The Fear of the Lord “The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” He who does not trust in God, knows nothing yet as he ought to know. His knowledge is partial and distorted. Whatever acquisitions in science he may attain, if his heart […]

The Faithful Friend – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Faithful Friend – Dwight Lyman Moody The Holy Spirit tells a man of his faults in order to lead him to a better life. In John 16:8 we read: “He is to reprove the world of sin.” Now, there are a class of people who don’t like this part of the Spirit’s work. Do […]

The Demoniac – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Demoniac – Dwight Lyman Moody When this man found himself delivered, he wanted to go with the Savior. That was gratitude. Christ had saved him and redeemed him. He had redeemed him from the hand of the enemy. And this man cried, “Let me follow you around the world; where You go I will […]

The Christ of the Sermon on the Mount

The Christ of the Sermon on the Mount – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: ‘And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine: 29. For He taught them as […]

The Two Paths

The Two Paths – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 7:13 Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction… ‘Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which […]

Judging, Asking, and Giving

Judging, Asking, and Giving – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged. ‘Judge not, that ye be not judged 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that […]

Anxious Care

Anxious Care – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one… ‘Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.25. Therefore I say unto you. Take no thought for your life. Foresight and foreboding are two very […]

Hearts and Treasures

Hearts and Treasures – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ‘Your treasure’ is probably not the same as your neighbour’s. It is yours, whether you possess it or not, because you love it. For what […]

Two Kinds of Treasure

Two Kinds of Treasure – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20. But lay up […]

Fasting

Fasting – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:16 Moreover when you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces… Moreover, when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, […]

Thine is the Kingdom’

Thine is the Kingdom’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. ‘Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. There is no reason to suppose that this […]

Lead Us not into Temptation’

Lead Us not into Temptation’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. ‘And lead us not into temptation. The petition of the previous clause has to do with the past, this with the […]

Deliver Us from Evil’

Deliver Us from Evil’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. ‘But deliver us from evil. The two halves of this prayer are like a calm sky with stars shining silently in […]

‘Forgive Us Our Debts’

‘Forgive Us Our Debts’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. The sequence of the petitions in the second half of the Lord’s Prayer suggests that every man who needs to pray for daily bread needs also to […]

The Cry for Bread

The Cry for Bread – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. What a contrast there is between the two consecutive petitions, Thy will be done, and Give us this day! The one is so comprehensive, the other so narrow; the one loses self […]

thy Will be Done’

thy Will be Done’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ‘Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. It makes all the difference whether the thought of the name, or that of the will, of God be the prominent […]

thy Kingdom Come’

thy Kingdom Come’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ‘Thy kingdom come. ‘The Lord reigneth, let the earth be glad’; ‘The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble,’ was the burden of Jewish psalmist and prophet from the first to the last. They […]

The Structure of the Lord’s Prayer

The Structure of the Lord’s Prayer – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. ‘After this manner therefore pray ye. ‘After this manner’ may or may not imply that Christ meant this prayer to be a form, but He certainly meant it […]

‘Our Father’

‘Our Father’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. ‘Our Father which art in heaven. The words of Christ, like the works of God, are inexhaustible. Their depth is concealed beneath an apparent simplicity which the child and the savage can […]

Hallowed be Thy Name’

Hallowed be Thy Name’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray you: Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Hallowed be Thy name. Name is character so far as revealed. I. What is meaning of Petition? Hallowed means to make holy; or to show as holy; or to regard […]

Solitary Prayer

Solitary Prayer – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret… Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. An old heathen who had […]

Trumpets and Street Corners

Trumpets and Street Corners – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 6:1 Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. ‘Take heed that ye do nob your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no […]

The Law of Love

The Law of Love – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:43 ‘Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and […]

Non-Resistance

Non-Resistance – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also 40 And if any man […]

Swear not At All’

Swear not At All’ – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor […]

The New Form of the Old Law

The New Form of the Old Law – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:17 ‘Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass […]

The Eighth Beatitude

The Eighth Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We have seen the description of the true subjects of the kingdom growing into form […]

The Seventh Beatitude

The Seventh Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. This is the last Beatitude descriptive of the character of the Christian. There follows one more, which describes his reception by […]

The Sixth Beatitude

The Sixth Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. AT first hearing one scarcely knows whether the character described in this great saying, or the promise held out, is the more inaccessible to men. […]

The Fifth Beatitude

The Fifth Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ‘Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. THE divine simplicity of the Beatitudes covers a divine depth, both in regard to the single precepts and to the sequence of the whole. I have already pointed out […]

The Fourth Beatitude

The Fourth Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Two preliminary remarks will give us the point of view from which I desire to consider these […]

