May 2nd, 1831

My dear Brother,

I was very glad to hear by your last letter that your wife has safely delivered another son; and I hope that he will prove a blessing to you both. God’s mercies have been great and manifold towards you in this life, and I pray that they may not prove snares. The children of God almost always flourish more in trials and difficulties than in the sunshine of health and prosperity. The promise is, “As your days, so shall your strength be”; consequently, if there are not trials within from Satan’s temptations, or afflictions and persecutions from without, we would not call upon God heartily for help. So when we pray for grace, we at the same time ask for trials. In the case when Paul prayed that the messenger of Satan might depart from him, the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” “Most gladly, therefore,” he adds, “will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” So the Lord answered his prayer, not as Paul asked; but he was content that it should be so, that he might enjoy more of the power of Christ in his own soul.

Your last letter was very short, and you never gave your opinion respecting the important change I contemplate about leaving the Establishment. My mind is perplexed upon the subject, which I believe will end in my leaving. “But he who believes shall not make haste.” I trust that God will direct me. I can assure you that the…

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AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR DIVINE WORSHIP; DESIGNED FOR PRIVATE DEVOTIONS, FAMILY GATHERINGS AND CHURCH MEETINGS.

Sermon—“What Manner Of Man Is This?”

For the full order of service, including hymns and reading, please follow this link…

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AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR DIVINE WORSHIP; DESIGNED FOR PRIVATE DEVOTIONS, FAMILY GATHERINGS AND CHURCH MEETINGS.

Sermon—“The Everlasting Father”

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Some of the points covered in this sermon:
• Reviewing the three main parts of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah, as recorded in Isaiah 9:6
• Explaining the difference between the first Person of the Godhead identified as the “Father”, and the second Person of the Godhead identified as the “Everlasting Father”
• Showing how Christ is the Everlasting Father of creation
• Showing how Christ is the Everlasting Father of providence
• Showing how Christ is the Everlasting Father of the elect as their covenant head
• Showing how Christ is the Everlasting Father of the elect in regeneration and sanctification
• Showing how Christ is the Everlasting Father of the new administration of the gracious covenant

For the full order of service, including hymns and reading, please follow this link…

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AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR DIVINE WORSHIP; DESIGNED FOR PRIVATE DEVOTIONS, FAMILY GATHERINGS AND CHURCH MEETINGS.

Sermon—“Falling Into Trouble”

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Some of the points covered in this sermon:
• Providing a definition for the Greek verb, peripiptō, translated in the English as “fall into” and “fell among”
• Highlighting the historic and geographical context for each of the three references in which this Greek verb occurs—Luke 10:30; Acts 27:41; James 1:2
• Making a comparison between these three texts for the purpose of drawing out several interesting connections and practical lessons
• First, historically speaking, there is a 15 year gap between each of the three texts
• Second, the first text is a parabolic lesson, the second text is a historic event and the third text is a pastoral exhortation
• Third, Jesus uses the term in Luke 10, which the words are recorded by Luke; Luke uses the term in Acts 27, but he is recording an event relating to Paul; James uses the word in his letter, but He is addressing a group of believers who had fallen into troubles
• Fourth, in all three texts, that into which something had fallen was very unpleasant
• Fifth, in all three texts, that into which something had fallen created a serious crisis
• Sixth, in all three texts, they who had fallen into something had opportunity to avoid it
• Seventh, in all three texts, they who had fallen inevitably did so according to the will of God
• Eighth, in all three texts, they who had fallen were delivered out of all their troubles by the Lord

For the full order of service, including hymns and reading, please follow this link…

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“If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted?”—Genesis 4:7

I. It will be proper to inquire, whether a wicked, an unregenerate man, as was Cain, can perform good works. To which may be answered,

1. Adam had a power to do every good work the law required; which men, since the fall, have not. Men indeed, in an unregenerate state, might do many things which they do not; such as reading the Scriptures, attending on public worship, etc. No doubt but the persons in the parable, who were invited to the dinner, could have gone to it, had they had a will, as well as the one did to his farm, and the other to his merchandise. Men have an equal power, had they an heart, a will, an inclination, to go to a place of divine worship, as to a tavern, or alehouse; but it is easy to observe, that persons oftentimes have it…

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AN ORDER OF SERVICE FOR DIVINE WORSHIP; DESIGNED FOR PRIVATE DEVOTIONS, FAMILY GATHERINGS AND CHURCH MEETINGS.

Sermon—“He Expounded All Things”

For the full order of service, including hymns and reading, please follow this link…

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Preached at North Street Chapel, Stamford, on Lord’s Day Morning, Dec. 8, 1861

These words which, as uttered by my voice, are still sounding in your ears, form a part of the message sent by the Lord Jesus Christ through his servant John to the angel of the church of Smyrna. This, I need not tell you, was one of the seven churches in Asia to which special messages were addressed by the Lord Jesus when he appeared to John in the Isle of Patmos. In that lonely isle, whither John had been banished “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ,” he had a glorious vision of the Son of God, and by him was bidden to write to the seven churches. It is the opinion of some learned, and, I may add (which is of greater authority), of some gracious interpreters of God’s word—I need only mention among the latter as a proof of my assertion the revered names of Dr. Gill and Mr. Huntington— that these seven churches of Asia Minor have a prophetical aspect; in other words, that they represent seven church states which were to intervene between the apostolic age and the consummation of all things, when our Lord shall come a second time without sin unto salvation. I shall not occupy much of your time in stating the various arguments used to establish this position, more especially as it is not one much commended to my conscience. But they view it thus. They argue that as the Revelation is wholly a prophetical book, it would be very strange and unsuitable to its title if the three first chapters contained in them nothing prophetical; that the glorious appearance of Christ to introduce these messages seems scarcely necessary to send messages to a few particular churches; and that promises are contained in them which seem…

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My dear Friend in the glorious Head of the Church,—I received your epistle, and am greatly obliged to you for it. I was sorry to learn that our dear brother Martin was so ill, but much pleased and profited to find that our blessed Lord so sweetly and powerfully supported his mind.

Indeed, in very deed, there is no God like the God of Jeshurun. None can save like him; none can succour, comfort, and support like him; no, nor can any one give timely reproof like him. Through the rich aboundings of his matchless grace, I have in thousands of instances proved him to be a very present help in time of trouble; yea, and have proved his very reproofs to be mercies. Our covenant God has treasured up in Christ, our glorious Head, an indescribable fulness of all…

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