The Rules for Domestic Happiness

1.  Be humble. "Pride only breeds quarrels."

2.  "Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit."

3.  Find your own happiness in trying to make others happy.

4.  Mind your own business. Do not be meddlesome.

5.  Beware of a fretful, suspicious, or censorious temper.

6.  "Overcome evil with good." "Bless and curse not."

7.  "Love one another deeply, from the heart."

8.  Do not magnify the trials or afflictions of life.

9.  Beware of sloth. There is no greater enemy of peace and happiness.

10. Make it your business to serve God.

11. Keep out of debt. "Owe no man anything." Loans breed bad tempers and harsh dispositions.

12. Keep the ultimate purpose of life in view to glorify God. This will repress many vain wishes and chasten immoderate desires.

13. Let your prayers be frequent and fervent.

14. Never listen to scandal nor backbiting.

15. Do not grieve or worry over things which cannot be helped.

16. Set the Lord always before you. Seek His glory. Do and suffer His will with readiness. Let Christ be all and in all. Trust in the Lord forever.

[William S. Plumer]

Psalm 37:4 ... Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. ❤

The Great Foster Parent!!

Saving faith is the great foster-parent of all that belongs to scriptural piety. Faith begets true worship, godly fear, devout thanksgiving, genuine humility, Christian boldness, holy joy, evangelical repentance, enlarged liberality, fervent love, a pure conscience, a holy life, victory over the world, eternal glory! 

Faith gazes upon the cross until the course of the new nature is set on fire with heavenly love! Saving faith unites to Christ, lays hold of salvation, conquers every foe, brings every blessing into the soul, pronounces death abolished, always begets humility, is self-renouncing, consents to be nothing, that God may be all and in all, excludes boasting, is jealous for God's honor, brings forth forgiveness to enemies, begets repentance, nourishes other graces, ever clings to the fullness of Christ, kindles love to an unseen Savior, is ever laying its crown at the feet of Immanuel, puts things in their proper place, abases the sinner in the dust, sets God on the throne of universal dominion, pronounces all God's ways just and right, counts all things as loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of God's dear Son!

[William Plumer]

If you desire . . .
  a useful life,
  a pleasant old age,
  a comfortable death,
  a blissful immortality,
believe God,
trust to His grace,
rely on His Son.

Rely on . . .
  God alone as your Father,
  Christ alone as your Redeemer,
  the Holy Spirit alone as your Comforter.

2 Peter 1:1 ... Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 11:7 ... By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Romans 4:5 ...  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ❤

Such a God Should Be Derided!

The unrenewed heart is atheistic in its inclinations. They say: The Lord doesn't see it. The God of Jacob doesn't pay attention. (Psalm 94:7) The wicked say to themselves: 'God isn't watching! He will never notice!' Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! (Psalm 10:11-12)  

Nothing more derogatory to the character of God can possibly be said, than that He does not rule the world. God reigns is a logical conclusion from God is. To deny God's providence is as atheistic as to deny His existence! 

A god, who neither sees, nor hears, nor knows, nor cares, nor helps, nor saves is a vanity, and can never claim homage from intelligent men. Such a god should be derided, not worshiped! He might suit the mythology of Paganism or meet the demands of an infidel heart but could never command the allegiance or win the confidence of an enlightened and pious man! 

The world may as well be without a god as have one who is incompetent to rule it, or, who, wrapping Himself in a mantle of careless indifference, abandons creation to the governance of puny mortals, to the rule of devils, or to the sway of blind chance! Such conduct may well comport with the character of false gods but is wholly abhorrent to the nature of Jehovah! 

God's tender mercies are over all His works. His kingdom rules over all! 

[William Plumer] 

Psalm 115:3 ... But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Psalm 135:5-6 ...  For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.  Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

Revelation 19:6 ...  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Psalm 103:19 ... The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. ❤

Judgment!!

God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world. Respecting this day several things are noticeable. All shall be judged. Saints, and sinners; great, and small; living, and dead, the servant, and his master; the prisoner, at the bar and the judge who sat on his trial; the assassin, and the assassinated; the seducer, and his victim; the invader, and the invaded; the hireling, and his oppressor; the king, and his subjects; the fool, and the wise man; the persecutor, and the persecuted; the apostate; the hypocrite; the child of God and the child of the devil, shall all be there! 

