That Last River Which We All Must Pass Over!

From Grace Gems yesterday...

That Last River Which We All Must Pass Over!

The Israelites were necessitated first to pass over the Jordan River, before they could enter Canaan, the promised land. But no sooner had the feet of the priests, who bore the ark of the covenant, rested in the water--but the proud waves saw it and fled, and the swelling streams were driven back, and congealed in heaps to enable them to pass over with safety.

Every child of God resembles an Israelite in this respect; he is passing through the wilderness of this world, and traveling to the land of promise. DEATH is that Jordan River which runs between this wilderness world--and our heavenly Canaan. Death is that swelling stream which overflows the banks of every mortal creature. It is that last river which we all must pass over!

But this is the happiness which believers have--that Jesus Christ, our High Priest, who bears the everlasting covenant upon His shoulders, has already dipped His feet in the streams of this water, so that the streams of bitterness are diverted, the sting of death plucked out, the waters of the salt sea dried up; yes, the power of the curse cut off, so that death is but a sure step to glory!

Why then am I afraid to die? The channel is dry! I see the footsteps of my Savior at the bottom--and Heaven and happiness on the other side! The waters cannot overwhelm my soul!

They may go over my sins,
They may go over my foes,
They may go over my miseries,
They may go over my troubles,
                 but my soul shall pass over to its eternal rest!

Lord, therefore fit and sanctify me for death--and then take down my earthly tent. I cannot be with You too soon!

"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!" Philippians 1:23

Thomas Sherman 

The Restless Bed

Here is an excerpt from James Smith’s Food for Hungry Souls. This was sent out by Grace Gems last week and is worth taking the time to read and then meditate on what he said.

[I have added some comments throughout]

The Restless Bed

• What is sown now--will be reaped in eternity.
• Eternal life is the free gift of a gracious God.
• Eternal punishment is the just wages of eternal sin.
• We deserve Hell now [this is an important point that we would all do well to remember]--but we may escape it by fleeing to Jesus.
•  If we refuse to do so--then we can only expect to reap the fruit of our folly. 
• Heaven is the gift of God's grace--but Hell is the wages of sin. [see Romans 6:23]
• Every sinner makes his own Hell. In this light, let us look at the words of the Psalmist:

"If I make my bed in Hell." Psalm 139:8

THE RESIDENCE. "In Hell." 

WHAT is Hell?

• Hell is the prison--in which the prisoners of God's justice are confined.
• Hell is where punishment is inflicted on all who die at enmity with God.
• Hell is the place where Satan acts the part of the chief tormentor.
• Hell is the place where conscience, armed with terrible power, torments the guilty soul.
• Hell is the place where reflection, aided by a strong and tenacious memory, afflicts without mercy or cessation.
• Hell is the place where God frowns justly and eternally on the naked soul.
• Hell is the place where everything calculated to . . .satiate with terror, fill with agony, and
  torture with pain, exist.
• While everything calculated to inspire hope, give pleasure, or impart relief--is excluded forever.

WHO is in Hell?

• Satan and his demons--all those foul, wicked, and degraded spirits--who are filled with envy, malice, and enmity against God and man.
• All unrepentant sinners--of all classes, creeds, places, and periods.
• All who have . . .stained the world with their crimes, afflicted others with their cruelties, and degraded themselves by their vices.
• All the lowest, vilest, and basest of the human race!
• God is there too, in his glorious majesty, almighty power, impartial justice, and awesome holiness! O how it will aggravate the sufferings of the lost--to have God's eye always fixed upon them, and the justice, holiness, and majesty of God ever shining before them!

[This is a point we often overlook; I have heard many people say that Hell will be Hell because God is not there, but I contend that Hell is Hell because God is there, and those in Hell will face His holiness and justice and wrath against sin, in their fullness, without the shield of Jesus Christ, for all eternity – that is what makes Hell Hell]

WHAT is in Hell?

• Justice with its flaming sword--is there.
• Memory stored with the whole history of one’s life--is there.
• The worm that gnaws the vitals of the soul, but never dies--is there.
• The fire that cannot be quenched, which tortures but never destroys our nature--is there.

• But there is no Bible there.
• There is no gospel with its joyful sound.
• There is no gentle, loving Savior.
• There is no loving friend or dear relation.
• There is nothing to lessen or alleviate suffering!
• Hell concentrates in itself, all the elements of misery, degradation, wretchedness and woe!

THE REST. "My bed." "If I make my bed in Hell."

• Rest in Hell? A bed in Hell? What kind of a bed could that be?
• A bed composed of the thorns of bitter reflection.
• A bed made up of the terrible inflictions of incensed justice.
• A bed embracing . . .the horrors of a guilty conscience, the blackness and darkness of despair, the ceaseless outpouring of the vials of the wrath of God!
• This bed is . . .ever heaving--like the restless ocean; ever sinking--like a millstone, in the bottomless depths; ever burning--like a lake of liquid brimstone; and ever inflicting torments--beyond description or conception.
• "MY bed"--the bed I procured by a life of sin.
• "MY bed"--the bed I deserve for rejecting the Savior, and neglecting the great salvation.
• "MY bed"--the bed awarded me by a just and holy God.
• My OWN bed--the only bed I can claim; the only bed I can expect; that bed for which I labored; and which is the righteous wages of my sin.
• My OWN bed--the only bed I shall have forever!
• My OWN bed--on which there can be no rest day nor night. Ever wakeful, ever weary, ever cursing and condemning myself--here on my infernal bed--I am doomed, and justly doomed to lie forever!

THE EMPLOYMENT. "If I make my bed in Hell."

Every man makes his own bed, and on the bed he makes for himself--he must forever lie.

What are sinners on earth doing? Making their bed in Hell!

• Drunkard--you are making your bed in Hell, and a terrible bed it will be!
• Dishonest man, by your tricks in trade, and various dishonest practices--you are making your bed in Hell, and an awful bed it will be!
• Liar, by your falsehoods and deception--you are making your bed in Hell--and a liar's bed will burn with brimstone and with fire!
• Profane swearer--you also are preparing for yourself, a dreadful couch!
• Promiscuous man--the lusts you indulge now, will entwine about your soul like serpents, and sting and poison you, on your bed in Hell forever!
• Hypocrite, pretending to be religious, when you know that you are not--I suppose few will have a more racking or torturing bed to lie on forever--than you will!
• Careless sinner--you are making your bed in Hell, and you will perhaps repent of it when it is too late.
• Trifling professor, worldly-minded church member--you too are making your bed in Hell, and it is to be feared that many will go from the church of God on earth--to be tormented forever on a bed in Hell!

