Login / Free Registration

We apologize for the need for an account, but it serves to protect the integrity of the works and prevent their being used without permission.

Service to Christ.

THERE is much that the Lord's true servants do which no human eye takes knowledge of. What they do they are to do as to the Lord, and to look for reward from Him; learning also to have fellowship with Christ in His sufferings and service.

It is our wisdom not to seek praise of men: if, in our intercourse with saints, rather than look after a good name, we seek to approve ourselves to God, a good name will surely follow us.

Look not at the quantity, but at the quality of your service, whatsoever that service may be. If it be preaching, preaching is not the first thing: the heart must first be kept; then two or three words spoken in the power of the Spirit may avail more than many a long discourse.

 

Forgiveness.

PETER said to our Lord, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, until seven times?" (Matt. xviii, 21,22.) What warrant had Peter for saying, "How oft?" Had he been standing at the foot of Mount Sinai, he might have said, "How oft?" Standing in the covenant of grace, we say, " Seventy times seven."

If we be called to judge offending brethren, we should judge before the Mercy-seat. There we are self-judged, as oft offending and oft; forgiven.

Those injuries are often hardest to forgive which are only known to the injured and the wrong-doer.

If others act with want of uprightness towards us, and we are irritated, it is a proof that we are then dealing rather with the creature than with God.

Those are the best fitted for the work of reproof, who are severe against themselves, but gentle towards others; whilst such as are forward to reprove most need reproof them­selves.

 

Poverty of Spirit.

WE must live as beggars upon the love of Christ; we are never safe from snares but as we are thus poor in spirit.

Christ was the only one who could, without a struggle, be content to be "a worm, and no man." (Ps. xxii. 6.)

The self-exalted person as much degrades himself in God's sight, as he exalts himself in his own.

We sink into nothingness as we grow up into Christ.

To grow in poverty of spirit is truly to grow in grace: "Without Me ye can do nothing." (John xv. 5.)

If we be sitting at the feet of Jesus, all carnal boasting is excluded, we have His mind of wisdom in all things, and cannot behave ourselves unseemly.

No rest have we for the sole of our foot except in Christ; and whenever a poor needy one seeks Him, He deals by such an one as did Noah by the dove. Noah put forth his hand and took her in unto him into the ark.

If we upbraid ourselves, Christ justifies. If we be dumb in our own defence, He opens His mouth to plead our cause, and our wounded hearts He binds up.

If I be content to be nothing, I cannot take offence; and when I am really humble, and know myself a worm, I shall not complain if trampled on.

Pride nourishes the remembrance of in­juries: humility forgets as well as forgives them.

Lot never drew near enough to God to know his own heart; it was Abraham, and not Lot, who said, I am but "dust and ashes."

(Gen. xviii. 27.)

 

Evil Passions.

 

OH, how unseemly in a Christian are murmurings, envyings, and such like!  If we look beneath the surface we shall find the root of these things to be unmortified pride, and a conscience not purged. 

 

Pride never stoops but to take a higher flight.

The drunkard, the murderer, the idolater, cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. The sins of such are counted great even by the natural conscience; but covetousness, who condemns it?  Yet the man who thirsts for gold is alike with the murderer accursed from God.

Satan gets no more advantage over us than we allow him.

It is one of Satan's great aims to seduce the children of God and the servants of Christ into error; if he cannot do that, he will tempt them to keep back part of the truth, or to dwell upon any other part rather than Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

The sum of man's excellency is "dust and ashes:"  nevertheless, Satan deludes men into thinking themselves something; he helps them to carnal self-amendment and self-improve­ment, and so makes them blind to their true state before God.

 

Self-Knowledge and Self-Judgment.

TRUE Self-judgment shuts out the adversary.

The more we exercise ourselves in Self-judgment, the more will the flesh in us be discerned by ourselves, and the less will it be seen by others.

In our exercise of Self-judgment, we should keep our eye upon the Advocate with the Father, else we shall have a self-vexing con­science which profits not.

Self-examination is a solemn and profitable business: it should mainly consist in this, "My soul, believest thou? lovest thou?" (Heb. xi. 6; iii. 12, 13; John xiii. 34,35; Rom. xiii. 10; 1 Cor. xiii.)

The custom of Self-judgment is among the best of spiritual habits.

"The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed" (1 Sam. ii. 3). Because God tries the heart, therefore, in instances innumerable, God's judgment con­demns where man may approve and praise.

The oftener we invite Him with whom we have to do to use the keen edge of "the sword of the Spirit" in our own consciences, the less will there be in us for Satan's fiery darts to fix upon.

If we better considered that "we have an Advocate with the Father" (1 John u. 1), we should not go far from the paths of the Lord and the presence of God. This Advocate speaks to the pity and love as well as to the holiness of the Father. It was the Advocate who said, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. xxvi, 41). He knows all our circumstances, and the power of temptation and trial. Let it be the first business of the conscience to think of this "Advocate with the Father ;" then what child of God will be slow to make confession whenever it is due?

Each one of us has in himself some especially besetting evil-a weight to be laid aside. (Heb. xii. 1.)

Let me ask the Lord to give me self-knowledge; for self-knowledge, though a painful, is a necessary thing, worth all the trouble of the search, and all the mortification it may cost me.

When Israel suffers defeat before Ai, it is time to do what should indeed have been done before: to search out the Achan in the camp. (See Joshua vii.)

When I see a brother overtaken in a fault, let me beware of my own besetments, and seek to restore him in the spirit of meekness.

 

Humility and Self-Abasement.

SELF-HUMILIATION brings with it tenderness of spirit; and as we sink in our own esteem, the Lord fulfils in us that precious promise, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word" (Isa.Ixvi. 2).

If we be self-loathed, we shall be willing, when brought low, to sink lower still. (2 Sam. xv. 25, 26.)

He that is self-abased before God, and so carries himself humbly towards others, must obtain honour; but if any child of God exalt himself, sure as God is, shame will come of that self-exaltation.

Our reputation is the last thing we are will­ing to lose: we cleave to it even when, in point of justification and peace with God, we have counted our own righteousness filthy rags. Let the saints take heed to their walk before God and man; but this done, so that they have in all things a conscience void of offence, let them account their reputation God's jewel, not their own.

Knowledge often exceeds grace; but com­munion with God and poverty of Spirit go together: if the one decline, so will the other.

The low place is the safe place; and what­ever the tribulation, it will surely bring its blessings, God being trusted.

Samson was never so strong as when, through his own folly brought low and put to shame, he said, "Strengthen me, I pray Thee, O God, only this once" (Jud. xvi. 28).

We are wont to consider David's slaying Goliath a great deed of faith, and such it was; but more to be admired is David's dominion over himself that marked his course. His blemishes and sins were not his character.

Confidence in God and self-distrust are sure companions.

It is true humility and true holiness to judge ourselves dead and buried-with Christ as children of the first Adam, whatever the flesh within us; and as children of God raised up together with Christ, and seated with Him, the last Adam, the head of the new creation. We thus discern, and subdue, and loathe the flesh, which, though crucified with Christ in the account of God and of faith, is ever struggling to regain lost dominion. Satan, taking occasion by the flesh, would cast us down in the spirit of our minds from our heavenly places. Resist­ing him in faith, we wage the war of Eph. vi. Good soldiers of Christ will have the peace of God ruling in their hearts. They cannot but live in peace; for the God of love and peace is with them. Schism and division proclaim the victories and triumphs of Satan. Would God we were all by His Spirit awakened to consider these things! The day is at hand that will make us and our ways all manifest; and we ourselves shall then no more mistake the talk of the lips for the obedience of faith.