_But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth._ SANBALLAT: A STUDY IN PARTY SPIRIT You must clearly understand, to begin with, that Samaria was already, even in that early day, the deadly rival of Jerusalem; and also that Sanballat was the governor of Samari... [ Continue Reading ]
_So we built the wall._ FELLOWSHIP IN CHRISTIAN SERVICE 1. They built it notwithstanding sneers. “What do these feeble Jews?” Sanballat said. All the Sanballats are not dead yet. Often, when you would attempt some new or difficult work for Christ, there are a good many modern Sanballats ready to s... [ Continue Reading ]
_But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobtah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls. .. conspired all of them together._ FOES OF THE FAITH It is well we should know our enemies, and then we can better resist them. I. think of those foes of the fait... [ Continue Reading ]
_We made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch._ WATCH AND PRAY I. The duty of prayer. 1. Prayer implies trust. 2. It implies acknowledged weakness. 3. It realises Divine power. Hence in the Christian life that man is only safe, prosperous, or happy who is constantly on his knees. II. Active... [ Continue Reading ]
_And our adversaries said, They shall not know._ THE CRAFT AND CRUELTY OF THE CHURCH’S ADVERSARIES I. A strong combination against the church of god. II. A wicked design they were combined in. III. A bloody means propounded. IV. A subtle way projected for the affecting of this. (_Matthew Newcom... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember the Lord, which is great._ THE POWER OF MEMORY Consider-- I. The power of memory. II. The application of the text to ourselves. 1. Parents should remember that God regards them as stewards, to whom are committed the care, the instruction, and the discipline of their offspring. 2. Chi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Every one unto his work._ SPECIALTY OF WORK FOR EACH MAN There is something beautiful to me in the thought that there is a specialty of work for each man. In work, as in character, disposition, history, and destiny, there is a specialty; and when the Church arises to the New Jerusalem, it will not... [ Continue Reading ]
_Every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon, _ THE WORK AND WARFARE OF LIFE Life is work, and life is warfare; and these are ever commingled. Our text is but an epitome and sample of that larger and longer work which fills the broad area of all huma... [ Continue Reading ]
_The work is great. .. and we are separated upon the wall._ THE COMMON WORK OF THE MASTER In time of war you visit the camp. There is flying from the flagpole in the sun the stars and stripes. You look upon the men in their scattered avocations. A few men are playing, a few men are cleaning their g... [ Continue Reading ]
_So we laboured in the work._ PERSEVERANCE The builders not only began well, but they persevered to the end of their work. Perseverance is s great element of success. It was George Stephenson’s motto, “Persevere”; and the celebrated mathematician, Arago, tells us that his master in mathematics gave... [ Continue Reading ]
_None of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing._ THE NECESSARY AND THE UNNECESSARY Some people waste all their energy in putting off and on their clothes: their whole life is a question of clothes; they cannot do anything until their clothes are right. Nehemiah sho... [ Continue Reading ]