There is a Hell--an eternal Hell. Justice provided it originally for the devil and his demons--but there is room in it for rebellious men, and if they die impenitent--they will be forever doomed to it! No one will have a place in Hell, who does not richly merit and deserve it. Hell is just wages--for present sinful work. "The wages of sin is death"--eternal death. O terrible thought, to be working so hard on earth--only to receive the wages of eternal punishment in Hell!

"If I make my bed in Hell."

• Young man--what if you should make your bed in Hell? It will be your own act and deed.
• Young woman--what if you should make your bed in Hell? And you may--for the dance, the ball-room, pride of dress, and neglect of God, without any grosser vices--will be sufficient to prepare for you a bed in Hell!
• Aged man--what if you should make your bed in Hell? What a dreadful close--to a long and trying life on earth.
• Aged woman--is it possible that you should make your bed in Hell? It is--and more than possible!
• Religious man--what if you should make your bed in Hell? What if after all your prayers, sacraments, and contributions to religious societies--your bed should be in Hell! And it will--if you are not found in Christ!

It does not matter--whether young or old, whether professor or profane--unless you are washed in the blood of Jesus;unless you are sanctified by the Spirit of God; unless you are reconciled to God by the death of His Son--you will certainly make your bed in Hell.

Look well to it, then, I beseech you--that you have saving faith in Christ, and that you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit--for without true holiness, no one can see the Lord. [see Hebrews 12:14] Without holiness--you will certainly make your bed in Hell!

~James Smith

The Poor Creature Went On Eating The Cheese!

Here is a quote by the great preacher Charles Spurgeon that was sent out the other morning by the folks at Grace Gems:

"A mouse was caught by its tail in a trap the other day--and the poor creature went on eating the cheese!

"Many people are dong the same. They know that they are guilty before God, and they dread their punishment--but they go on nibbling at their beloved sins!

'Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows!' Galatians 6:7"

A Child Is In The Well!

Here is an article from James Smith that was posted yesterday by Grace Gems:

A Child is in the Well!

by James Smith, 1860

My brother sometimes sends me a subject for my pen, and a letter just received from him contains the following account:

"A child is in the well! A child is in the well!" It is now more than fifty years since I heard that cry. It was a terrible scream, and it is as fresh in my memory, as when it was first uttered by that affrighted woman. A boy had been sent by his mother to the well to draw water, and had taken his little brother with him, and while he was engaged in drawing it, the child unperceived by him--was looking down into the well, and fell in! The wonder was that he was not killed in the descent, by striking against the large iron bucket. The excitement was great. The neighborhood was aroused, and all were filled with alarm, as the well was unusually deep. But it happened that a young woman came for water at the very moment, and in her fright she dashed her pitcher to pieces, and screamed out, "A child is in the well! A CHILD IS IN THE WELL!"
 

This piercing cry reached the ear, and entered the heart of a laboring man, who was at his dinner nearby. He flew to the rescue, and without stopping to consider his danger--descended by the chain, just in time to catch the child, as it was sinking under the water for the third time!

Now all were at work to get the man and the child up in safety, ropes and ladders were procured, and success crowned the efforts of the kind-hearted neighbors. The child was put into the arms of its distracted mother, and the poor man was praised for his kindness and courage.

But who shall say how much depended upon that cry--that tearful scream of a woman, "A child is in the well?" The child's life hung upon that cry. Another minute--and the child would have certainly drowned! But,

            "Not a single shaft can hit, until the God of love sees fit!"

The cry of that affrighted woman aroused the man, the man fled to the rescue, the child was saved from drowning--but the hand of God was not seen or acknowledged, until years rolled on! For more than thirty years, that child has been a preacher of the gospel, and has written many useful works. He has been the instrument in the hand of a wonder-working God, of rescuing many poor ungodly sinners from a far deeper well. Through that child, thousands have heard of the name and fame of Jesus, and those thousands have in some way been useful to others, and thus the effect will be felt to the end of time. How much depended on, and resulted from, that scream, "A child is in the well!"

"God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The above account of my own preservation when but a child, is sent to me as a subject for my pen--but what can I add to it? My heart as swelled with thankful emotions, and my eyes have been moistened with tears of gratitude, while I have been copying it, and I have been ready to exclaim with Leah, "Now will I praise the Lord!" and with David, "I will sing of God's mercy!" 

I cannot but admire the wonderful working of divine providence--how perfectly everything is arranged and adjusted. How well all is timed. I do not wonder the godly say that "we are immortal until our work is done," for new proofs of this are constantly arising. Where is the Christian, the laborer in God's vineyard, who cannot find an illustration of this fact in his own experience? I can find more than one in mine.

Some may perhaps reflect upon me for publishing my brother's narrative, and think me deficient in modesty; but I am not a young man now, nor am I so much affected by what my fellow-men say, or write of me--as I once was. If God, either as the God of providence, or grace, can be glorified, by anything I write or publish--it is enough! And surely no Christian can read the above with an unprejudiced mind, without glorifying God. 

How near was I to death--yet God intended me to live. How imminent was the danger--and how simple and suitable were the means of preservation. How wondrously God wrought--and yet no one present then, appeared to see his hand, or acknowledge his intervention. 

How much often depends upon a trifling action. Take away one link--and the chain falls to pieces. Not one of the above circumstances could have been omitted--or my life would surely have been lost!

The woman must come at the exact moment; alarmed, she must scream at the top of her voice;
the laborer must be eating his meal at home nearby; in his fright, he must do, what if he had waited to reflect, he would have feared to attempt!

But the hand of God was in the whole. "He performs the thing that is appointed for me, and many such things are with him."