The Second Beatitude

The Second Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. An ordinary superficial view of these so-called Beatitudes is that they are simply a collection of unrelated sayings. But they are a great deal more than that. […]

The First Beatitude

The First Beatitude – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. ‘Ye are not come unto the mount that burned with fire, nor unto the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of “awful” words.’ With […]

The New Sinai

The New Sinai – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 5:1 ‘And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: 2 And He opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven 4 Blessed are they […]

The Early Welcome and the First Ministers of the King

The Early Welcome and the First Ministers of the King – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 4:17 ‘From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand 18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net […]

The Springing of the Great Light

The Springing of the Great Light – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee; 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: 14 That it might be fulfilled which […]

The Victory of the King

The Victory of the King – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. ‘Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, […]

The Baptism in Fire

The Baptism in Fire – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water to repentance. but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear… ‘He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. There is no more pathetic figure in Scripture than […]

The Herald of the King

The Herald of the King – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 3:1 ‘In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand 3 For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in […]

The King in Exile

The King in Exile – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 2:13 ‘And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child […]

The First-Fruits of the Gentiles

The First-Fruits of the Gentiles – Alexander Maclaren Matthew 2:1 ‘Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the […]

Stout Words,’ and Their Confutation

Stout Words,’ and Their Confutation – Alexander Maclaren Malachi 3:13 ‘Your words have been stout against Me, saith the Lord: yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against Thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have […]

A Dialogue with God

A Dialogue with God – Alexander Maclaren Malachi 3:7 Even from the days of your fathers you are gone away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you… Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say, Wherein […]

The Unchanging Lord

The Unchanging Lord – The Unchanging Lord Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. ‘I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. The scriptural revelations of the divine Name are always the basis of intensely practical admonition. […]

The Last Word of Prophecy

The Last Word of Prophecy – Alexander Maclaren Malachi 3:1 ‘Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts 2 […]

 The Cross – Dwight Lyman Moody 

The Cross – Dwight Lyman Moody While down at a convention in Illinois an old man got past seventy years; and said he remembered but one thing about his father, and that one thing followed him all through life. He could not remember his death, he had no recollection of his funeral, but he recollected […]

The Collier and his Children – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Collier and his Children – Dwight Lyman Moody When I was holding meetings a little time ago, at Wharnecliff, in England, a coal district, a great burly collier [coal miner] came up to me, and said in his Yorkshire dialect, “Dost know wha was at meetin’ t’night?” “No,” I answered. “Why,” said he, “So-and-so” […]

The Climax Sin – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Climax Sin – Dwight Lyman Moody That is the sin of the world. Why, a great many people think that unbelief is a sort of misfortune, but do not know, if you will allow me the expression, it is the damning sin of the world today; that is what unbelief is, the mother of […]

The Church Grieves the Spirit – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Church Grieves the Spirit – Dwight Lyman Moody I think that if we search, we will find something in the Church grieving the Spirit of God; it may be a mere schism in the church; it may be some unsound doctrine; it may be some division in the Church. There is one thing I […]

A Dialogue with God

A Dialogue with God – Alexander Maclaren Malachi 1:6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear?… ‘A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a Father, […]

The Source of Power

The Source of Power – Alexander Maclaren Zechariah 4:1 ‘And the Angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon […]

The Child Angel – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Child Angel – Dwight Lyman Moody I remember a number of years ago I went out of Chicago to try to preach. I went down to a little town where was being held a Sunday-school convention. I was a perfect stranger in the place, and when I arrived a man stepped up to me […]

A Vision of Judgement and Cleansing

A Vision of Judgement and Cleansing – Alexander Maclaren Zechariah 3:1 And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.… ‘And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at […]

The Child and the Infidel – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Child and the Infidel – Dwight Lyman Moody I remember hearing of a Sabbath-school teacher who had led every one of her children to Christ. She was a faithful teacher. Then she tried to get her children to go out and bring other children into the school. One day one of them came and […]

Brave Encouragements

Brave Encouragements – Alexander Maclaren Haggai 2:1 ‘In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the […]

Vain Toil

Vain Toil – Alexander Maclaren Haggai 1:6 You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but you have not enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink… ‘Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; […]

The Child and the Book – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Child and the Book – Dwight Lyman Moody I like to think of Christ as a burden-bearer. A minister was one day moving his library upstairs. As the minister was going upstairs with his load of books his little boy came in, and was very anxious to help his father. So his father just […]

Zion’s Joy and God’s

Zion’s Joy and God’s – Alexander Maclaren Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem….17. He will rejoice over thee with […]

