Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc00/v00100

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 11KB | 193 lines

00103
 #13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth. Mankind, lying in ignorance
 and wickedness, were as a vast heap, ready to putrefy; but
 Christ sent forth his disciples, by their lives and doctrines to
 season it with knowledge and grace. If they are not such as they
 should be, they are as salt that has lost its savour. If a man
 can take up the profession of Christ, and yet remain graceless,
 no other doctrine, no other means, can make him profitable. Our
 light must shine, by doing such good works as men may see. What
 is between God and our souls, must be kept to ourselves; but
 that which is of itself open to the sight of men, we must study
 to make suitable to our profession, and praiseworthy. We must
 aim at the glory of God.

00107
 #17-20 Let none suppose that Christ allows his people to trifle
 with any commands of God's holy law. No sinner partakes of
 Christ's justifying righteousness, till he repents of his evil
 deeds. The mercy revealed in the gospel leads the believer to
 still deeper self-abhorrence. The law is the Christian's rule of
 duty, and he delights therein. If a man, pretending to be
 Christ's disciple, encourages himself in any allowed
 disobedience to the holy law of God, or teaches others to do the
 same, whatever his station or reputation among men may be, he
 can be no true disciple. Christ's righteousness, imputed to us
 by faith alone, is needed by every one that enters the kingdom
 of grace or of glory; but the new creation of the heart to
 holiness, produces a thorough change in a man's temper and
 conduct.

00111
 #21-26 The Jewish teachers had taught, that nothing except
 actual murder was forbidden by the sixth commandment. Thus they
 explained away its spiritual meaning. Christ showed the full
 meaning of this commandment; according to which we must be
 judged hereafter, and therefore ought to be ruled now. All rash
 anger is heart murder. By our brother, here, we are to
 understand any person, though ever so much below us, for we are
 all made of one blood. "Raca," is a scornful word, and comes
 from pride: "Thou fool," is a spiteful word, and comes from
 hatred. Malicious slanders and censures are poison that kills
 secretly and slowly. Christ told them that how light soever they
 made of these sins, they would certainly be called into judgment
 for them. We ought carefully to preserve Christian love and
 peace with all our brethren; and if at any time there is a
 quarrel, we should confess our fault, humble ourselves to our
 brother, making or offering satisfaction for wrong done in word
 or deed: and we should do this quickly; because, till this is
 done, we are unfit for communion with God in holy ordinances.
 And when we are preparing for any religious exercises, it is
 good for us to make that an occasion of serious reflection and
 self-examination. What is here said is very applicable to our
 being reconciled to God through Christ. While we are alive, we
 are in the way to his judgement-seat; after death, it will be
 too late. When we consider the importance of the case, and the
 uncertainty of life, how needful it is to seek peace with God,
 without delay!

00117
 #27-32 Victory over the desires of the heart, must be attended
 with painful exertions. But it must be done. Every thing is
 bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them. All our senses
 and powers must be kept from those things which lead to
 transgression. Those who lead others into temptation to sin, by
 dress or in other ways, or leave them in it, or expose them to
 it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be accountable
 for it. If painful operations are submitted to, that our lives
 may be saved, what ought our minds to shrink from, when the
 salvation of our souls is concerned? There is tender mercy under
 all the Divine requirements, and the grace and consolations of
 the Spirit will enable us to attend to them.

00123
 #33-37 There is no reason to consider that solemn oaths in a
 court of justice, or on other proper occasions, are wrong,
 provided they are taken with due reverence. But all oaths taken
 without necessity, or in common conversation, must be sinful, as
 well as all those expressions which are appeals to God, though
 persons think thereby to evade the guilt of swearing. The worse
 men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are,
 the less there is need for them. Our Lord does not enjoin the
 precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, but such a
 constant regard to truth as would render oaths unnecessary.

00128
 #38-42 The plain instruction is, Suffer any injury that can be
 borne, for the sake of peace, committing your concerns to the
 Lord's keeping. And the sum of all is, that Christians must
 avoid disputing and striving. If any say, Flesh and blood cannot
 pass by such an affront, let them remember, that flesh and blood
 shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and those who act upon
 right principles will have most peace and comfort.