What effect should the bringing of this circumstance before my mind at this time, have upon me? I trust it has made me feel grateful, and has led me anew to praise my God, for his wonderful works to men. But this is not enough. I would anew in the most solemn manner dedicate myself--my life so wondrously preserved, with all my powers, talents, and opportunities, to the Lord, and to his glory. 

Often have I surrendered myself to my God, and consecrated myself to his glory and praise, and I do so with all my heart and soul, again this morning.
For the Lord--I desire to live; 

• To promote his cause--I desire to labor  
• To bring sinners to Jesus, and to comfort and to edify his people--I desire to make the one grand object of my life.

As the especial care of his providence, as well as the subject of his sovereign and distinguishing grace--I desire to be his, wholly his, only his, and his forever!

Lord, take me anew into your hands, and make me more and more like your beloved Son; not only so--but as you have used me for the good of others, and the glory of your great name--use me yet more extensively, and glorify yourself by me, ten thousand times more than you ever have done yet!

My one undying desire of my soul, is that Christ may be magnified in me, and be glorified by me, both in life and in death. Many years ago, this desire was kindled at the cross, by a sense of the infinite love of Jesus, and nothing has ever been able to extinguish it yet, nor do I believe that anything ever will.

Reader, can you look back upon any hairbreadth escape from death? Can you look back upon a deliverance, not from a well of water--but from the pit of destruction? Can you say with David, "Great is your mercy toward me, for you have delivered my soul from the lowest Hell!" What would deliverance from death be--if we are not delivered from Hell? Of what value would a few years on earth be--if spent in sin, if filled up with worldly pleasure--if the end should be a place in Hell forever?

Blessed be God, he not only saved my life, and delivered me from an early death; but he saved my soul, and condescended to employ me in his vineyard.

Beloved, life without God's favor--life without a saving interest in Christ--life unless it is spent in God's service--is not worthy the name of life. To live, is to have the life of God in the soul! To live, is to have Christ formed in the heart! To live, is to be inhabited by the Holy Spirit, and to be consecrated to God's glory and praise! O to live as Jesus lived! To keep the same end in view, to walk by the same rule, and to do the works he did!

• For this, we were redeemed by his blood
• For this, we were called by his grace
• For this, our lives are preserved in the present world, and 
• For this, his fullness is thrown open to us, and we are invited to make use of his grace.

Holy Spirit, lead us to make more use of Christ, to enjoy closer communion with Christ, and to live, walk, work, and talk, more entirely for the glory of Christ!

Blessed Jesus, accept of us as your own property, fill us with your own sweet Spirit, stamp your lovely image upon us, and use us to exalt your dear name, spread your well deserved fame, and extend your glorious cause!

Father of mercies, God of all grace, receive our praises for your wondrous love, sovereign grace, and special providence! Help us to praise you here on earth, and then take us to praise and bless you eternally in Heaven!

Are You A Christian?

From Grace Gems today:

Are you a Christian?

This is a very important inquiry, because many profess to be so--who are not so in reality. And yet no one can be saved--unless he is a Christian.

If anyone is in Christ--he is a new creature:

he is convinced of sin--and mourns over it;

he hates sin--and departs from it;

he reads the Word of God--and loves it;

he hears the gospel of Christ--and believes it.

He becomes a disciple of Christ, . . .

learning His doctrines,

trusting His promises,

and doing His will.

He receives the Spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of meekness, love, and holiness.

He would rather suffer for Christ--than sin against Christ! He . . .

loves the person of Christ,

imitates the example of Christ, and

observes the ordinances of Christ.

He commits his soul into the hands of Jesus . . .

to be pardoned through His blood,

to be justified by His righteousness,

to be sanctified by His Spirit,

to be preserved by His power,

to be used for His glory, and

to be presented faultless by Him to the Father at last.

He looks for the second coming of Christ with joy--because then he will be like Him, for he will see Him as He is!

Such is a Christian, according to the New Testament.

Reader, are you a Christian?

Can you live without prayer?

Can you be happy without Christ?

Can you neglect or despise the Word of God?

If so--then you are not a Christian!

Every Christian finds . . .

prayer to be the breath of his soul,

Christ to be the food of his soul,

the Bible to be the comfort of his soul, and

the Lord's people to be the beloved companions of his soul.

Examine yourself, for thousands bear the Christian name--who know nothing of Christian experience. Multitudes live and die under a delusion--and will say to Jesus at last, "Lord, Lord, we were Christians!" Then He will say unto them, "I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" This will be dreadful--most dreadful!

James Smith

Good Seed For The Lord's Field (1856)

Take some time today to prayerfully consider what was written here.

The Flood Came And Swept Them All Away

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have been alive in the days of Noah? Have you ever thought that the story of the Flood was just that - a story? We have been talking a lot about the judgment of God lately in a Bible study that I am a part of, and it is good for us to remember that God has judged the world in the past, and that He tells us that He will do so again. Jesus said:

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Matthew 24:36-44

But there is hope! The Bible tells us:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3:16-17

And

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:13

Take a few minutes to watch this video, and then praise our God that He has made for us a way of escape in His Son, Jesus Christ.

And if you don't yet know Him remember, "now is 'the acceptable time,' behold, now is “the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b). Cry out to Him in repentance and faith the He promises that He will save you.

What Is It To Be A Christian?

Here is an excellent excerpt from a Samuel Davies sermon entitled The Sacred Import of the Christian Name that was published last week by Grace Gems.

"The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." Acts 11:26

What is it to be a Christian?

1. To be a Christian--is to depart from iniquity.

To this, the name obliges us; and without this we have no right to the name. "Let every one who names the name of Christ--depart from iniquity!" 2 Timothy 2:19. That is, let him depart from iniquity--or not even dare to take that sacred name!

Christ was perfectly free from sin--He was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." His followers also shall be perfectly free from sin--in a little time! Before long, they will enter into the pure regions of perfect holiness, and will drop all their sins, along with their mortal bodies--into the grave!

But this, alas! is not their character in the present state--but the remains of sin still cleave to them! Yet even in the present state, they are laboring after perfection in holiness. Nothing can satisfy them--until they are fully conformed to the image of God's dear Son!

