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March 12—Morning Devotion
"Followers of them, who through faith and patience, inherit the promises."—Hebrews 6:12 How gracious is the Holy Ghost, in not only holding forth to the people of Jesus the blessedness and certainty of the promises, but opening to our view multitudes, who are now in glory, in the full enjoyment of them. My soul, dost thou ask how they lived, when upon earth, in the full prospect, before that they were called upon to enter heaven for the full participation of them? Hear what the blessed Spirit saith concerning it in this sweet scripture. "It was through faith and patience." Now observe how these blessed principles manifested themselves. Another part of scripture explains—"they all died in faith, not having received the promises; but having seen…
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Article 4 – The Covenant Of Grace
Articles Of The Faith And Order Of A Primitive Or Strict And Particular Baptist Church Of The Lord Jesus Christ, Based On The Declaration Of Faith And Practice Of John Gill, D. D., 1720 IV. The Covenant of Grace. We believe that, before the world began, a Divine and gracious arrangement was made between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to determine and secure the salvation of sinners, which is scripturally designated the Covenant of Grace.[1] We believe that, from eternity, the Father loved a multitude whom no man can number, whom He chose, sanctified, and predestinated to eternal salvation, and to “the adoption of children” in and by the Son.[2] We believe that the Son, by Covenant, gave Himself up into His…
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February 18—Morning Devotion
"And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."—Jeremiah 32:40 Precious consideration to a poor exercised soul, that a covenant God in Christ, hath not only engaged for himself, but undertaken for his people also. God will not, and his people shall not. My soul, take a short view of the foundation of this precious, precious promise. It is God's everlasting love, everlasting grace, everlasting covenant. And remember, the Author of it is not changeable as thou art: "with Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Moreover, it is purchased by the blood, sealed in the…
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Article 3 – The Federal Headship Of Adam, And Human Guilt And Depravity
Articles Of The Faith And Order Of A Primitive Or Strict And Particular Baptist Church Of The Lord Jesus Christ, Based On The Declaration Of Faith And Practice Of John Gill, D. D., 1720 III.The Federal Headship of Adam, and Human Guilt and Depravity. We believe that God created the first man, Adam, after His own image and in His own likeness, an innocent, upright, and holy being, capable of serving and glorifying Him,[1] but that he, sinning, all his posterity sinned in him, and have come “short of the glory of God the guilt of whose sin is imputed to, and whose corrupt nature is derived by, all that descend from him by ordinary and natural generation,[2] so that all men are under sentence…
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February 12—Morning Devotion
"And the Lord shut him in."—Genesis 7:16 It was a sweet invitation to the patriarch Noah, when the Lord called him to the ark. Jehovah did not say, go thou into the ark; but, "Come." So saith Jesus to his people: "Come with me, from Lebanon, my spouse; with me, from Lebanon." Yes, precious Jesus, to be with thee is heaven; for thou thyself art the heaven of the soul. But observe further, my soul: when Noah had entered the ark, what kept him there? "The Lord shut him in." Yes, neither bolts nor bars were his security; but God himself, in his covenant engagements, kept him. The patriarch could no more get out, than the unbelieving carnal throng (who perhaps hung about the ark…
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The Saddest Chapter: Three Curses, Three Blessings And Three Promises From Genesis 3
Genesis 3 has a strong claim to being the saddest chapter in the Bible. With the fall of man begins every sorrow and pain. Here is the source, the genesis and origin of the hurt of every injury, the tears of every hungry child, the suffering of sickness, disease and death in every generation. Man is born to trouble, and nature is red in tooth and claw, because of the events recorded here. More, the souls of countless men and women have been consigned to eternal separation and everlasting punishment because of Adam’s act of disobedience against God. Surely, the depth, breadth and degree of human suffering in both this life and the next that flow from the events recorded here is beyond reckoning. But,…
