"The Child-Like Spirit an Essential Condition of Entering Heaven" ---New
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Lecture I
Text.--Matt. 18:3: "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as
little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Text.--Mark 10:15: "Verily
I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child,
he shall not enter therein."
The passage from Matthew stands in the following connection: The
disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
"And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,
and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children,
ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Look at the question which drew forth this decisive remark from our Lord:--"Who
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Strange question this, for holy men
to ask -- for men to ask, who had now been in the society of the Meek and Lowly One
long enough, it would seem, to understand and to have imbibed His spirit. Our Lord
wisely took advantage of the question, to propound one vastly important principle
in reference to the nature of His kingdom and the consequent fitness for entering
it.
In discussing the subject here presented, it will be important,
I. To state some of the characteristics of little children.
II. To show why this state of mind is indispensable to salvation.
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"The Fearful Results of a Spiritual Relapse" ---New Window
Lecture II
Text.--Matt. 12:43-45:
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,
he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will
return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty,
swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits
more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of
that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."
I. Consider what is represented by the departure of the unclean spirit.
II. That the state of things consequent on his departure cannot continue long.
III. Point out the dangers and results of a spiritual relapse.
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"God's Love to Sinners as Seen in the Gospel" ---New Window
Lecture III
Text.--John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting
life."
The subject of this great love is God. It is no other than God who is here said
to have so loved this world. Hence God is not a mere intellect, but is a being capable
of loving.
This declaration about God's love is not a mere figure of speech accommodated to
our apprehension, and hence perhaps not meaning nearly so much as it seems to mean.
No, this is no accommodating figure, but a statement of fact,--of fact substantiated
by what God has actually done. God loved so much that He gave up His only Son--for
sinners. Hence we know that God really loves, and as much more intensely than any
creature as He is greater than any.
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"All Things for Good to Those That Love God -
No. 1" ---New Window
Lecture IV
I. Inquire, what does his language mean?
II. Show how the result of good to all that love God is secured.
III. Notice some particulars as illustrations of the general truth.
IV. Show how we know it to be true.
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"All Things Conspire for Evil to The Sinner -
No. 2" ---New Window
Lecture V
In the reading of these passages you will see that they present a direct contrast
to the great truth of our morning discourse. [This was published in our last issue.]
In that it was shown that all things work together for good to those that love God.
In this our text leads to the opposite truth in regard to the sinner. All things
conspire together for their ruin. All tends to complete and aggravate their destruction.
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"Guilt Modified by Ignorance" ---New Window
Lecture VI
I. Show what it means.
II. Apply its principles to some of the great moral movements of the present age.
III. Show what is implied in repentance.
IV. Show why men should repent and reform now.
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"Salvation Difficult to The Christian- Impossible to The Sinner - No. 1"
---New Window
Lecture VII
I. Why the salvation of the righteous is difficult;
II. Why the salvation of the sinner is impossible;
III. Answer the question of the text--Where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
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"The Salvation of Sinners Impossible - No. 2" ---New
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Lecture VIII
Continued from Lecture VII
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"Paul and Felix, Or Preaching and Procrastination" ---New
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Lecture IX
I. That it gives us a clue to the apostolic manner of preaching
salvation through Christ.
II. Let us next notice the effect of this method.
III. I next observe that we have in our text a specimen of the manner in which sinners
reject the gospel and evade its claims.
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"Christ Tempted, Suffering, and Able to Succor The Tempted" ---New
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Lecture X
Text.--Heb. 2:18: "For in that He Himself hath suffered, being tempted, He is
able to succor them that are tempted."
The connection, commencing back with the tenth verse of this chapter,
presents Jesus as one of the brethren among His people and assigns reasons for His
assuming human nature into union with His divine. Because the children were partakers
of flesh and blood, He also Himself took part of the same, to the end that by His
own death He might destroy Satan who had power to make death terrible, and might
so deliver His people from the fear of death though otherwise under its bondage their
lives long. For indeed, of the race of angels Christ did not take hold, to save them;
but He did take hold of the race of man. The former, falling by sin, sank to hell,
unredeemed; the latter, tempted and fallen, the Son of God rushed to rescue and save.
Hence the necessity of putting on their nature, since He had undertaken to rescue
and save them. Therefore He must be made in all things like them, "that He might
be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation
for the sins of the people; For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He
is able to succor them that are tempted."
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"Election and Reprobation" ---New Window
Lecture XI
I. To define the terms.
II. Show what the scripture doctrine really is.
III. State the reasons for Election and also for Reprobation
IV. Show how, as a general fact, we may determine to which class any individual belongs.
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