They are hourly conflicting with every temptation, and vigorously resisting every iniquity in its most alluring forms. And, though sin is perpetually struggling for the mastery, and sometimes, in an inadvertent hour, gets an advantage over them--yet, they are assisted with divine grace, so that no sin has any habitual dominion over them. Romans 6:14.

Hence they are free from the gross vices of the age--and are men of good morals. This is their habitual, universal character; and to pretend to be Christians without this prerequisite, is the greatest absurdity!

What then shall we think of the debauched, defrauding, worldly, profligate, profane 'Christians', who have overrun the Christian world? Can there be a greater contradiction?

A loyal subject in arms against his sovereign;
An ignorant scholar;
A sober drunkard;
A charitable miser;
An honest thief—

Are not greater absurdities, or more direct contradictions!

To depart from iniquity--is essential to Christianity, and without it there can be no such thing as a Christian!

There was nothing that Christ was so remote from--as sin! And therefore, for those that indulge themselves in sin--and yet to wear His name, is just as absurd and ridiculous as for an illiterate dunce to call himself a university professor!

Therefore, if you will not renounce iniquity--then renounce the Christian name! You cannot consistently retain both!

Alexander the Great had a fellow in his army who had his same name--but was a mere coward. "Either be like me," said Alexander to him, "or lay aside my name!"

You servants of sin, it is in vain for you to wear the name of Christ! It renders you the more ridiculous, and only aggravates your guilt! You may with as much propriety call yourselves 'princes' or 'kings'; as 'Christians', while you are so unlike Christ!

You are a scandal to His precious name!

2. To be a Christian--is to deny yourself and take up the cross and follow Christ.
These are the terms of discipleship fixed by Christ Himself:
"He said to them all: If any man will come after Me--let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me!" Luke 9:23

To deny ourselves, is to abstain from the pleasures of sin, to moderate our sensual appetites, to deny our own interest for the sake of Christ. In short, it is to sacrifice everything inconsistent with our duty to Him, when these come in competition.

To take up our cross, is to bear sufferings, to encounter difficulties, and break through them all--in imitation of Jesus Christ, and for His sake.

To follow Christ, is to trace His steps, and imitate His example, whatever it costs us.

This is the essential character of every true Christian.

What then shall we think of those crowds among us, who retain the Christian name--and yet will not deny themselves of their sensual pleasures, nor part with their temporal interest, for the sake of Christ? Who are so far from being willing to lay down their lives, that they cannot stand the force of a laugh or a sneer for the cause of Christ--but immediately stumble and fall away?

Are they Christians--whom the commands of Christ cannot restrain from what their depraved hearts desire? No! A Christian, without self-denial, mortification, and a supreme love to Jesus Christ--is as great a contradiction as . . .
Fire without heat,
A sun without light,
A hero without courage,
A friend without love!

Does not this strip some of you of the Christian name, and prove that you have no right at all to it?

3. To be a Christian--is to be a follower or imitator of Christ.

"He left us an example--that we should follow His steps!" 1 Peter 2:21

Christ is the model for every Christian.

Paul tells us that believers will be conformed to His image, Romans 8:29; and that the same mind must be in us--which was also in Christ Jesus. Phil. 2:5.

Christ's heart glowed with love to His Father! He delighted in universal obedience to Him; it was His food and drink to do the Father's will, even in the most painful and self-denying instances! He abounded in devotion, in prayer, meditation and every pious duty.

He was also full of every grace and virtue towards mankind! He was meek and humble, kind and benevolent, just and charitable, merciful and compassionate towards all.

Beneficence to the souls and bodies of men was the business of His life; for He went about doing good. Acts 10:38.

In regard to Himself--He was patient and resigned--and yet undaunted and brave under sufferings. He had all His appetites and passions under proper government. He was heavenly-minded; above this world in heart--while He dwelt in it.

This is an imperfect sketch of His amiable character; and in these things every one who deserves to be called after His name, does in some measure resemble and imitate Him. This is not only his earnest endeavor--but what he actually attains, though in a much inferior degree; and his imperfections are the grief of his heart.

This resemblance and imitation of Christ is essential to the very being of a Christian, and without it, all profession is a vain pretense!

Does your Christianity, my friends, stand this test? May one know that you belong to Christ--by your living like Him, and manifesting the same temper and spirit?

Alas! Would not some of you with more propriety be called:
Epicureans--from Epicurus, the sensual atheistic philosopher; or
Mammonites--from Mammon, the imaginary god of riches; or
Bacchanalians--from Bacchus, the god of wine; rather than
Christians--from Christ, the most perfect pattern of living holiness and virtue that was ever exhibited in the world!

If you claim the name of Christians--then where is . . .
That ardent devotion,
That affectionate love to God,
That zeal for His glory,
That alacrity in His service,
That resignation to His will,
That generous benevolence to mankind,
That zeal to promote their best interests,
That meekness and forbearance under ill usage,
That unwearied activity in doing good to all,
That self-denial and heavenly-mindedness which shone so conspicuous in Christ, whose holy name you bear?

Alas! While you are destitute of those graces--and yet wear his name--you only mock it, and turn it into a reproach both to Him and yourselves!

"Whoever claims to live in Him--must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6

Entering the Narrow Gate

A thought for the day by Arthur Pink:

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." Luke 13:24

Entering the Narrow Gate signifies the heart's acceptance of Christ's holy teaching. Ah, my friend, to really and actually enter this "Narrow Gate" is no easy matter! These words do not picture salvation as a thing of simple and easy attainment. That Jesus should utter such a statement, clearly implies that there are formidable difficulties and obstacles to be overcome, and that slothful nominal professors will surely not enter in.

Why is such striving necessary to "enter" the narrow gate?

First, because Satan is striving to destroy your soul. "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour!" 1 Peter 5:8

Second, because natural appetites of the Flesh are striving to destroy you: "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims--abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." 1 Peter 2:11

Third, because the whole World is arrayed against you. It will seek to draw you by its alluring promises, its Delilah-like deceits, and fatal enticements. Unless you overcome the world, the world will overcome you to the eternal destruction of your soul.

From what has been before us, we may plainly discover why it is that the vast majority of our fellow-men, yes, and of professing Christians also, will fail to reach Heaven--it is because they prefer . . .
  sin, to holiness;
  indulging the lusts of the flesh, to walking according to the Scriptures;
  self, to Christ;
  the world, to God.

