_A certain man planted a vineyard and set an hedge about it._ THE VINEYARD, OR THE VISIBLE CHURCH TRANSFERRED TO THE GENTILES I. The Church is God’s peculiar treasure. II. The Jewish people were appointed its guardians. III. The Jewish nation was unfaithful to its trust. 1. They rejected the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
_Catch Him in His words._ EASTERN SPIES The course pursued by the enemies of our Lord does not seem strange to anyone who knows anything of the surveillance which a Hindoo uris establishes over anyone whose sayings or doings it may be of importance for him to know. For instance, Major T-, the agent... [ Continue Reading ]
_But He knowing their hypocrisy._ HYPOCRISY Sir John Trevor, who had for some misdemeanours been expelled from Parliament, one day meeting Archbishop Tillotson, cried out, “I hate to see an Atheist in the shape of a Churchman.” “And I,” replied the good Bishop, “hate to see a knave in any shape.”... [ Continue Reading ]
_Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s._ OUR OBLIGATIONS TO GOD AND MAN The spirit of the passage requires us to regard the rights of all beings as sacred, and to give to them all that is theirs. I. What is due to God? Or what are the things, the prop... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the resurrection._ MORE IN SCRIPTURE THAN AS FIRST APPEARS These words of Christ show us how much more there is in Scripture than at first sight appears. God spoke to Moses in the bush, and called Himself the God of Abraham; and Christ tells us, that in this simple announcement was contained t... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the resurrection._ MORE IN SCRIPTURE THAN AS FIRST APPEARS These words of Christ show us how much more there is in Scripture than at first sight appears. God spoke to Moses in the bush, and called Himself the God of Abraham; and Christ tells us, that in this simple announcement was contained t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart._ LOVE TO GOD SECURES ALL BLESSINGS “Love not pleasure,” says Carlyle; “love God. This the Everlasting Yea wherein all contradiction is solved; wherein he who so walks and works, it is well with him.” LOVE TO GOD CONTRASTED WITH NOT LOVING... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself._ THE SECOND GREAT COMMANDMENT, LOVE TO OUR NEIGHBOUR I. I shall make a few observations concerning the nature of this duty. This phraseology has been very differently understood by different persons. Some have supposed it to contain a direction that we sho... [ Continue Reading ]
_Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth._ THE DIVINE ECHO IN THE HUMAN HEART Man needs a Saviour. The heart of man answers, “Well, Master, Thou hast said the truth.” What are the practical consequences of our having this responsive faculty? I. Man is made a co-worker with God; not a machine, but... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thou art not far from the kingdom of God._ NEED OF SELF-EXAMINATION There is great cause for every one of us diligently to try and examine our knowledge and faith in Christ, whether it be true, sound, and sincere; or whether it be an hypocritical and counterfeit faith, seeing one may be “not far... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the common people heard Him gladly._ THE GOSPEL AND THE MASSES This passage refers to the reception given to the teachings of our Lord by the masses of the people. I. The hearers of Christ referred to in the text are designated “the common people.” As the words in the original Greek mean, lit... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beware of the Scribes which love to go in long clothing._ RECKLESSNESS OF AMBITION There is the Synagogue of Ambition, whose bond of union is the lust of place and of power. Let Diotrephes be its representative, who, “loved to have the preeminence,” and whom St. John censured for this ambitious te... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus sat over against the treasury._ THE TREASURY TEST The lesson taught by this narrative is-man’s treatment of God’s treasury the true touchstone of piety. I. God has a treasury in His church. God has conferred on man various kinds of material possessions and property for use and enjoymen... [ Continue Reading ]