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The Perfect Man And His Peaceful End
“Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.”—Ps. 37:3 "All’s well that ends well." Many things in this life that promise fair miserably disappoint our expectations. Fine mornings not unfrequently end in stormy evenings. Our desire is to end well. We would rather have a rough passage, with a safe entrance into the haven of rest, than never so smooth a voyage, with shipwreck at its close. With Dr. Watts we sing:— "Let cares, like a wild deluge, come, And storms of sorrow fall; May I but safely reach my home, My God, my heaven, my all." Our text draws our attention to a man who ends well. Mark this man, for his end is peace. The…
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What Confidence Is This Wherein Thou Trustest
There is no more important question in the whole Word of God than this, and it is your mercy and mine if we know the answer. This was a day of darkness, sorrow and blasphemy, Jerusalem surrounded by an invading army, death and destruction staring them in the face, and this question was hurled at godly King Hezekiah in a way of scorn, in a way of contempt: “What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?” Hezekiah knew the answer, and beloved friends, it is your mercy and mine if we do. We think first of all of this vital question concerning the everlasting salvation of our souls. Now, what confidence is this wherein we trust? In other words, what hope have we that our sins…
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A Vision Of The Way To Heaven
Our text speaks of the way to the kingdom of God as being one of much tribulation. Now I received the message, which I believe the Lord has given me to deliver to you this morning, in a singular manner. It came to me in a dream on Friday night. Without further preface I shall now proceed as simply as possible to narrate my dream. All the inhabitants of the world appeared before me in an extensive open plain. As I gazed, I perceived there were great differences among them of race, locality, refinement, religion, colour, and riches. Great masses were sunk in poverty and vice. Still, there seemed plenty of gaiety, animation, and even happiness, among considerable sections. Besides, the vast plain where they…
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The Christian’s Life And The Christian’s Death
How vast is the difference between the man who is a Christian and the man who is not a Christian! For to the Christian to live is Christ, and for him to die is gain. On the contrary, the man who is not a Christian lives to self and the world—whatever may be his profession; and for him to die in that state is loss of all his hopes, the loss of all his happiness, the loss of all his possessions, and the loss of his immortal soul; and, "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36, 37). May the Lord seal…
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Why Do We Mourn Departed Saints
The Apostle Paul instructed the churches at Colosse to teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. And that's what I intend to do by explaining the meaning of this hymn—Why Do We Mourn Departed Saints? I like to explain the meaning of the hymn against the backdrop of the Framework of Sovereign Grace, which is God's master plan for the ages. You'll notice the hymn was written by Isaac Watts. This was an 18th century sovereign grace Congregational preacher, also known as the father of Hymnody. Now, there's three stanzas to the hymn. I’d like to read them to you.
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Book 3: Chapter 25, Of The Last Resurrection.
Although Christ, the Sun of righteousness, shining upon us through the gospel, has, as Paul declares, after conquering death, given us the light of life; and hence on believing we are said to have passed from “death unto life,” being no longer strangers and pilgrims, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, who has made us sit with his only begotten Son in heavenly places, so that nothing is wanting to our complete felicity; yet, lest we should feel it grievous to be exercised under a hard warfare, as if the victory obtained by Christ had produced no fruit, we must attend to what is elsewhere taught concerning the nature of hope. For since we hope for what we see…