Men refuse to .  . .
  deny self,
  abandon their idols, and
  submit to Christ as Lord
--and without this, none can take the first step toward Heaven and enter through the narrow gate!

 Arthur Pink

Take some time today to examine your life and your walk with Christ and be sure not only that you have entered by the  narrow gate, but also that you are on the narrow path. Look to Jesus, the Author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

The Words Of J.C. Ryle

J.C. Ryle is one of my all time favorite authors, so I was very excited a few months ago when I found a ministry that sends out emails every weekday with a different quote by J.C. Ryle. Now each morning when I turn on my computer I am greeted by my daily Grace Gem (which I highly recommend that you sign up to receive) and a quote by Bishop Ryle.

And since it has been several weeks since I have posted anything here I thought that today I would take several of these quotes and post them so you can see what I am talking about and why I love to read the writings of J.C. Ryle.

Know Your Doctrine

Learn to know what you mean when you talk of believing the doctrines of Christianity. Be able to give a reason of your hope. Be able to say what you think true, and what you think false in religion. And never, never forget that the only foundation of soundness of faith, is a thorough textual knowledge of the Bible.

~ J.C. Ryle: Never Perish

Dying To Know Christ 

The story of Christ’s moral teaching, self-sacrifice, example, and the need of being earnest and sincere like Him, will never smooth down a dying pillow. Christ the Teacher, Christ the great Pattern, Christ the Prophet, will not suffice.

We want something more than this! We want the old, old story of Christ dying for our sins and rising again for our justification. We want Christ the Mediator, Christ the Substitute, Christ the Intercessor, Christ the Redeemer, in order to meet with confidence the King of Terrors and say, ‘Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory?’

~ J.C. Ryle:The Upper Room

The Proper Mindset at the Table

The benefit of the Lord’s Supper depends entirely on the spirit and frame of mind in which we receive it. The bread which we eat, and the wine which we drink, have no power to do good to our souls, as medicine does good to our bodies, without the co-operation of our hearts and wills.

~ J.C. Ryle: Day by Day with J.C. Ryle

A View From the Pew

There are those, of whom their congregations have said, that when they were in the pulpit—they were so good, that never wished them to come out; and when they went out of the pulpit—they were so bad, they never wished them to go in!

May God give us all grace to take that to heart! May we seek so to live, so to preach, so to work, so to give ourselves wholly to the business of our calling, that this bitter remark may never be made about us.

~ J.C. Ryle: Give Yourself Wholly to Them

Three Essentials in a True Christian

There are three things which, according to the Bible, are absolutely necessary to the salvation of every man and woman in Christendom. These three are: justification, regeneration, and sanctification. All three meet in every child of God: he is both born again, justified and sanctified.

He that lacks any one of these things is not a true Christian in the sight of God, and dying in that condition will not be found in heaven and glorified in the last day.

~ J.C. Ryle: Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J.C. Ryle

The Main Cause of Backsliding

Now what is the cause of most backslidings? I believe, as a general rule, one of the chief causes is neglect of private prayer. You may be very sure men fall in private long before they fall in public. They are backsliders on their knees long before they backslide openly in the eyes of the world.

~ J.C. Ryle: A Call to Prayer

Christ’s Demonstration of Salvation

There is one great work which the Lord Jesus Christ has done and finished completely. That work is the work of atonement, sacrifice, and substitution.

He saw us ruined by the fall, a world of poor, lost, shipwrecked sinners. He did not sit in heaven pitying us from a distance. He did not stand upon the shore and see the wreck, and behold poor drowning sinners struggling in vain to get to shore.

He plunged into the waters Himself. He came off to the wreck, and took part with us in our weakness and infirmity, becoming a man to save our souls.”

~ J.C. Ryle: Old Paths

The Dissatisfaction of Money 

Money, in truth, is one of the most unsatisfying of possessions. It takes away some cares, no doubt; but it brings with it quite as many cares as it takes away.

There is trouble in the getting of it. There is the anxiety in the keeping it. There are the temptations in the use of it. There is the guilt in the abuse of it. There is the sorrow in the losing of it. There is the perplexity in the disposing of it.

Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world, arise from one simple cause – money!

~ J.C. Ryle: Practical Religion

Take Heed What You Read

Do not let newspapers, novels, and romances be read, while the prophets and Apostles be despised. Do not let the exciting and sensual swallow up your attention, while the edifying and the sanctifying can find no place in your mind.

Young men, give the Bible the honor due to it every day you live. Whatever you read, read that first. And beware of bad books: there are plenty in this day. Take heed what you read.

~ J.C. Ryle:Thoughts For Young Men

Let Us Glory in the Cross 

Let us ever glory in the cross of Christ; let us regard it as the source of all our hopes, and the foundation of all our peace. Ignorance and unbelief may see nothing in the sufferings of Calvary but the cruel martyrdom of an innocent person: faith will look far deeper; faith will see in the death of Jesus the payment of man’s enormous debt to God, and the complete salvation of all who believe.

~ J.C. Ryle: Day by Day with J.C. Ryle

Our Compassionate Savior 

Let us remember that the eye of our loving Savior is upon us, morning, noon and night. He will never suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear. He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, for He suffered Himself being tempted.

He knows what battles and conflicts are, for He Himself was assaulted by the Prince of this world. Having such a High Priest, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

~ J.C. Ryle: Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J.C. Ryle

Hold Your Possessions Loosely 

Are you prosperous in the world? Have death, sickness, disappointment, poverty, and family troubles passed over your door up to this time and not come in? Are you secretly saying to yourself, ‘Nothing can hurt me much. I shall die quietly in my bed and see no sorrow.’ Take care.

You are not yet in harbor. A sudden storm of unexpected trouble may make you change your note. Set not your affection on things below. Hold them with a very loose hand and be ready to surrender them at a moment’s notice. Use your prosperity well while you have it; but lean not all your weight on it, lest it break suddenly and pierce your hand.

~ J.C. Ryle: Practical Religion

Never Be Ashamed of Christ! 