 The Child and President Lincoln – Dwight Lyman Moody 

The Child and President Lincoln – Dwight Lyman Moody During the war I remember a young man not twenty, who was court-martialed down in the front and sentenced to be shot. The story was this: The young fellow had enlisted. He was not obliged to, but he went off with another young man. They were […]

The Record of Two Kings

The Record of Two Kings – Alexander Maclaren Micah 6:16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and you walk in their counsels… In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he […]

The Boy that Went West – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Boy that Went West – Dwight Lyman Moody A number of years ago, before any railway came into Chicago, they used to bring in the grain from the western prairies in wagons for hundreds of miles, so as to have it shipped off by the lakes. There was a father who had a large […]

The Boon of Victory – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Boon of Victory – Dwight Lyman Moody The next thing the Spirit of God does is to give us liberty. He first imparts love; He next inspires hope, and then gives liberty, and that is about the last thing we have in a good many of our churches at the present day. And I […]

The Blind Child – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Blind Child – Dwight Lyman Moody I was in an infirmary not long since, and a mother brought a little child in. She said, “Doctor, my little child’s eyes have not been opened for several days, and I would just like you to do something for them.” The doctor got some ointment and put […]

The Bible – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Bible – Dwight Lyman Moody People say this Bible was good enough for ancient days, but we have men of culture, of science, of literature now, and its value has decreased to the people of our day. Now, give me a better book, and I will throw it away. Has the world ever offered […]

Threefold Repentance

Threefold Repentance – Alexander Maclaren Jonah 3:1 ‘And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was […]

Guilty Silence and its Reward

Guilty Silence and its Reward – Alexander Maclaren Jonah 1:1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great, city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me 3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence […]

The Carcass and the Eagles

The Carcass and the Eagles – Alexander Maclaren Amos 6:1 ‘Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! 2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great; […]

The Sins of Society

The Sins of Society – Alexander Maclaren Amos 5:4 ‘For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live: 5 But seek not Beth-el, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beer-sheba: for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Beth-el shall come to nought 6 Seek the […]

Smitten in Vain

Smitten in Vain – Alexander Maclaren Amos 4:4 ‘Come to Beth-el, and transgress; at Gilgal multiply transgression; and bring your sacrifices every morning, and your tithes after three years: 5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings; for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the […]

Israel Returning

Israel Returning – Alexander Maclaren Hosea 14:1 O Israel, return to the LORD your God; for you have fallen by your iniquity. ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity 2 Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and […]

A Colloquy Between a Penitent and God

A Colloquy Between a Penitent and God – Alexander Maclaren Hosea 14:1 O Israel, return to the LORD your God; for you have fallen by your iniquity.… A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the Lord […]

Destruction and Help

Destruction and Help – Alexander Maclaren Hosea 13:9 O Israel, you have destroyed yourself; but in me is your help. ‘O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help. ‘It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou art against Me, against thy Help’ (R.V.). These words are obscure by reason of their […]

Fruit Which is Death’

Fruit Which is Death’ – Alexander Maclaren Hosea 10:1 Israel is an empty vine, he brings forth fruit to himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the altars… ‘Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; […]

Physicians of no Value’

Physicians of no Value’ – Alexander Maclaren Hosea 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb… ‘When Ephralm saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able […]

‘Let Him Alone’

‘Let Him Alone’ – Alexander Maclaren Hosea 4:17  ‘Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone. The tribe of Ephraim was the most important member of the kingdom of Israel; consequently its name was not unnaturally sometimes used in a wider application for the whole of the kingdom, of which it was the principal part. […]

A New Years Message

A New Years Message – Alexander Maclaren Daniel 12:13 But go you your way till the end be: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days. ‘But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of […]

Faith Stopping the Mouths of Lions

Faith Stopping the Mouths of Lions – Alexander Maclaren Daniel 6:16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said to Daniel… ‘Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake […]

Mene, Tekel, Peres

Mene, Tekel, Peres – Alexander Maclaren Daniel 5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another… ‘Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another: yet I will read the writing unto […]

Harmless Fires

Harmless Fires – Alexander Maclaren Daniel 3:13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego… ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, […]

The Image and the Stone

The Image and the Stone – Alexander Maclaren Daniel 2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. ‘This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee […]

 Development of Antichrist – Chapter 2. The Time of His Appearing-Andrew Bonar 

Development of Antichrist – Chapter 2. The Time of His Appearing-Andrew Bonar A changed attitude Reference has been made to the declaration in 2 Thessalonians 2 that the day of Christ should not come until “the apostasy” as well as “the man of sin” had been seen. Also to Matthew 24, where the great tribulation, […]