No one shall be so mighty, and no one shall be so lowly as to elude the eye or the sentence of Him who shall sit upon the throne of judgment! What a massive multitude will this be when prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, saints of all ages; when sinners, liars, infidels, blasphemers, moralists, and murderers shall all be there; when the sea and the dry land shall give up their dead; when death and hell shall deliver up the dead who are in them; when all who lived before the flood, all who have lived since the flood, and all who shall have lived to the end of time, shall stand before God!  This will be the first and the last assembly, in which are found every person whom God ever made. 

To God, it is a certain and fixed day. He has appointed it. (Acts 17:31) Nothing can hasten it; nothing can retard it. The purpose of God concerning it is fixed, unalterable. To all creatures it is an unknown day, "Of that day and hour knows no man; no, not the angels of heaven." (Mark 13:32)   The day of judgment will be THE great day. 

It will be the greatest day in the annals of the universe! It is the day for which all other days were made. This day is so well known to inspired men, that they call it the day, that day as preeminent over all others. It will be the LAST day. After it, time will be no more; time will cease to exist. Duration will no more be measured by seconds, minutes, days, months, years, centuries, cycles; but all will be boundless, shoreless, fathomless, unmeasured eternity! It will be a day of astounding exposures. Villainy will be covered up no more. Every disguise will be taken away. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hidden, that shall not be known.  It will be a day of intense excitement. There will be no listless spectators of those scenes. Every faculty of the intellect and of emotion will be aroused to the highest possible exercise. 

Men may sleep under sermons concerning the judgment, but they will not be dull when they go to judgment! It will also be a day of final separation. The precious, and the vile; the wheat, and the tares; the sheep, and the goats; saints, and sinners shall no longer mingle together. The separations of this day will be final. The righteous and the wicked shall part that day, to meet no more. It shall be a day of despair to all the unregenerate. Everywhere sinners will be crying to the rocks and the mountains: "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!" Was ever despair more dreadful than this? This will be a day full of surprise. Not only will it come unexpectedly, but its awards will fill both saints and sinners with astonishment.  So, Christ teaches at length in Matthew 25. 

The wicked will be amazed that they are lost. They will be especially surprised that God sets no value on their self-righteousness. The sons of God will receive more honor than they ever asked or thought of. The sons of Belial will receive more wrath than they ever feared. Christians will marvel why they are saved. Sinners will wonder why they are not saved. Many will be lost, contrary to the opinions formed of them by their neighbors. Many will be lost, contrary to the opinions they had formed of themselves! "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:14)  

The judgment is coming! The Judge stands at the door! The time is short! 

 [William S. Plumer] 

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Earnest Hours!!

Though not omniscient, yet Satan knows much that is in our hearts. He is skilled in deceiving. He is very daring. He assailed even Christ. He quotes Scripture with great readiness, (Matthew 4:6)  

He is dreadfully malignant. Innocence is no barrier against his wiles. He entered Eden itself. He has no compassion on the weak or the ignorant. He assumes every appearance from that of a roaring lion, to that of an angel of light. False religion pleases him as well as total atheism. He has great ability in deluding men and making them think they are something, when they are nothing. 

He rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience. Under his influence men call good, evil; and evil, good. He is always busy. He never misses a sermon or a prayer meeting! He corrupts our secret devotions. He closely watches his prey and tightens his fetters. He is often most busy with us, when we least think of his presence. 

 [William Plumer] 

2 Corinthians 4:4 ... In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

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He Rules!!

To deny God's providence is as atheistic as to deny His existence.   Nothing more derogatory to the character of God can possibly be said, than that He does not rule His world.  The world may as well be without a God, as have one who is incompetent to rule it.

A God, who neither sees, nor hears, nor knows, nor cares, nor helps, nor saves is a vanity, and can never claim homage from intelligent men. Such a god should be derided, not worshiped!