Live a courageous life, my brethren. Confess Christ before men. Whatever station you occupy, in that station confess Christ. Why should you be ashamed of Him? He was not ashamed of you on the cross. He is ready to confess you now before His Father in heaven. Why should you be ashamed of Him?

Be bold. Be very bold. The good soldier is not ashamed of his uniform. The true believer ought never be ashamed of Christ.

~ J.C. Ryle: Warnings to the Churches

Do You Ignore the Lord’s Table? 

Nothing can possibly be of small importance which the Lord Jesus Christ ordained and appointed. Our Lord most distinctly commanded His disciples to ‘eat bread’ and ‘drink wine’ in remembrance of Him. What right has any Christian to disobey this commandment?

No doubt a man may be saved, like the penitent thief, without having received the Lord’s Supper. It is not a matter of absolute and indispensable necessity, like repentance, faith, and conversion. But it is impossible to say that any professing Christian is in a safe, healthy, or satisfactory condition of soul, who habitually refuses to obey Christ and attend the Lord’s Table.

~ J.C. Ryle:The Upper Room

Take Heed What You Read

Do not let newspapers, novels, and romances be read, while the prophets and Apostles be despised. Do not let the exciting and sensual swallow up your attention, while the edifying and the sanctifying can find no place in your mind.

Young men, give the Bible the honor due to it every day you live. Whatever you read, read that first. And beware of bad books: there are plenty in this day. Take heed what you read.

~ J.C. Ryle: Thoughts For Young Men

Humbly Believing In God’s Election 

Is the doctrine of Election plainly stated in Scripture? This is the whole question which an honest Christian has to do with. If it is not in the Book of God, let it be forever discarded, refused and rejected by man, no matter who propounds it.

If it is there, let us receive it with reverence, as part of Divine revelation and humbly believe, even where we are not able to understand completely or explain fully.

~ J.C. Ryle: Old Paths

The First Mark of Conversion 

A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. All the children of God on earth are alike in this respect. From the moment there is any life and reality about their religion, they pray. Just as the first sign of the life of an infant when born into the world is the act of breathing, so the first act of men and women when they are born again is praying.

~ J.C. Ryle: A Call to Prayer

Dying With The Bible in Hand

There is but one fountain of comfort for a man drawing near to his end, and that is the Bible. Chapters out of the Bible, texts out of the Bible, statements of truth taken out of the Bible, books containing matter drawn from the Bible – these are a man’s only chance of comfort when he comes to die.

~ J.C. Ryle: How Readest Thou?

The Key to Your Salvation 

You may be saved, and reach heaven without many things which men reckon of great importance — without riches, without learning, without books, without worldly comforts, without health, without house, without land, without friends — but without Regeneration you will never be saved at all.

~ J.C. Ryle: Are You Regenerate?

Bring Your Mind to Church

Let us take with us to church, not only our bodies, but our minds, our reason, our hearts and our consciences. Let us often ask ourselves, ‘What have I got from this sermon?’, ‘What have I learned?’, ‘What truths have been impressed on my mind?’.

The heart is unquestionably the main point: but we must never forget that the Holy Ghost generally reaches the heart through the mind. Sleepy, idle, inattentive hearers are never likely to be converted.

~ J.C. Ryle: Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

Careless Christianity? 

Sanctification is a thing which depends greatly on a diligent use of Scriptural means. When I speak of ‘means’, I have in view Bible-reading, private prayer, regular attendance on public worship, regular hearing of God’s Word, and regular reception of the Lord’s Supper.

I lay it down as a simple matter of fact, that no one who is careless about such things must ever expect to make much progress in sanctification. I can find no record of any eminent saint who ever neglected them.

~ J.C. Ryle: Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J.C. Ryle

Examining Your Debt to Christ 

How is it that many who profess and call themselves Christians, do so little for the Savior whose name they bear? How is it that many, whose faith and grace it would be uncharitable to deny, work so little, give to little, say so little, take so little pains to promote Christ’s cause and bring glory to Christ in the world?

These questions admit of only one answer. It is a low sense of debt and obligation to Christ, which is the amount of the whole matter. Let us daily pray that we may see the sinfulness of sin, and the amazing grace of Christ, more clearly and distinctly.

~ J.C. Ryle: Day by Day with J.C. Ryle

Boldly Proclaiming God’s Word

Let us pray to be kept from corrupting God’s Word. Let neither fear nor favor of man induce us to keep back, or avoid, or change, or mutilate, or qualify any text in the Bible. Surely we ought to have holy boldness when we speak as ambassadors of God. We have no reason to be ashamed of any statement we make in our pulpits so long as it is Scriptural.

~ J.C. Ryle:Warnings to the Churches

Meditate On These Four Things

Over several days last week Grace Gems featured excerpts from William Dyer’s booklet Christ’s Famous Titles. Dyer, a 17th century English preacher, gives us a list of four things on which we need to meditate often; these are Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven. Here is what he wrote:

Meditate often on these four last things:
Death, which is most certain.
Judgment, which is most strict.
Hell, which is most doleful.
Heaven, which is most delightful.

Meditate upon DEATH, which is most certain.

"It is appointed unto men once to die."

Hebrews 9:27

Out of the dust was man formed; into the dust shall man be turned.

To think of death--is a death to some men!

Oh, sirs! Meditate upon death.

Meditation on death--will put sin to death!

Death to the wicked--is the end of all comfort, and the beginning of all misery!
Death to the godly--is the outlet to sin and sorrow, and the inlet to peace and happiness!

The saints' enjoyment shall be incomparable, when the sinners' torments shall be intolerable!

When a believer's soul goes out of his own bosom--it goes into Abraham's bosom! When a saint dies--he leaves all his bad behind him, and carries his good with him! When a sinner dies--he carries his bad with him, and leaves his good behind him!

The godly man goes from evil--to all good.
The wicked man goes from good--to all evil.

When a saint leaves the world--his soul returns to happiness and rest!
When a sinner leaves this world--his body goes to worms to be consumed, and his soul goes to flames to be tormented!

The saint goes to Abraham's bosom; the sinner goes to Beelzebub's bosom!

The wheat goes to the barn; the chaff goes to the fire!

Oh, sirs! meditate upon death!

Meditate upon JUDGMENT, which is most strict.

"We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ!"

