‘Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in          me first Jesus Christ might show forth all          long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should          hereafter believe.’–1 TIM. i. 16.The smallest of God’s creatures, if it were only a gnat dancing in asunbeam, has a right to have its well-being considered as an end ofGod’s dealings. But no…

          ‘Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed          for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord,          my dearly beloved.’–PHIL. iv. 1.The words I have chosen set forth very simply and beautifully the bondwhich knit Paul and these Philippian Christians together, and the chiefdesire which his Apostolic love had for them. I venture to apply them…

    ‘And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened    Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters,    which are here; lest them be consumed in the iniquity of    the city. And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon    his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the    hand of his two daughters; the Lord…

    ‘And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and    the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the    tables were written on both their sides; on the one    side and on the other were they written. 16. And the    tables were the work of God, and the writing was the    writing of God, graven upon the tables.…

          ‘For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that          it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My          grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is          made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore          will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the          power of Christ may rest upon me.’–2 COR. xii. 8,          9.This very remarkable page in the…

    ‘And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of    them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense    thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which    He commanded them not. 2. And there went out fire from    the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the    Lord. 3. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is…

          ‘To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22.          But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of          my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23.          For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire          to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far          better: 24. Nevertheless to…

          ‘Exercise thyself unto Godliness.’–1 TIM. iv. 7.Timothy seems to have been not a very strong character: sensitive,easily discouraged, and perhaps with a constitutional tendency toindolence. At all events, it is very touching to notice how the oldApostle–a prisoner, soon to be a martyr–forgot all about his ownanxieties and burdens, and, through both of his letters…

          ‘Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus          minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded,          God shall reveal even this unto you.’–PHIL. iii.          15.‘As many as be perfect’; and how many may they be? Surely a very shortbede-roll would contain their names; or would there be any other but theName which is above every…

          ‘Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not          to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world          worketh death.’–2 COR. vii. 10.Very near the close of his missionary career the Apostle Paul summed uphis preaching as being all directed to enforcing two points, ‘Repentancetowards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.’ These two, repentanceand faith, ought…