[William S. Plumer]

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Psalm 115:3 … But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Psalm 135:6 … Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

Psalm 99:1 … The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

Revelation 19:6 … And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.❤

His Holy Name

A great design of true religion is to bring men to habitual reverence for God's divine majesty. The very moment men cease to treat God as holy that moment their hearts and lives become polluted. Anything relating to the true God, His being, His nature, His will, His works, His worship, His service, or His doctrine pertains to God's name. This commandment extends to the state of men's thoughts and hearts as well as to their speech.

To take God's name in vain, is to use it in any frivolous, false, inconsiderate, irreverent, or otherwise wicked manner. The scope of this commandment is to secure the holy and reverent use of all that by which God makes Himself known to His people; and so to guard His sacred name against all that is calculated to make it contemptible.

The manner of taking His name is to be grave, solemn, intelligent, thoughtful, sincere, and with godly fear.

[William S. Plumer]

Matthew 6:9 … After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.❤

Remember!!

When a prince was about to travel, he asked his tutor for some maxims by which to govern his behavior. He received this answer: "Remember that you are the son of a king!"

Let all Christians remember that they are the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty and "if sons, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ!"

[William S. Plumer]

1 Peter 2:9 … But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;❤

The Choicest, Sweetest, Wisest and Strongest Christian!

What is the reason that there is so much preaching, and so little practice? For lack of meditation. The end of study is information and the end of meditation is practice, or kindling of the affections. The end of study is to hoard up truth. The end of meditation to lay it forth in holy conduct. To hear sermons and not to meditate upon them, is unfruitful. We may hear and hear, but it is like putting a thing into a bag with holes!

[Thomas Merton]

It is not the bee's touching of the flower which gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower which draws out the sweet. Just so, it is not he who reads most, but he who meditates most who will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian!

[Thomas Brooks]

Meditation will keep your hearts and souls from sinful thoughts. When the vessel is full, you can put in no more. If the heart is full of sinful thoughts--then there is no room for holy and heavenly thoughts. If the heart is full of holy and heavenly thoughts by meditation, then there is no room for evil and sinful thoughts.

[William Bridge]

Without meditation grace never thrives, prayer is languid, praise is dull, and religious duties are unprofitable. It is easier to hear a year of sermons than to spend an hour in close, devout, profitable thoughts on divine things.

[William Plumer]

It often astonishes me that I did not see the importance of meditation upon Scripture earlier in my Christian life. We must consider what we read, ponder over it, and apply it to our hearts. The most important thing I do, is to read the Word of God and to meditate on it. Thus my heart might is comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved and instructed.

[George Muller]

The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word, is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation. Without meditation, the truths which we know will never affect our hearts. As a hammer drives a nail to the head, so mediation drives a truth to the heart. Read before you meditate. Reading furnishes with matter, it is the oil which feeds the lamp of meditation. Be sure your mediations are founded upon Scripture. Reading without meditation is barren and unfruitful; meditation without reading is dangerous.

[Thomas Watson]

Some people like to read so many chapters every day. I would not dissuade them from the practice, but I would rather let my soul soak in half a dozen verses all day, than rinse my hand in several chapters. Oh, to be bathed in a text of Scripture, and to let it be sucked up into your very soul, till it saturates your heart! Set your heart upon God's Word! Let your whole nature be plunged into it as a cloth into a dye!

[Charles Spurgeon]

By meditation, your knowledge is raised. By meditation, your memory is strengthened. By meditation, your hearts are warmed. By meditation, you will be freed from sinful thoughts. By meditation, your hearts will be tuned to every duty.  By meditation, you will grow in grace. By meditation, you will fill up all the chinks and crevices of your lives, and know how to spend your spare time profitably. By meditation, you will draw good out of evil. By meditation, you will converse with God, and enjoy God.

[William Bridge]

It is easier to walk six miles to hear a sermon, than to spend one quarter of an hour in meditating upon it when I come home.

[Philip Henry]

Meditation upon the Word of God is one of the most important of all the means of grace and growth in spirituality, yes there can be no true progress in vital and practical godliness without it. Meditation on Divine things is not optional but obligatory, for it is something which God has commanded us to attend unto.

[Arthur Pink]

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Deceitful & Desperately Wicked!

