In pursuing his calling, Christ will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, in which more is meant than spoken, for he will not only not break nor quench, but he will cherish those ...  Read More

Such bruising may help weaker Christians not to be too much discouraged, when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised. Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75). This reed, until he met...  Read More

The bruised reed is a man who for the most part is in some misery, as those were who came to Christ for help, and by misery he is brought to see sin as the cause of it. He is sensible of sin and mise...  Read More

God calls Christ here his servant. Christ was God's servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was, a choice servant who did and suffered all by commission from the Father. In this we may see...  Read More

(8) Where the Spirit is, there is often prayer, as Christ often prayed. There is also a perpetual endeavour of doing good, as his Spirit in him stirred him to go from place to place to do good. Where...  Read More

(6) Where he enters, he possesses the whole inward and outward man. He rules the eyes, the ears, the hands; he renews all, so that our delights are made clean unlike they were before. There is such a...  Read More

(5) If Christ is in us, he transforms us to his own likeness; where he rules by the Spirit, he changes his people (2 Cor. 3:18). Christ renews and changes his spouse, the church. He is such a head as...  Read More

(3) Where Christ is, he rules; for he takes the keys of the house and governs all. Where he is in the heart and affections-there he rules; and where he takes not his lodging in the affections and in ...  Read More

How can we know that Christ is in us? (1) If Christ is in us by his Spirit, he will work great matters in us and there will be tumults in the soul. For when Christ comes to us, he finds all in rebell...  Read More

Christ is in all believers, as the vine is in the branches and as the head is in the members. Here is a notable bond of union between Christians; Christ by his Spirit is in them all. Christ is one in...  Read More

As for unbelievers, we must know that God shuts out no one but those who shut themselves out, those who think the things of the gospel are too good to be true, and therefore will enjoy their pleasure...  Read More

We must help unbelievers realize that they misread the abundant common blessings of this life as a sign that God must love them. For example, some think their case is good because God has given them ...  Read More

It is clear to anybody who knows anything in religion that we ought to labour to know God's love for us. Avoid any who teach that we ought to doubt God's love for us. Are we not prone enough to distr...  Read More

We cannot be thankful to God until we know that he loves us in Christ. Who can be thankful to someone he doesn't know? It is a duty to joy in the Lord as our portion, but we must be certain of his lo...  Read More

The evils which we suffer are from the meritorious evil of sin. It is sin that makes God to bring evil upon the creature. We must know that the evil of punishment is the good of justice, because it d...  Read More

The lives of God's children do keep back judgment and evil from the place where they live, and their death is a forerunner of judgment. The reasons: (1) Because gracious men do make the times and the...  Read More

This is a comfort to us in the departure of our believing friends, to render their souls up with comfort into the hands of God. We know they are not lost but sent before us. Why should we inappropria...  Read More

It is a very sweet word, that death is nothing but a gathering. It presupposes that God's children are all scattered in this world amongst wicked men, in a forlorn place, as pilgrims in a strange lan...  Read More

How should we pray so that God will hear? (1) If we want God to hear us, then let us hear him. For 'he that turns away his ears from hearing the law, even his prayers shall be abominable' (Prov. 28:9...  Read More

If this be so, that God does hear us, let us be plentiful in prayers, and lay up a great store of them in the bosom of God, for this is what will do us the most good. He hears everyone in due time. W...  Read More

Some will object, God does not hear me: I have prayed a long while, and yet he has not given me an answer. (1) God does always hear, though he seems not to hear sometimes, to increase our importunity...  Read More

How do we know God hears the groans of his children? David said, 'My groaning is not hidden from you' (Psa. 38:9). Also, 'He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; he will also hear their cry,...  Read More

How will we know when to cease and leave off mourning? The soul has many things to do and it cannot always mourn nor always rejoice. We have mourned enough, when we have overcome our hearts, and brou...  Read More

We are told to weep and mourn always and to rejoice and be thankful always, how can these agree? To this I answer that the state of a Christian in this life is a mixed state. The outward state and th...  Read More