Tag Archives: God’s Kingdom

The crying evil of both the Church and of the world!

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The crying evil of both the Church and of the world!Β 

(Thomas Reade, “The Desire of More”)Β 

“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, andΒ covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5Β 

“You can be sure that no immoral, impure, orΒ covetousΒ person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For aΒ covetousΒ person is really anΒ idolaterΒ who worships the things of this world.” Ephesians 5:5Β 

The love of money
Β under every form, insinuates itself into every heart.Β 

A day is fast approaching when it will be clearly seen whether Christ or Mammon has swayed our affections.Β 

Covetousness
, in the language of Scripture, is the desire of having more. If we are habitually desirous of riches, for their own sake, we are, in the estimation of God,Β covetousΒ people, idolaters, the servants of mammon. Our station may be exalted; our profession of religion may be outwardly strict, but still our destruction is sure.Β 

There are, perhaps, few sins which assume so plausible an appearance; and for which so many excuses are made as for that ofcovetousness. And hence it is that we have need to guard so much the citadel of the heart.Β 

Covetousness
, eatingΒ like a canker, upon the vitals of our religion–isΒ the crying evil of both the Church and of the world!Β 

What advantage did Lot’s wife, Achan, Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira, gain by their desire for more? They reaped shame and death; and now stand asΒ beaconsΒ in the Word of God to warn us against their soul-destroying sin!Β 

For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul?”Β Luke 9:25Β 

The one indispensable book!

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The one indispensable book!

(Daniel March, 1870)

The Bible is theΒ oldest–and theΒ newestΒ of books.

The Bible surveys the whole field ofΒ time–and it looks farthest into the infinite depths ofΒ eternity.Β 

The Bible lends the most vivid and absorbing interest to the scenes and events of theΒ past–and it keeps us in the most active sympathy with the time in which we live.Β 

The Bible gives us the most reliable record of whatΒ hasΒ been–and it affords us our only means of knowing what isΒ yetΒ to be.Β 

The Bible isΒ holyΒ enough to denounce the very shadow and semblance of sin–and it isΒ mercifulΒ enough to save the chief of sinners.Β 

The Bible is full ofΒ God–and must therefore be read with a pure heart, or its true glory will not be seen.Β 
The Bible is full ofΒ man–and must therefore always be interesting and instructive to all who would know themselves.

The Bible is theΒ plainestΒ of books–and yet it hasΒ depths of wisdomΒ which no created mind can fathom.Β 

The Bible is set up as a beacon to show all wanderers the safe way–and yet its light shines forth from thick clouds of mystery, and from abysses of infinite darkness.Β 

The Bible describes all conditions of life–and it gives utterance to all desires and emotions of the soul.Β 

The Bible has a song of triumph for theΒ overcomer–and a wail of defeat for theΒ overcome.Β 

The Bible . . .
Β  sparkles with the fervor and gladness ofΒ youth,
Β  celebrates the strength and glory ofΒ manhood,
Β  bewails the sorrows and infirmities ofΒ old age.Β 

The Bible . . .
Β  exults in the mighty deeds of kings and conquerors,Β 
Β  sympathizes with the poor and lowly,Β 
Β  lifts up the fallen,Β 
Β  delivers the oppressed, andΒ 
Β  breathes the blessing of peace upon the quiet homes of domestic life.Β 

The Bible describes with startling clearness . . .
Β  the seductions ofΒ temptation,
Β  the conflicts ofΒ doubtΒ and
Β  the miseries ofΒ skepticism.Β 

The Bible . . .
Β  searches the secret chambers of theΒ heart,Β 
Β  brings to light its purest love and its darkest hate,Β 
Β  reveals its highest joy and its deepest grief.Β 

The Bible compasses the utmost range ofΒ thoughtΒ andΒ feelingΒ andΒ desire–and it sounds the utmost depth ofΒ motiveΒ andΒ characterandΒ passion.

Thus in the Bible,Β 
Β  God and man,
Β  earth and heaven,
Β  time and eternity–
speak with one voice and teach the same truth.Β 

The Bible sets forth the most spiritual and heavenly truths–in the lights and shadows of earthly scenes and human characters.Β 

Thus the Bible isΒ the one indispensable bookΒ . . .
Β  for all ages–and all nations,
Β  for all classes of men–and all states of society,
Β  for all capacities of intellect–and all necessities of the soul!