The heart is DECEITFUL. Man is the only creature on earth that seems to practice self-deception. That we should sometimes deceive others, is proof of our depravity; but that we should spend our lives in self-deception, is truly astonishing! Men of the fewest virtues, commonly have the highest thoughts of themselves. How strange and yet how common, that he whose heart has deceived him a thousand times should yet confide in it as if it had always been honest!

The human heart deceives every being but one. It would deceive Him if He were not omniscient. None but God knows all the depths of iniquity and duplicity within us.

Though the language of the Bible is strong, it is just. God declares, and every Christian knows by sad experience that his heart is deceitful above all things. A perfect knowledge of the treachery of our hearts, is possessed by none but God.

The heart is also VILE. It is "desperately wicked." It loves vanity, and folly and sin. It hates holiness, and truth and divine restraints. It is  a sink of iniquity, a pool of pestilential waters, a cage of unclean birds, and a sepulcher full of dead men's bones!  It is torn by wild, fierce, unhallowed passions. It rejects good and chooses evil. It is wholly corrupt. It is full of evil. There is no soundness in it.

[William S. Plumer]

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Jeremiah 17:9 ... The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Matthew 15:19 ... For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Proverbs 28:26 ... He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. ❤

Godly Men Weep

We cannot have too low an opinion of ourselves; or too high an opinion of Christ.Godly men weep over the evils which are found in themselves, such as error, ignorance, prejudice, pride, self-righteousness, worldliness, levity, unloving tempers and dispositions, censoriousness, envy, sinful anger, hatred, a proneness to remember wrongs, to indulge complaints, to forget mercies.

There is no plague like the plague of an evil heart!

There is no misery like the wretchedness of  'conscious vileness'. 

There are no sighs so long and so deep-drawn as those caused by indwelling sin. Though the righteous shall not weep always, yet they may weep bitterly.

[William S. Plumer]

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Romans 7:24 ... O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Job 42:6 ... Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.


Isaiah 6:5 ... Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

Luke 5:8 ... When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

Matthew 26:75 ... And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.❤

A Day of Great Surprise

The day of judgment will also be a day of great surprise, both to saints and sinners. So Christ expressly informs us: "Many will say to me on that day: 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'" Matthew 7:22-23

Many will be saved, and many will be lost; contrary to the judgments formed of them by their neighbors. But more will be saved, and more will be lost contrary to the opinions they had of themselves!

Christians will wonder that they are saved, and how they are saved, and they will wonder that they should be commended for deeds full of imperfection.

The wicked will be amazed that they are lost, and how they are lost; and especially that God puts no value upon their self-righteousness.

The sons of God will receive more honor than they ever thought of claiming;

while the wicked will find their hopes perishing one by one, and their lamp going out in obscure darkness.

Christians will wonder why they should be saved. Unbelievers will wonder why they should not be saved.

The wicked will ask, "What have we done amiss?" The saved will say, "All our righteous acts are like filthy rags!"

The wicked will say that he has done the best he can. The righteous will say, "Behold, I am vile!"

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Matthew 25:46. Nothing can reverse, nor arrest the judgments of that day. Nothing can alter or vary the decree of the Judge. It shall stand forever. The judgment of the great day will be irrevocable and everlasting in its effects. It will bind forever.

[William S. Plumer]

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Proverbs 10:28 ... The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

Proverbs 11:7 ...  When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.



Hebrews 9:27 ... And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:❤

Daily Walk with God

The daily business of a Christian is to resist the devil, deny himself, overcome the world, crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts,  imitate Christ,  walk with God.

[William S. Plumer]

James 4:7 ... Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Luke 9:23 ... And 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.

1 John 5:4 ...  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Galatians 5:24 ... And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Romans 13:14 ... He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John 2:6 ... He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.❤

True Repentance

True repentance embraces these things: 

1. A knowledge of sin. 

2. Humility.

3. Deep and genuine abasement of soul before God.

4. Sincere and hearty confession of sin.

5. Shame.

6. Sincere grief for sin.

7. Self-loathing, self-abhorrence.

8. Hatred of sin, sin in every form.

9. Love of holiness.

10. Amendment of life.

[Excerpt from William S. Plumer "Repentance"]

2 Corinthians 7:10 ... For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Psalm 38:18 ... For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

Acts 11:18 ... When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.❤

An Amazing Change

What an amazing change is this!