00133
 #43-48 The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those
 who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they
 were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus
 teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all,
 especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many
 will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and
 this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others
 salute their brethren, and embrace those of their own party, and
 way, and opinion, but we must not so confine our respect. It is
 the duty of Christians to desire, and aim at, and press towards
 perfection in grace and holiness. And therein we must study to
 conform ourselves to the example of our heavenly Father, #1Pe
 1:15,16|. Surely more is to be expected from the followers of
 Christ than from others; surely more will be found in them than
 in others. Let us beg of God to enable us to prove ourselves his
 children.
00139
 * Against hypocrisy in alms giving. (1-4) Against hypocrisy in
 prayer. (5-8) How to pray. (9-15) Respecting fasting. (16-18)
 Evil of being worldly-minded. (19-24) Trust in God commended.
 (25-34)

 #1-4 Our Lord next warned against hypocrisy and outward show in
 religious duties. What we do, must be done from an inward
 principle, that we may be approved of God, not that we may be
 praised of men. In these verses we are cautioned against
 hypocrisy in giving alms. Take heed of it. It is a subtle sin;
 and vain-glory creeps into what we do, before we are aware. But
 the duty is not the less necessary and excellent for being
 abused by hypocrites to serve their pride. The doom Christ
 passes, at first may seem a promise, but it is their reward; not
 the reward God promises to those who do good, but the reward
 hypocrites promise themselves, and a poor reward it is; they did
 it to be seen of men, and they are seen of men. When we take
 least notice of our good deeds ourselves, God takes most notice
 of them. He will reward thee; not as a master who gives his
 servant what he earns, and no more, but as a Father who gives
 abundantly to his son that serves him.

00143
 #5-8 It is taken for granted that all who are disciples of
 Christ pray. You may as soon find a living man that does not
 breathe, as a living Christian that does not pray. If
 prayerless, then graceless. The Scribes and Pharisees were
 guilty of two great faults in prayer, vain-glory and vain
 repetitions. "Verily they have their reward;" if in so great a
 matter as is between us and God, when we are at prayer, we can
 look to so poor a thing as the praise of men, it is just that it
 should be all our reward. Yet there is not a secret, sudden
 breathing after God, but he observes it. It is called a reward,
 but it is of grace, not of debt; what merit can there be in
 begging? If he does not give his people what they ask, it is
 because he knows they do not need it, and that it is not for
 their good. So far is God from being wrought upon by the length
 or words of our prayers, that the most powerful intercessions
 are those which are made with groanings that cannot be uttered.
 Let us well study what is shown of the frame of mind in which
 our prayers should be offered, and learn daily from Christ how
 to pray.

00147
 #9-15 Christ saw it needful to show his disciples what must
 commonly be the matter and method of their prayer. Not that we
 are tied up to the use of this only, or of this always; yet,
 without doubt, it is very good to use it. It has much in a
 little; and it is used acceptably no further than it is used
 with understanding, and without being needlessly repeated. The
 petitions are six; the first three relate more expressly to God
 and his honour, the last three to our own concerns, both
 temporal and spiritual. This prayer teaches us to seek first the
 kingdom of God and his righteousness, and that all other things
 shall be added. After the things of God's glory, kingdom, and
 will, we pray for the needful supports and comforts of this
 present life. Every word here has a lesson in it. We ask for
 bread; that teaches us sobriety and temperance: and we ask only
 for bread; not for what we do not need. We ask for our bread;
 that teaches us honesty and industry: we do not ask for the
 bread of others, nor the bread of deceit, #Pr 20:17|; nor the
 bread of idleness, #Pr 31:27|, but the bread honestly gotten. We
 ask for our daily bread; which teaches us constantly to depend
 upon Divine Providence. We beg of God to give it us; not sell it
 us, nor lend it us, but give it. The greatest of men must be
 beholden to the mercy of God for their daily bread. We pray,
 Give it to us. This teaches us a compassion for the poor. Also
 that we ought to pray with our families. We pray that God would
 give it us this day; which teaches us to renew the desires of
 our souls toward God, as the wants of our bodies are renewed. As
 the day comes we must pray to our heavenly Father, and reckon we
 could as well go a day without food, as without prayer. We are
 taught to hate and dread sin while we hope for mercy, to
 distrust ourselves, to rely on the providence and grace of God
 to keep us from it, to be prepared to resist the tempter, and
 not to become tempters of others. Here is a promise, If you
 forgive, your heavenly Father will also forgive. We must
 forgive, as we hope to be forgiven. Those who desire to find
 mercy with God, must show mercy to their brethren. Christ came
 into the world as the great Peace-maker, not only to reconcile
 us to God, but one to another.