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Called By A New Name
This is predicted of the church of God; which, according to covenant-transactions of the glorious Trinity, stands in the nearest and dearest relation to Jesus her head. She is here spoken of as a single person, ‘Thou.’ She is called ‘Christ’s body,’ and ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ (Rev. 21:9) Of whom, saith God the Father, ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love.’ (Jer. 31:3.) Yea, saith the Son of God to his Father, of all his beloved members, ‘Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me; and thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.’ (John 17:23,24.) Oh most comforting truths of God’s word: how ancient is the love of God to his church! That God should love us miserable sinners…
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The Dying Thief
Was there ever such a display of the riches of sovereign grace! Nothing but grace reigns here! Man’s merit has no part. Just consider the character of the dying thief. He is described as a malefactor, an evil doer. Whenever I have mentioned the dying thief over the years, and we have had visitors from Holland, they have always been surprised, because they say that the Dutch version speaks of him as the murderer, the dying murderer. He had nothing, not one claim upon the justice of God or the mercy of God. If you look in one of the other gospels, we are told that both the thieves reviled the dying Saviour, casting scorn upon Him, saying, “If Thou be the Son of God,…
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Salvation
Trusting in the Spirit of truth to guide me into the truth as it is in Jesus, my heart is moved to write to the saved in Christ, of salvation. In doing so, the Bible alone must decide everything pertaining to salvation, but when this is done, then the testimony of godly and eminent writers among the saved, may be taken as confirmatory of this salvation in its power and comfort. Notwithstanding the overwhelming testimony of the holy Scriptures, that beside God there is no Savior, and that according to his mercy and by his grace he saves us, yet there has ever been a dispute in the world about salvation, and the principle and way of salvation. So it is well that we look…
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The Work Of The Holy Spirit
I have lately perused a treatise on the work of the Holy Spirit, not long since published, by Mr. John Howard Hinton, the design of which is to prove that there is in man an inherent power to repent, believe, and perform all the commands of God, without the aid of the Spirit. Mr. Hinton does not, however, deny the necessity of the Spirit’s influence; on the contrary, he goes so far as to allow that no man ever was or ever will be converted, without it. Although the whole of this system is as old as the days of Pelagius, our ingenious author has given it the air of novelty, and adorned it so artfully, that many knowing persons are unwittingly captivated with its…
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The Righteous Robe And Vine
FOR A COMPLETE ORDER OF WORSHIP, INCLUDING BIBLE READING, HYMNS AND SERMON...
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Book 3: Chapter 3, Regeneration By Faith. Of Repentance
1. Although we have already in some measure shown how faith possesses Christ, and gives us the enjoyment of his benefits, the subject would still be obscure were we not to add an exposition of the effects resulting from it. The sum of the Gospel is, not without good reason, made to consist in repentance and forgiveness of sins; and, therefore, where these two heads are omitted, any discussion concerning faith will be meager and defective, and indeed almost useless. Now, since Christ confers upon us, and we obtain by faith, both free reconciliation and newness of life, reason and order require that I should here begin to treat of both. The shortest transition, however, will be from faith to repentance; for repentance being properly…