Youthful Confessors

Youthful Confessors – Alexander Maclaren Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank… ‘But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the […]

 Development of Antichrist – Chapter 1. The Personality of Antichrist-Andrew Bonar 

Development of Antichrist – Chapter 1. The Personality of Antichrist-Andrew Bonar  Christians are called to tread nowhere with greater circumspection than when dealing with unfulfilled prophecy, and it is owing to want of due caution here that so many a humble inquirer has been left, amidst the confusion that is within and ridicule without […]

The Ark – Dwight Lyman Moody

The Ark – Dwight Lyman Moody Notes from D.L. Moody’s London 1882 Bible: The Ark (Genesis 6,7,8) The Hebrew word for the Ark of Noah is (teebah), the Ark of the testimony in the holiest is called (Aron), both signifying a chest. The Ark of Noah was of Gopher Wood, the Ark of the covenant […]

The River of Life

The River of Life – Alexander Maclaren Ezekiel 47:1 Afterward he brought me again to the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward… Waters issued out from under the threshold of the house. Unlike most great cities, Jerusalem was not situated on a great river. […]

The Dry Bones and the Spirit of Life

The Dry Bones and the Spirit of Life – Alexander Maclaren Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD… 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in […]

 Sympathy – Dwight Lyman Moody 

Sympathy – Dwight Lyman Moody I want to tell you a lesson taught me in Chicago a few years ago. In the months of July and August, a great many deaths occurred among children, you all know. I remember I attended a great many funerals; sometimes I would go to two or three funerals a […]

Yielding to One’s Surroundings

Yielding to One’s Surroundings – A. Maclaren. Ezekiel 11:12 And you shall know that I am the LORD: for you have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments… Surely there is nothing walks the earth more contemptible, as well as more certainly evil, than a man who lets himself be made by whatever […]

Do not Leg the World Mould You

Do not Leg the World Mould You – A. Maclaren. Ezekiel 11:12 And you shall know that I am the LORD: for you have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments… I beseech you all, and especially you young people, not to let the world take and mould you, like a bit of […]

Sweet Words – Dwight Lyman Moody

Sweet Words – Dwight Lyman Moody In the 6th chapter of Numbers and 22d verse we read: “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make […]

Hardened for Endurance

Hardened for Endurance – A. Maclaren. Ezekiel 3:9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks… Loose-braced, easy souls, that lie open to all the pleasurable influences of ordinary life, are no more fit for God’s weapons than a reed for a lance, […]

The End in View Should Control Conduct

The End in View Should Control Conduct – A. Maclaren. Lamentations 1:9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembers not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD… If the lazy student would only bring clearly before his mind the examination room, and the unanswerable paper, and the […]

Spiritual Irrigation – Dwight Lyman Moody

Spiritual Irrigation – Dwight Lyman Moody It is possible a man may just barely have life and be satisfied; and I think that a great many are in that condition. In the 3rd chapter of John we find that Nicodemus came to Christ and that he received life. At first this life was feeble. You […]

‘As Sodom’

‘As Sodom’ – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 52:1 Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah 2 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that […]

The Kinsman-Redeemer

The Kinsman-Redeemer – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 50:34 Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall thoroughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land… Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of Hosts is His name: He shall thoroughly plead their cause. Among the remarkable provisions of the […]

The Sword of the Lord

The Sword of the Lord – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 47:6 O you sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere you be quiet? put up yourself into your scabbard, rest, and be still. O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy […]

Spirits that Peep and Mutter – Dwight Lyman Moody

Spirits that Peep and Mutter – Dwight Lyman Moody There is another passage which reads, “And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter: Should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” What is but table-rapping, and […]

God’s Patient Pleadings

God’s Patient Pleadings – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 44:4 However, I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh… I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. The long death-agony of the Jewish […]

Son, Remember – Dwight Lyman Moody

Son, Remember – Dwight Lyman Moody I have been twice in the jaws of death. Once I was drowning, and the third time I was about to sink I was rescued. In the twinkling of an eye everything I had said, done, or thought of, flashed across my mind. I do not understand how everything […]

 Shipwrecks – Dwight Lyman Moody 

Shipwrecks – Dwight Lyman Moody Alas! how many young converts have made shipwreck against such churches. Instead of being a harbor of delight to them, they have proved false lights, alluring them to destruction. Isn’t it time for us to get down on our faces before God and cry mightily to Him to forgive us […]