Those who will not come before His mercy-seat, shall be forced to come before His judgment-seat!

Those who will not hear His Word--shall feel His Sword!

Those who are graceless in this day--will be speechless in that day!

At the world's end--such will be at their wits' end, to see:

the earth flaming,
the heavens melting,
the stars falling,
the graves opening,
the judgment hastening,
the sun and moon mourning,
Christ and His angels coming!

He who comes to raise the dead, will also come to judge the dead.

Oh! sirs, the great day to great sinners will be a dreadful day--when they shall see Christ coming in the clouds:

with great power and glory,
crowned with dignity,
enraged with anger, and
attended with His angel reapers!

He will bring all kings and nobles, high and low, rich and poor, to His judgment bar! And there He will judge them, not by the whiteness of their faces--but by the blackness of their hearts!

"He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity!"

 Psalm 98:9

You who make no account of His coming--how can you give an account at His coming?

Sirs! Meditation on judgment--may make you judgment proof!

Those who now judge themselves in their own private sessions--shall not be judged by Christ at His great white throne judgment!

Meditate upon HELL, which is most doleful!

Heaven is a place where all is joyful; and Hell is a place where all is doleful.

In Heaven--there is nothing but happiness; but in Hell--there is nothing but heaviness!

"The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.''

Psalm 9:17

Mark, sirs--the wicked shall be turned into hell.

Oh, dreadful place--where the devil is the jailer!

Hell is the prison, damnation is the punishment, eternity is the duration, brimstone is the fire, and men and devils are the fuel!

To endure this will be intolerable; and to avoid it will be impossible!

This is the day of God's long-suffering; that will be the day of man's long-suffering!

There they will suffer:

pain without ease,
torment without end,
sorrow without support,
and misery without mercy!

Sirs! Meditate upon Hell! Oh, what hells are there in Hell!
Hell is:

the loss of God,
the loss of Christ,
the loss of all good!

Endless, ceaseless, and remediless torments must be their eternal portion!

Oh, that you would often think of Hell!

If once you drop into Hell--then after a thousand years:you will be as far from coming out of Hell, as you were at your first entrance into Hell!

There is only one way to KEEP a man out of Hell--but there is no way to GET a man out of Hell!

In this world, the wheat and the chaff both grow together, but they shall not always both lie together!

In Hell, there shall not be a saint among those who are terrified!
In Heaven, there shall not be a sinner among those who are glorified!

The sea of damnation--shall never be sweetened with a drop of compassion!

Will you pity a person who is going to the gallows--and will you not pity a person who is going to the bottomless pit?

What a dreadful visitation is that--where the black horse of death goes before, and the red horse of wrath follows after!

Oh, that must needs be sad--when one death comes upon the back of another; when the second death comes upon the back of the first death!

A man's condition in this life may be honorable, and yet his state in eternity may be damnable!

Poor Lazarus goes to Heaven--when rich Dives goes to Hell.

It is far better to go to Heaven poorly--than it is to go to Hell richly!

Oh, sirs! let us go to Hell by contemplation, that we may never go to Hell by condemnation!

Oh sirs! Meditate upon Hell!

Meditate on HEAVEN, which is most joyful.

"Then the King will say to those on His right--Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world!"                                                                                                     Matthew 25:34

"Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord!"

Matthew 25:21

Heaven is a place where all joy is enjoyed!
In Heaven, there will be:

mirth without sadness,
light without darkness,
sweetness without bitterness,
life without death,
rest without labor,
plenty without poverty!
Oh, what joy enters into the believer--when
the believer enters into the joy of his Lord!

Who would not . . .

work for glory with the greatest diligence, and
wait for glory with the greatest patience?

Oh, what glories are there in glory! Thrones of glory, crowns of glory, vessels of glory, a weight of glory, a kingdom of glory!

Here on earth--Christ puts His grace upon His spouse!
There in Heaven--He puts His glory upon His spouse!

In heaven the crown is made for them, and in Heaven the crown shall be worn by them!

In this life believers have some good things--but the rest and best are reserved for the life to come!

Oh, sirs! meditate upon Heaven, for meditation on Heaven will make us heavenly!

Heaven is not only a possession promised by Christ--but a possession purchased by Christ!

When our contemplations and minds are in Heaven--then we enjoy Heaven upon earth!
To be IN Christ is Heaven below; to be WITH Him is Heaven above!

There cannot be a better thing for us, than for us to be with the best of beings! "To me to live is Christ--and to die is gain!"
Philippians 1:21

Let our condition now be ever so great--it is Hell without Christ! Let our condition now be ever so bad--it is Heaven with Christ!

"I had rather be in Hell with Christ--than in Heaven without Him!" said Luther.

Hell itself would be Heaven--if Christ was in it!
Heaven would be Hell--if Christ was out of it!

That which makes Heaven so full of joy--is that it is above all fear!
That which makes Hell so full of horror--is that it is beyond all hope!

The vessels of grace--shall swim in the ocean of glory!

We may talk of the greatness of our crowns--but we shall never know the weight of our crowns--until they are set on our heads!

We would all do well to head this advice.

Were I To Define A Christian

Here is a brief excerpt from the Letters of John Newton.

Were I to define a Christian, or rather to describe him at large, I know of no text I would choose, sooner than Galatians 5:17, "The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other--so that you do not do what you want."

A Christian has noble aims--which distinguish him from the bulk of mankind. His leading principles, motives, and desires--are all supernatural and divine. Could he do as he desires--there is not a angel before the Eternal Throne, that would excel him in holiness, love, and obedience! He would tread in the very footsteps of his Savior, fill up every moment of time in His service, and employ every breath in His praise!

This he would do--but, alas! he cannot! Against these spiritual desires, there is a contrary desire and working of a corrupt nature, which meets him at every turn! He has a beautiful copy set before him in the Scriptures--he is enamored with it, and though he does not expect to equal it, he writes carefully after it, and longs to attain to the nearest possible imitation. But indwelling sin and Satan continually jog his hand, and spoil his strokes!

Therefore, the most spiritual and gracious people confess themselves as vile and worthless! One eminent branch of our holiness, is a sense of shame and humiliation for those evils which are only known to ourselves, and to Him who searches our hearts!

