Weekly Article (Page 33)

What has been the deepest, darkest experience in your life, the time when you felt the worst emotions, perhaps to the point of utter despair? For Jeremiah and his contemporaries in Judah, it was the destruction of Jerusalem. The death of the city was absolutely crushing.

Do you really understand Christmas? Because if you really understand Christmas, the first thing you want to do is to give thanks to God. You can’t hold it in. You’ve got to praise Him.

(1) Labour to know God aright. “We cannot love that which we do not know.” God is the most comprehensive good; all excellencies which lie scattered in the creature, are united in Him; He is optimus maximus. Wisdom, beauty, riches, love, all concentrate in Him. How fair was that tulip which had the colors of all tulips in it! All perfections and sweetnesses are eminently…

(1) God’s benefits bestowed on us. If a prince bestows continual favours on a subject, and that subject has any sincerity, he cannot but love his prince. God is constantly heaping benefits upon us, “filling our hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17. As streams of water out of the rock followed Israel wherever they went, so God’s blessings follow us every day. We…

(6) He who loves God, prefers Him before estate and life. [1] Before estate. “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things.” Phil 3:8. Who that loves a rich jewel, would not part with a flower for it? Galeacius, marquis of Vico, parted with a large estate to enjoy God in his pure ordinances. When a Jesuit persuaded him to return to his popish religion in Italy,…

(4) He who loves God cannot live without Him. Things we love we cannot be without. A man can do without music or flowers — but not food. Just so, a soul deeply in love with God looks upon himself as undone without him. “Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down into the pit.” Psalm 143:7. He says as Job, “I went mourning without the sun;” chapter…

(1) He who loves God desires his presence. Lovers cannot be long asunder, they soon have their fainting fits, for lack of a sight of the object of their love. A soul deeply in love with God desires the enjoyment of him in his ordinances, in Word, prayer, and sacraments. David was ready to faint away and die when he had not a sight of God. “My soul faints for God.”…

A Paraphrase on the Lord’s Prayer, in Scripture Expressions 2. Hallowed be Your Name And now, what is our wish? What is our request? (Esther 5:6) What do we want You to do for us? (Matt 20:32) This is our heart’s desire and prayer in the first place: (Rom 10:1) Father in heaven, let Your name be sanctified. We pray that you may be glorified as a holy God. (Lev 10:3)…

A Paraphrase on the Lord’s Prayer, in Scripture Expressions 1. Our Father in heaven (continued) Enable us to come to You with humble boldness and confidence, (Ephesians 3:12) as to a Father, a tender Father, who spares us as a man spares his son who serves him; (Malachi 3:17) and as having an Advocate with the Father, (1 John 2:1)  who yet has told us that the…

A Paraphrase on the Lord’s Prayer, in Scripture Expressions The Lord’s prayer being intended not only for a form of prayer itself, but a rule of direction, a plan or model in little, by which we may frame our prayers; and the expressions being remarkably concise and yet vastly comprehensive, it will be of good use sometimes to lay it before us, and observing the…