A child of the devil—becomes a child of God!
 

An heir of perdition—is changed into an heir of glory!

[William S. Plumer]

1 John 3:1 ... Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Romans 8:15 ... For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Romans 8:17 ... And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.



Galatians 3:26 ... For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.❤

A Blessed Experience

Once I was a poor lost sinner, ready to perish. My guilt was fearful. He passed by and said, ” Live, for I have ransomed thee.” I found pardon and acceptance in His blood and righteousness. I was all defiled, and had an evil heart of unbelief. He took away the heart of stone, and gave me a heart of flesh. I was blind.

I saw no beauty in holiness or in Jesus Christ. He anointed my eyes, and I saw His glory, full of grace and truth. I once was afraid of the Almighty, but Christ has given me His spirit, so that I cry, Abba, Father.

I once loved sin, some forms of it very much; but by His grace I hate vain thoughts and every false way. I abhor that which is evil. Left to myself I was weak as water. I had no might to do good. But by His grace I can do all things, because He strengthens me. My experience surprises me and delights me.

[William S. Plumer]

Isaiah 35:10 ... And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Ezekiel 11:19 ... And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

John 1:14 ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Romans 8:15 ... For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Philippians 4:13 ... I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.❤

Wonderful Mystery!

God was manifest in the flesh!

Our Lord Jesus Christ became incarnate, lived, acted, obeyed, suffered, died and rose again—for His people.

He came down to earth—that they might go up to heaven.

He suffered—that they might reign.

He became a servant—that they might become kings and priests unto God.

He died that—they might live.

He bore the cross—that their enmity might be slain, and their sins expiated.

He loved them—that they might love God.

He was rich and became poor—that they, who were poor, might be made rich.

He descended into the grave—that they might sit in heavenly places.

He emptied Himself—that they might be filled with all the fullness of God.

He took upon Him human nature—that they might be partakers of the divine nature.

He made Himself of no reputation—that they might wear His new name, and obtain eternal excellency.

He became a worm, and no man—that they, who were sinful worms, might be made equal to the angels.

He bore the curse of a broken covenant—that they might partake of all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.

Though heir of all things, He was willingly despised of the people—that they, who were justly condemned, might obtain an inheritance which is incorruptible, undefiled, and which fades not away.

His death was a satisfaction to divine justice, a ransom for many, a propitiation for sin, a sweet smelling savor to God—that we, who were an offence to God, might become His sons and daughters.

He was made sin for His people—that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Though Lord of all, He took the form of a servant—that they, who were the servants of sin, might prevail like princes with God.

He had no where to lay His head—that they who otherwise must have lain down in eternal sorrow, might reach the mansions in His Father's house.

He drank the cup of God's indignation—that they might forever drink of the river of his pleasures.

He hungered—that they might eat the bread of life.

He thirsted—that they might drink the water of life.

He was numbered with the transgressors—that they might stand among the justified, and be counted among His jewels.

Though He existed from everlasting, from the beginning, before ever the earth was, yet He became a helpless infant—that creatures of yesterday, sentenced to death, might live forever.

He wore a crown of thorns—that all who love His appearing, might wear a crown of life.

He wept tears of anguish—that His elect might weep tears of godly repentance.

He bore the yoke of obedience unto death—that they might find His yoke easy and His burden light.

He poured out his soul unto death, lay three days in the heart of the earth, then burst the bars of death, and arose to God—that they, who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage, might obtain the victory over the grave and become partakers of His resurrection.

He exhausted the penalty of the law—that His redeemed might have access to His inexhaustible treasures of mercy,wisdom, faithfulness, truth and grace.

He was matchless in grace—that they might be matchless in gratitude.

Though a Son, He became a voluntary exile—that they, who had wickedly wandered afar off, might be brought near by His blood.

His visage was so marred more than any man—that His ransomed ones might be presented before God without spot, or blemish, or wrinkle, or any such thing.

For a time He was forsaken of his Father—that they, whom He bought with His blood, might behold the light of God's
countenance forever.

He came and dwelt with them—that they might be forever with the Lord.

He was hung up naked before His insulting foes—that all who believe on His name, might wear a glorious wedding garment—a spotless righteousness.