Shall We Meet Our Loved Ones Again? – Dwight Lyman Moody

Shall We Meet Our Loved Ones Again? – Dwight Lyman Moody This is one of the grandest chapters in the writings of Paul. It is especially grand to those who have lost friends. No sooner do loved ones pass away than the question arises, Shall we meet them again? Paul answers this question and gives […]

Secret of Joy – Dwight Lyman Moody

Secret of Joy – Dwight Lyman Moody Remember, then, that love is power, and peace is power; but now I will call attention to another fruit of the Spirit, and this too is power – the grace of joy. It is the privilege, I believe, of every Christian to walk in the light, as God […]

Secret of Efficiency – Dwight Lyman Moody

Secret of Efficiency – Dwight Lyman Moody I can not help but believe there are many Christians who want to be more efficient in the Lord’s service, and the object of this book is to take up this subject of the Holy Spirit, that they may see from whom to expect this power. In the […]

Ebedmelech the Ethiopian

Ebedmelech the Ethiopian – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 39:18 For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but your life shall be for a prey to you… For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto […]

The Last Agony

The Last Agony – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 39:1 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it 2 And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city […]

The World’s Wages to a Prophet

The World’s Wages to a Prophet – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 37:11 And it came to pass, that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s arm, 12 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of […]

Zedekiah

Zedekiah – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 37:1 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim… Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king … whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king’ Zedekiah was a small man on a great stage, a weakling set to face circumstances that would have […]

Jeremiah’s Roll Burned and Reproduced

Jeremiah’s Roll Burned and Reproduced – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 36:32 Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah… Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch … who wrote therein … all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in […]

The Rechabites

The Rechabites – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 35:16 Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them… The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them; but this people have not hearkened unto Me. The […]

What the Immense Creation Teaches

What the Immense Creation Teaches – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 31:37 Thus said the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath… ‘If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for […]

What the Stable Creation Teaches

What the Stable Creation Teaches – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 31:36 If those ordinances depart from before me, said the LORD… If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever. This is the seal of the new covenant, which […]

Yokes of Wood and Iron

Yokes of Wood and Iron – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 28:13 Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. I suppose that I had better begin by a word of explanation as to the occasion of this saying. One king […]

Two Lists of Names

Two Lists of Names – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 17:13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake you shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth… They that depart from Me shall be written in the earth Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. A name […]

A Soul Gazing on God

A Soul Gazing on God – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 17:12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.… I must begin by a word or two of explanation as to the language of this passage. The word ‘is’ is a supplement, and most probably it ought to be omitted, and […]

Sin’s Writing and its Erasure

Sin’s Writing and its Erasure – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars. ‘Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by […]

An Impossibility Made Possible

An Impossibility Made Possible – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. Can the Ethiopian change his skin?’  ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. ‘Behold, I make all things new. […]

Calms and Crises

Calms and Crises – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 12:5 If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? and if in the land of peace… If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and though […]

Forsaking Jehovah

Forsaking Jehovah – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you… Know therefore, and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that My fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.’ Of course […]

Stiff-Necked Idolaters and Pliable Christians

Stiff-Necked Idolaters and Pliable Christians – Alexander Maclaren Jeremiah 2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. The obstinacy of the adherents of idolatry is in striking contrast with Israel’s continual tendency to forsake Jehovah. It reads a scarcely […]

The God of the Amen’

The God of the Amen’ – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 65:16 That he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth… He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth. […]

The Sympathy of God

The Sympathy of God – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them… In all their afflictions He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them. I. The wonderful glimpse opened here […]

The Winepress and its Treader

The Winepress and its Treader – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 63:2 Why are you red in your apparel, and your garments like him that treads in the winefat? Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone. The structure of these closing […]

 Coming to Christ -Andrew Bonar

Coming to Christ -Andrew Bonar The natural man is exceedingly perverse, and Satan knows how to wield this perversity of the heart. We, in our day, are ready to excuse ourselves for slowness to believe in the Lord Jesus by saying, ‘How much easier it would have been, had we seen Him in the flesh, […]

Mighty to Save

Mighty to Save – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 63:1 Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel… Mighty to save. We have here a singularly vivid and dramatic prophecy, thrown into the form of a dialogue between the prophet and a stranger whom he sees […]

Walls and Gates

Walls and Gates – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 60:18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land, wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation… Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise The prophet reaches the height of eloquence in his magnificent picture of the restored Jerusalem, […]

 Closing address on Communion Sabbath, January 27, 1889-Andrew Bonar 

Closing address on Communion Sabbath, January 27, 1889-Andrew Bonar ‘When He is come, He will tell us all things’John 4:25You must have noticed some great and memorable sayings in the New Testament which were spoken unwittingly.This man receiveth sinners‘ (Luke 15:2); ‘It is expedient that one man should die for the people’ (John 11:50); ‘He […]

