Understanding the Sacraments: “The sacraments, of which there are two(baptism and the Lord’s Supper), “have been instituted by the Lord”, and are to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit(Inst. 4, 14, 9). This essay concurs with Calvin and J.I. Packer who also maintains that Jesus Christ instituted two rites for His followers to observe: baptism, a one time rite of initiation, and the Lord’s Supper, a regular rite of...

“Blessed is he that considereth the poor. I call your attention to the way in which the Bible enjoins us to take up the care of the poor. It does not say in the text before us, Commiserate the poor; for, if it said no more than this, it would leave their necessities to be provided for by the random ebullitions of an impetuous and unreflecting sympathy. It provided them with a better security than the mere feeling of compassion—a feeling...

“The Lord said unto my Lord — נאם יהוה לאדני, neum Jehovah ladoni, the saying, or decree, that is, I record the saying or decree of Jehohovah to my Lord, that is, to his Son the Messiah, whom I acknowledge as my Lord and God. This decree, made in eternity, was in due time published, and was actually executed when God raised up Christ from the dead, and brought him into his heavenly mansion. David designedly calls the Messiah his Lord, to...

We learn from this chapter: 1. That people are often far more attached to traditions and the commandments of human beings than to the Law of God, Matthew 15:1-6. 2. That people are strongly disposed to explain away the law of God, if possible. It is too strict for them, and too spiritual. They dare not often attack it directly, but they will explain it and dilute it so as to make it mean nothing. Wicked people do not love God’s law,...

“The discouragement she met with in this address; in all the story of Christ’s ministry we do not meet with the like. He was wont to countenance and encourage all that came to him, and either to answer before they called, or to hear while they were yet speaking; but here was one otherwise treated: and what could be the reason of it? (1.) Some think that Christ showed himself backward to gratify this poor woman, because he would not...