Wonderful mystery! God was manifest in the flesh! Blessed is he who loves the incarnate mystery, and rests upon it. It is a mystery   of love,  of truth,  of grace,  of wisdom,  of condescension,  of power,  of salvation! It is the great study of the inhabitants of heaven, and shall be while immortality endures!

[William S. Plumer]

1 Timothy 3:16 ... And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Matthew 1:23 ... Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

1 John 4:9 ... In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.❤

A Very Great Attainment

It is a very great attainment to lie passive in God's hands, and know no will but His.

[William Plumer]

1 Samuel 3:18 ... And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

Job 1:21 ... And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Acts 21:14 ... And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

Luke 22:42 ... Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Psalm 40:8 ... I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Matthew 6:10 ... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.❤

Saving Faith

Saving faith is the great foster-parent of all that belongs to scriptural piety. Faith begets true worship,  godly fear,  devout thanksgiving,  genuine humility,  Christian boldness,  holy joy,  evangelical repentance,  enlarged liberality,  fervent love,  a pure conscience,  a holy life,   victory over the world,  eternal glory!

Faith gazes upon the cross until the course of the new nature is set on fire with heavenly love!

Saving faith  unites to Christ,  lays hold of salvation,  conquers every foe,  brings every blessing into the soul,  pronounces death abolished,  always begets humility,  is self-renouncing,  consents to be nothing, that God may be all and in all,  excludes boasting,  is jealous for God's honor,  brings forth forgiveness to enemies,  begets repentance,  nourishes other graces,   ever clings to the fullness of Christ,  kindles love to an unseen Savior,  is ever laying its crown at the feet of Immanuel,   puts things in their proper place,  abases the sinner in the dust,  sets God on the throne of universal dominion,   pronounces all God's ways just and right,  counts all things as loss, for the excellency  of the knowledge of God's dear Son!

[William Plumer] 

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2 Peter 1:1 ... Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

Romans 10:9 ... That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Ephesians 2:8 ... For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Hebrews 11:7 ... By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.❤

The Christian's Glorious Riches

The Christian is a paradox. Because he has Christ, he has the unsearchable riches of Christ. Four times does Paul speak of “the riches of His glory.” It is a Hebrew form of expression, equivalent to “His glorious riches.” In Romans 9:23, the apostle states it was God’s plan to “make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory.” In Ephesians 1:18, he prays that the eyes of their understanding being enlightened, they “may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
 

 

In Ephesians 3:16, he prays that God “would grant them, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.” And in Colossians 1:27, we read of “the saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It is therefore clear that all implied in this phrase shall be made manifest in the saints, shall be known by them, shall strengthen them, and shall secure to them the blessings of a glorious eternity.
 

 

 

What, then, are these “glorious riches”? Who but God can fully answer that question? Sometimes He speaks to us concerning them. By one apostle He tells us of “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23.)

 
 

By another He tells us of “faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity” (2 Peter 1:5-7). What a beautiful constellation of virtues is here! They are the graces of the Holy Spirit. He who has these - has glorious riches. Nothing shall ever harm him.
 

In another place God says, “All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come: all are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21-22). Are not these riches of glory? This world and the next, with all the real blessings in both, belong to the people of the Most High God. This is very much the way in which Christ personally stated the matter: “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that has left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting” Luke 18:29-30). In like manner, Paul says that godliness has the “promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).


We may, then, sum up these riches of glory thus: Believers have full and free forgiveness of all their sins; they are fully accepted in the Beloved; they are clothed in Christ’s spotless righteousness; they are adopted into the family of God; their title to heaven through Christ is perfect; they are regenerated; they have increase of grace; their sanctification is secured; they have peace in believing; they are sure of victory over sins, the world, the flesh, the devil, all sorrow, death, hell, and the grave; they have the elements and principles of all virtues, and shall infallibly have them all perfected; they have God for their Father, Christ for their Savior, the Holy Spirit for their Comforter, hope in God for their anchor, and heaven for their home; they shall have boldness in the day of judgment; they shall be like Christ and with Christ forever; they shall inherit all things.


Oh, who would not be a Christian?

 

[William S. Plumer]

 

 

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2 Corinthians 6:9-10 ... As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;  As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.❤