Christ’s Silence (3)-Andrew Bonar

Christ’s Silence (3 ) – Andrew Bonar Matthew 11:1-11 , JOHN the Baptist lay in prison unnoticed, and we may say uncared for, for nearly a year. How mysterious! No wonder he sent to ask the Master if there was any explanation of this. ‘Art Thou He that should come? Is this like the Messiah?’ […]

Flimsy Garments

Flimsy Garments – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 59:6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity… Their webs shall not become garments. ‘I counsel thee to buy of me … white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness […]

We Sure of To-Morrow? a New Year’s Sermon

We Sure of To-Morrow? a New Year’s Sermon – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 56:12 Come you, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day… To-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. These words, as they stand, are the call […]

The Great Proclamation

The Great Proclamation – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. The meaning of the word preach is ‘proclaim like a herald’; or, what is perhaps more familiar to […]

The Passing and the Permanent

The Passing and the Permanent – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 54:1 Sing, O barren, you that did not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you that did not travail with child… For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of […]

The Suffering Servant — Vi

The Suffering Servant — Vi – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death: and was numbered with the transgressors; and He bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the […]

The Suffering Servant — V

The Suffering Servant — V – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; and He shall bear their iniquities’  These are all but the closing words of this great prophecy, and are the fitting crown of all […]

The Suffering Servant — Iv

The Suffering Servant — Iv – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 53:10 It pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. We have […]

The Suffering Servant — Ii

The Suffering Servant — Ii – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 53:4 Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His […]

The Suffering Servant — I

The Suffering Servant — I – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He grew up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see Him, […]

Clean Carriers

Clean Carriers – Alexander Maclaren Isaiah 52:11 Depart you, depart you, go you out from there, touch no unclean thing; go you out of the middle of her; be you clean… Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. The context points to a great deliverance. It is a good example of the […]

Saved in Weakness – Dwight Lyman Moody

Saved in Weakness – Dwight Lyman Moody Doctor Andrew Bonar told me how, in the highlands of Scotland, often sheep would wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn’t get out of. The grass on these mountains is very sweet, and the sheep like it, and they will jump down ten […]

Sammy and his Mother – Dwight Lyman Moody

Sammy and his Mother – Dwight Lyman Moody At one time my sister had trouble with her little boy, and the father said, “Why, Sammy, you must go now and ask your mother’s forgiveness.” The little fellow said he wouldn’t. The father says, “You must. If you don’t go and ask your mother’s forgiveness, I […]

Rover – Dwight Lyman Moody

Rover – Dwight Lyman Moody I remember when Dr. Arnold, who has gone to God, was delivering a sermon, he used this illustration. The sermon and text have all gone, but that illustration is fresh upon my mind to-night and brings home the truth. He said, “You have been sometimes out at dinner with a […]

Right Overflow – Dwight Lyman Moody

Right Overflow – Dwight Lyman Moody I remember the morning I came out of my room after I had first trusted Christ, and I thought the old sun shone a good deal brighter than it ever had before; I thought that the sun was just smiling upon me, and I walked out upon Boston Common, […]

Revivals – Dwight Lyman Moody

Revivals – Dwight Lyman Moody Address delivered on Wednesday morning, August 2, 1899, at East Northfield, Mass.THERE is nothing I am more concerned about just now than that GOD should revive His churchin America. I believe it is the only hope for our republic, for I don’t believe that a republicanform of government can last […]

Revelation comments – Dwight Lyman Moody

Revelation comments – Dwight Lyman Moody Chapter 1:10 No day will help thee if thou art not in the spirit of the day. No outward thing however beautiful would give you of itself the sense of beauty. There might be spread before thee the most gorgeous scene on which the eye ever gazed, and there […]

Resisting the Holy Ghost is Not Grieving Him – Dwight Lyman Moody

Resisting the Holy Ghost is Not Grieving Him – Dwight Lyman Moody Let us now consider the sin of “Grieving the Spirit.” Resisting the Holy Ghost is one thing, grieving Him is another. Stephen charged the unbelieving Jews in the 7th chapter of Acts, “Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did, […]

Reservoir of Love – Dwight Lyman Moody

Reservoir of Love – Dwight Lyman Moody We read that the fruit of the Spirit is love. God is love, Christ is love, and we should not be surprised to read about the love of the Spirit. What a blessed attribute is this. May I call it the dome of the temple of the graces. […]

