_Thou restrainest prayer before God._ THE HINDRANCES TO SPIRITUAL PRAYER All the motives by which the heart of man can be influenced, combine to urge upon him the great duty of prayer. Whence, then, arises the guilty indifference to spiritual prayer, so prevalent among us? Why will men, whose only... [ Continue Reading ]
_The grey-headed and very aged men._ GREY-HEADED AND AGED MEN I. Old age presents social contrasts. Some are rich and some are poor. Some have all their wants anticipated and supplied; others are beset with difficulties, which seem to thicken with advancing years. II. Old age presents physical co... [ Continue Reading ]
_Are the consolations of God small with thee?_ LOSING THE DIVINE CONSOLATIONS Some take the words to be an expostulation with Job, showing him the unreasonableness of impatience or despondency, how sad soever were his case, while having the consolations of God to make recourse to. They may also be... [ Continue Reading ]
_Why doth thine heart carry thee away?_ IMPULSIVENESS Elihu means to say, Why dost thou allow thy feelings to carry thee beyond the boundaries of reason? The vast masses of mankind are the victims of ungoverned impulses. See this-- 1. In the formation of friendships. Such impulses often bring the... [ Continue Reading ]
_What is man that he should be clean?_ ORIGINAL SIN Of all the truths acknowledged and assumed in this ancient book, we find none more clearly or readily confessed than that of man’s original sin and native corruption. “What is man that he should be clean?” When a question is asked in argument and... [ Continue Reading ]
_He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it?_ THE CRY FOR BREAD There are certain things which if men want they will have. I have heard say that in the old bread riots, when men were actually starving for bread, no word had such a terrible threatening and alarming power about it as the wor... [ Continue Reading ]