Godly Contentment:
Like yon little bird upon the tree, he hath fed himself tonight, but he knoweth not where his breakfast will come from tomorrow. He sitteth there while the wind rocks the tree; he shuts his eyes, puts his head under his wing, and sleeps. Then when he awakes in the morning, he sings:
"Mortals cease from toil and sorrow,
God provideth for the morrow."
Abraham:
When Abraham shall rise again at the last day, then he will chide us for our unbelief, and will say – "I had not the hundredth part of the promises that ye have, and yet I believed. That example of Abraham's that we have exceeds all natural and human reason, who, overcoming the paternal love he bore towards his only son Isaac, was all obedient to God and, against the law of nature, would have sacrificed that son. What, for the space of those three days, he felt in his heart: - what hesitations and trials he had – cannot be expressed.
Ministerial Ambition:
Ambition is the rankest poison to the Church when it possesses preachers. It is a consuming fire. The Holy Scriptures are given to mortify the desires of the flesh, therefore, how can we seek honour for the flesh therein? I much marvel for what cause we can be proud and haughty, for we are born in sin, and in every moment in danger of death. Are we proud of our scabs, we who are altogether an unclean thing?
Charity:
There is in Austria a monastery, which in former days, was very rich and remained rich so long as it was charitable to the poor. When it ceased to give, then it became destitute, and so it remains to this day. Not long ago, a poor man went to the door of that place and asked for alms; but this was denied him. He demanded to know why they should not give to the needy who asked in the Name of the Lord, and was told by the Porter at the gate – "We are become destitute and poor ourselves." The beggar then expounded the cause of their poverty: "The cause of your poverty is this, "he told them, "Ye had in former days in this place two brethren; the one was named, give, and other was named, it shall be given you. The first one ye threw out, and the other has left by himself."
Justification:
Because the people were so prone to forget the great doctrine of justification by faith alone, I was obliged to almost knock my Bible against their heads to send it into their hearts.
Witness:
Believest thou?
Then thou wilt speak boldly.
Speakest thou boldly?
Then thou wilt suffer.
Sufferest thou?
Then thou shalt be comforted.
Temptations:
He that will dispute with the devil out of the Law will be beaten and taken captive by him; but he that disputes with him out of the gospel, by the grace of God, conquers him.
God's Appointed Time:
Christ, our blessed Saviour, forbore to preach and teach until the thirtieth year of his age; neither would he openly be heard although the world were full of heresies, idolatries, blasphemies against God His Father, and many impieties. It was a wonderful thing that He could abstain, and with patience endure them, until the time came when He was to appear in His office and work.
Temptation:
When tempted by the devil on one occasion that my sins were too black and numerous to be forgiven, I asked him to show me the scroll on which he had recorded them. "Are these all?" I asked him; and he brought another. "But are there not yet more?" I enquired; and he brought another. "And more?" said I, and again he brought another list. "Now," said I, "Take your pen, and write across the bottom of them all – 'The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses me from all sin.'!
Truth:
A Christian must be well-armed, grounded, and furnished with portions of God's Word, so that he might stand and defend the gospel and himself against the devil in case he should be asked to embrace another doctrine.
Persecution:
Be assured of it – Cain will be on murdering Able so long as the Church of Christ is on this earth.