Repentance – Dwight Lyman Moody

Repentance – Dwight Lyman Moody You will find my text tonight in the seventeenth chapter of Acts, part of the thirtieth verse: “And now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.” I have heard a number of complaints about the preaching here in the Tabernacle, that repentance has not been touched upon. The fact is that […]

Rappings in the Dark – Dwight Lyman Moody

Rappings in the Dark – Dwight Lyman Moody I want to say right here, that I think in this day a great many children of God are turning aside and committing a grievous sin. I don’t know as they think it is a sin, but if we examine the Scriptures, I am sure we will […]

Quench Not – Dwight Lyman Moody

Quench Not – Dwight Lyman Moody In 1st Thessalonians, 5th chapter, we are told not to Quench the Spirit. Now, I am confident the cares of the world are coming in and quenching the Spirit with a great many. They say: “I don’t care for the world;” perhaps not the pleasures of the world so […]

 Psalm 23 comments – Dwight Lyman Moody

Psalm 23 comments – Dwight Lyman Moody Psalm 23 comments from D. L. Moody’s Bibles: Psalm 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want” — a lean scraggy sheep with torn limbs & tattered fleece, would be small credit to the shepherd’s care; but unless we will wander from Him, and will not […]

Proverbs comments – Dwight Lyman Moody

Proverbs comments – Dwight Lyman Moody “My son, hear the instruction of Thy Father” 1:8“My son, don’t be enticed by sinners” 1:10“My son, walk not in the way of sinners” 1:15“My son, receive My Words” 2:1“My son, forget not my law” 3:1“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord” 3:11 See also 3:21, 4:10, […]

Prayer Answered – Dwight Lyman Moody

Prayer Answered – Dwight Lyman Moody Only a few years ago, in the city of Philadelphia, there was a mother who had two sons. They were just going as fast as they could to ruin. They were breaking her heart, and she went into a little prayer-meeting and got up and presented them for prayer. […]

 Praising God with One Heart – Dwight Lyman Moody

Praising God with One Heart – Dwight Lyman Moody We find, the very moment that Solomon completed the Temple, when all was finished, they were just praising God with one heart – the choristers and the singers and the ministers were all one; there was not any discord; they were all praising God, and the […]

Power of Love – Dwight Lyman Moody

Power of Love – Dwight Lyman Moody Love is the badge that Christ gave His disciples. Some put on one sort of badge and some another. Some put on a strange kind of dress, that they may be known as Christians, and some put on a crucifix, or something else, that they may be known […]

Power in Operation – Dwight Lyman Moody

Power in Operation – Dwight Lyman Moody The power we have been considering is the Presence of The Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent. Power in operation is the actions of the Spirit or the fruit of the Spirit. This we shall now consider. Paul writes in Galatians 5:16 etc. “This I say then, walk in […]

Power In and Upon – Dwight Lyman Moody

Power In and Upon – Dwight Lyman Moody The Holy Spirit dwelling in us, is one thing; I think this is clearly brought out in Scripture; and the Holy Spirit upon us for service, is another thing. Now there are only three places we find in Scripture that are dwelling places for the Holy Ghost. […]

Power Hindered – Dwight Lyman Moody

Power Hindered – Dwight Lyman Moody Israel, we are told, limited the Holy One of Israel. They vexed and grieved the Holy Spirit, and rebelled against His authority, but there is a special sin against Him, which we may profitably consider. The first description of it is in Matthew 12:22.

Picking up the Bible – Dwight Lyman Moody

Picking up the Bible – Dwight Lyman Moody The hardest thing, I will admit, ever a man had to do is to become a Christian, and yet it is the easiest. This seems to many to be a paradox, but I will repeat it; it is the most difficult thing to become a Christian, and […]

Peace Declared – Dwight Lyman Moody

Peace Declared – Dwight Lyman Moody When France and England were at war, a French vessel had gone off on a long voyage, a whaling voyage; and when they came back, the crew were short of water, and being now near and English port, they wanted to get water; but they were afraid that they […]

Peace – Dwight Lyman Moody

Peace – Dwight Lyman Moody My little boy had some trouble with his sister one Saturday, and he did not want to forgive her. And at night he was going to say his prayers, and I wanted to see how he would say his prayers, and he knelt down by his mother and said his […]

Parting Words – Dwight Lyman Moody

Parting Words – Dwight Lyman Moody But I have another story to tell. It was Ralph Wallace who told me of this one. A certain gentleman was a member of the Presbyterian church. His little boy was sick. When he went home his wife was weeping, and she said, “Our boy is dying; he has […]