In proportion as the Lord enables you to live more simply upon the blood, righteousness, and grace of the Mediator--you will possess a more stable peace. The nearer you are brought to Him--the more lively sense you will have of your vileness and worthlessness; and your continual need of Him. Thereby your admiration of His power, love, and compassion, will increase from year to year.

Some Definitions

Don Fortner, pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Danville, KY offers up the following definitions for some hotly debated theological terms:

Election is God's sovereign, eternal choice and determination to save some, a great multitude of Adam's fallen race. It is a free, unconditional, irreversible act of God's sovereign grace, by which the everlasting salvation of all the chosen was secured from eternity (Psalm 65:4; John 15:16; Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

Predestination is God's sovereign, eternal arrangement of all the affairs of the universe to secure the object of His electing love, to secure the everlasting salvation of His adopted sons and daughters. It is God's purpose, the blueprint by which He created the universe and rules it in providence. This great, blessed work of God's grace includes all things and can never be altered. This, too, is a matter of such unmistakable, clear revelation that ignorance of it is inexcusable (Acts 13:48; Ephesians 1:4-5, 11; Romans 8:29).

Redemption is the ransom of chosen sinners out from under the curse of God's broken law and offended justice by the sacrificial, substitutionary, sin-atoning death of our Lord Jesus. Redemption is the satisfaction of justice by the blood of Christ and the deliverance of God's elect from all possibility of condemnation (Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:13; Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18-20). The redemption of our souls by Christ's shed blood also includes and guaranteed the redemption (deliverance) of our souls from the bondage and dominion of sin (Isaiah 53:10-11), and the redemption of our bodies from the grave at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:14; 4:30). All who were redeemed by the blood of Christ must and shall be saved by God's grace in him.

Regeneration is the new birth, the actual deliverance of chosen, redeemed sinners from spiritual death into spiritual life by the effectual power and irresistible grace of God the Holy Spirit (John 3:8; Ephesians 2:1-4; Colossians 2:10-13). It is a resurrection from spiritual death to spiritual, eternal life in Christ by the Spirit of God.

Providence is the glorious, though mysterious, sovereign rule of the universe by our God for the salvation of His people and the praise, honor and glory of His own great name (Romans 8:28; 11:36; Ephesians 1:11). Providence is God working out in time what He purposed in eternity. Nothing is more comforting, nothing inspires boldness and nothing gives peace like a good understanding of and a confident faith in God's election, predestination, redemption, regeneration and providence.

I could not have said it any better.

If you are interested you can find sermons by Pastor Fortner at Sermon Audio.

The Good Shepherd

Over the past several weeks Grace Gems has been publishing excerpts from the letters of John Newton. I have been blessed on a daily basis by the writings of this man and I highly recommend that if you have opportunity that you go to the Grace Gems website and read some of these for yourself.

Today instead of posting something from his letters they posted an excerpt from the sermon The Great Shepherd; I thought it was a good reminder of who we are, and more importantly, who our Savior is.

The Good Shepherd

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young."

Isaiah 40:11

Our Lord expressly calls Himself the "good Shepherd of the sheep", and the apostle Peter calls Him the "chief Shepherd." (John 10, 1 Peter 5:4)

With respect to power and authority, He is the chief, and, indeed, the sole Shepherd. The eyes of all His people are upon Him--and His watchful eye is upon and over all His flock. None but an omnipotent and omnipresent Shepherd can relieve all the necessities of all of His people, in all places, in the same moment, and be equally near and attentive to each one! Such is our great Shepherd! He is eminently the good Shepherd also, for He laid down His life for His sheep, and has redeemed them by His own blood.

This great and good Shepherd has a flock, whom He loved from eternity, and whom having once loved--He will love them to the end! (John 13:1). He humbled Himself for their sakes, submitted to partake of their nature and their sorrows, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh. He died for His sheep, "the just for the unjust," to redeem them from the curse of the law, from the guilt and dominion of sin, from the power of Satan--and to bring them to God!

They all, by nature, had "gone astray, every one to his own way;" but having thus bought them with His blood, in His own appointed time--He seeks, finds and restores His sheep! By the power of His Word and Spirit, He makes Himself known to their hearts, causes them to hear and understand His voice, and guides them into His fold! They are then under His immediate protection and government.

Considered as individuals, they are fitly described by the name of "sheep". A sheep is a weak, defenseless, foolish creature; prone to wander, and can seldom return of its own accord. A sheep has neither strength to fight with the wolf, nor speed to escape from it; nor has a sheep the foresight of the ant, to provide its own sustenance.

Such is our character, and our situation! We are . . .
unable to take care of ourselves,
prone to wander from our resting-place,
exposed to enemies which we can neither escape nor withstand,
without any resource in ourselves, and
taught, by daily experience, the insufficiency of everything around us.

Yet, if Jesus is our Shepherd, as weak and helpless as we are--we may say with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd--I have everything I need! Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever!" Every sheep has an inheritance reserved for them in heaven, (1 Peter 1:4-5) and they shall be safely kept, while they are sojourners upon earth, for the Shepherd of Israel is their keeper.

The Good Shepherd cares for His flock. Not the slightest circumstance in their concerns, escapes His notice. When they are ready to faint, borne down with heavy exercises of mind, wearied with temptations, dry and disconsolate in their hearts--He seasonably revives them. Nor are they in affliction without a needs-be for it. All His dispensations towards them are medicinal, designed to correct, or to restrain, or to cure--the maladies of their souls. And they are all adjusted, by His wisdom and tenderness, to what they can bear, and to what their case requires.

The Good Shepherd is represented as counting their sighs, putting their tears into His bottle, recording their sorrows in His book of remembrance; and as being "able to sympathize with our weaknesses".

There are lambs among His flock, and for these He expresses a special tenderness. "He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart." Though they are weaklings, they shall not be left behind. If a poor lamb is weary, and unable to keep up with the flock, He shall carry it. These are new converts in the Lord's family--they are, as yet, weak, unsettled and inexperienced. Almost every day brings them into a new and untried situation. They often meet with opposition and discouragement. What would become of them in such circumstances, if their faithful Shepherd had not promised that "He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart!"

John Newton