Over the River – Dwight Lyman Moody

Over the River – Dwight Lyman Moody A minister who had lost his child asked another minister to come and preach for him. He came and he told how he lived on one side of a river, and felt very little interest in the people on the other side, until his daughter was married and […]

Over the Mountains – Dwight Lyman Moody

Over the Mountains – Dwight Lyman Moody A lady had a little child that was dying. She thought it was resting sweetly in the arms of Jesus. She went into the room, and the child asked her, “What are those clouds and mountains that I see so dark?” “Why, Eddy,” said his mother, “there are […]

 Outflowing Streams – Dwight Lyman Moody 

Outflowing Streams – Dwight Lyman Moody I would like to see some one just full of living water; so full that they couldn’t contain it; that they would have to go out and publish the Gospel of the grace of God. When a man gets so full that he can’t hold any more, then he […]

Other items in the Bibles – Dwight Lyman Moody

 Open the Door – Dwight Lyman Moody 

Open the Door – Dwight Lyman Moody I heard of a little child some time ago who was burned. The mother had gone out and left the three children at home. The eldest left the room, and the remaining two began to play with fire, and set the place in a blaze. When the youngest […]

Off for America – Dwight Lyman Moody

Off for America – Dwight Lyman Moody Previous to my coming across to this great country of ours, I was holding meetings in London. I took my ticket from there to Manchester to bid some friends good-by. When I got to the railway carriage I saw little groups of boys around two little fellows. Their […]

Obedience Explained – Dwight Lyman Moody

Obedience Explained – Dwight Lyman Moody Suppose I say to my boy, “Willie, I want you to go out and bring me a glass of water.” He says he doesn’t want to go. “I didn’t ask you whether you wanted to go or not, Willie; I told you to go.” “But I don’t want to […]

Not Easily Offended – Dwight Lyman Moody

Not Easily Offended – Dwight Lyman Moody In the 119th Psalm and the 165th verse, we find “Great peace have they who love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” The study of God’s Word will secure peace. You take Christians who are rooted and grounded in the Word of God, and you find they […]

 Not a Failure – Dwight Lyman Moody

Not a Failure – Dwight Lyman Moody “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Sometimes it looks as if God’s servants fail. When Herod beheaded John the Baptist, it looked as if John’s mission was a failure. But was it? The voice that rang through the valley of the Jordan rings through the […]

None of Self – Dwight Lyman Moody

None of Self – Dwight Lyman Moody Then you will find all through the Scriptures, when men were filled with the Holy Spirit, they preached Christ and not themselves. They preached Christ and Him crucified. It says in the first chapter of Luke, 67th Verse, speaking of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist:“And his […]

No Real Death – Dwight Lyman Moody

No Real Death – Dwight Lyman Moody “With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation”   (Ps. 91:16). Jesus Christ came into the world to destroy death, and we can say with Paul, if we will, “Oh, death, where is thy sting?” And we can hear a voice rolling down from heaven […]

Christ’s Silence (2)-Andrew Bonar

Christ’s Silence (2) – Andrew Bonar ‘Have I not held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? Isaiah 57:11 IT is, as we would say, an old custom of God’s to keep silence when we would have expected Him to speak. Of old God’s silence was meant to lead men to fear. […]

Christ’s Silence (1)-Andrew Bonar :

Christ’s Silence (1) – Andrew Bonar : ‘A time to keep silence and a time to speak’ Eccles. 3:7We can draw a great deal of instruction from Christ’s silence. ‘Let Christ’s word and silence too Dwell in thy heart,’ A Moravian hymn says. Silence as to things we would like to know about Christ is […]

 Bless the Lord, O my soul! -Andrew Bonar 

Bless the Lord, O my soul! -Andrew Bonar Psalm 103: 1-5. In this psalm we find the Psalmist standing at the golden altar with his harp in his hand, recounting all his mercies. This psalm teaches us adoration. Adoration is not thanksgiving; it is silent wonder. I once saw a striking instance of this in […]

 Are you living within the veil? -Andrew Bonar 

Are you living within the veil? -Andrew Bonar When present affliction strips us of all earthly comforts, so that we can adopt Habbakuk’s words; if it makes us look with in the veil and hear Christ saying, ‘Am I not better than all My gifts?’ then affliction is a blessing.How far will the blessing go?It […]

 Angel Workers-Andrew Bonar : 

Angel Workers-Andrew Bonar : What I write is not a vision, nor a dream; it is an allegory of its kind. You will follow me into another region, to a spot where angels are gathered together in quiet, happy converse. They are all ‘ ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be […]

Andrew Bonar quotes-Andrew Bonar