Be still, O heart! why fear and tremble?
What evil can thy steps betide?
Though foes, a mighty host, assemble,
Fear not, for God is on thy side.
Be still, O heart! the Lord of glory
Was once a man acquaint with grief;
He stoops to hear—tell all thy story—
He loves, He cares, He'll send relief.
Be still, O heart! cease fearing, fretting
About the future, all unknown;
Ne'er think the Master is forgetting
About His child—His loved and own.
Be still, O heart! thy Lord will send thee
The clouds or sunshine as is best;
His own right hand shall e'er defend thee;
Then trust His love, and be at rest.
Chorus:
Be still, O heart!
What evil can betide thee?
Fear not, fear not,
With God to walk beside thee.
J. H. Watson, arranged
.....Come home to Christ, who will, albeit all the world should speak ill of them, yet He will take their defense, and speak on their part. When that poor woman poured the ointment on Christ's feet, and the disciples began to mur-mur, and say, "It might [have] been sold for much money and given to the poor," Christ took her defense, and says, "Let her alone, she has wrought a good work on Me, for she did it for My burial; and wheresoever this gospel is preached throughout the world, this also that she has done shall be preached for a memorial of her." And Acts 9, when Ananias is bidden, "Go, preach to Saul," Ananias says: "This man has done much ill, and he has presently authority to bind all that call on Thy name, and carry them to Jerusalem;" but in ver. 15 Christ says, "Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." And—
O, but that is a sweet thing, that albeit all the world should say against you, yet if thou wilt come to Christ, He will take thy part. Let them call you what they will, never so ill. He will call you His love. His dove. His undefiled, etc. And well is the soul that has Christ's commendation and high song of praise. It is better nor (what matters it) the commendation of all the world. What's the matter - what men speak of you if God commend you. What is the matter - albeit wicked men speak ill of you, if God speak good of you, for what He says all the world shall not get undone. Seek ye the Lord's commendation, and to be approven of Him, and it makes (does not signify) not then what men say against you.
Samuel Rutherford
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Ye little flock whom Jesus feeds,
Dismiss your anxious cares;
Look to the Shepherd of your souls,
And smile away your fears.
Though wolves and lions prowl around,
His staff is your defense:
Midst sands and rocks, your Shepherd's voice
Calls streams and pastures thence.
Your Father will a kingdom give,
And give it with delight;
His feeblest child his love shall call
To triumph in his sight.
(Ten thousand praises, Lord, we bring
For sure supports like these:
And o'er the pious dead we sing
Thy living promises.
For all we hope, and they enjoy,
We bless the Saviour's name:
Nor shall that stroke disturb the song
Which breaks this mortal frame.)
Dr. Doddridge
What can be more blessed than to be sustained and kept from falling by the staff and strength of the Most High?.....Notwithstanding, while we are here in this life, he feeds us with the sweet pastures of the wholesome herbs of his holy word, until we come to eternal life; and when we put off these bodies, and come into heaven, and know the blessed fruition and riches of his kingdom, then shall we not only be his sheep, but also the guests of his everlasting banquet; which, Lord, thou settest before all them that love thee in this world, and dost so anoint and make glad our minds with thine Holy Spirit, that no adversities nor troubles can make us sorry.....the Lord turned his soul, and led him into the pleasant pastures, where virtue and justice reigned, for his name’s sake, and not for any righteousness of his own; so saith he now, that being brought into the pastures of truth, and into the favour of the Almighty, and accounted and taken for one of his sheep, it is only God that keeps and maintains him, in the same state, condition, and grace. For he could not pass through the troubles and shadow of death..... but only by the assistance of God, and, therefore, he saith, he passes through all peril because he was with him.
John Hooper (martyr), 1495-1555
Dismiss your anxious cares;
Look to the Shepherd of your souls,
And smile away your fears.
Though wolves and lions prowl around,
His staff is your defense:
Midst sands and rocks, your Shepherd's voice
Calls streams and pastures thence.
Your Father will a kingdom give,
And give it with delight;
His feeblest child his love shall call
To triumph in his sight.
(Ten thousand praises, Lord, we bring
For sure supports like these:
And o'er the pious dead we sing
Thy living promises.
For all we hope, and they enjoy,
We bless the Saviour's name:
Nor shall that stroke disturb the song
Which breaks this mortal frame.)
Dr. Doddridge
What can be more blessed than to be sustained and kept from falling by the staff and strength of the Most High?.....Notwithstanding, while we are here in this life, he feeds us with the sweet pastures of the wholesome herbs of his holy word, until we come to eternal life; and when we put off these bodies, and come into heaven, and know the blessed fruition and riches of his kingdom, then shall we not only be his sheep, but also the guests of his everlasting banquet; which, Lord, thou settest before all them that love thee in this world, and dost so anoint and make glad our minds with thine Holy Spirit, that no adversities nor troubles can make us sorry.....the Lord turned his soul, and led him into the pleasant pastures, where virtue and justice reigned, for his name’s sake, and not for any righteousness of his own; so saith he now, that being brought into the pastures of truth, and into the favour of the Almighty, and accounted and taken for one of his sheep, it is only God that keeps and maintains him, in the same state, condition, and grace. For he could not pass through the troubles and shadow of death..... but only by the assistance of God, and, therefore, he saith, he passes through all peril because he was with him.
John Hooper (martyr), 1495-1555
Friday, February 12, 2016
Let not the strong, the rich, the wise,
Of knowledge, wealth, or power be vain,
What mortals covet most, most prize.
When won, how few can long retain!
Heaven's noblest gift may prove a snare,
Unsanctified by faith and prayer.
He slept on pleasure’s lap, and woke
Shorn of his strength! Poor Samson found
The Lord had left him, when he broke
The vow with which his life was bound;
Blind, chained, enslaved, returning strength
Brought death with his revenge at length.
The wily traitor was betray'd
In his own craft; though woven well,
The net which for his king he laid
Entangled wise Achitophel;
Folly o'erruled what wisdom plann'd.
He perished by his own false hand.
"Soul, take thine ease; eat, drink, rejoice,
Through length of years," the rich man said;
"Thou fool! this night," replied the voice
That calls the living to the dead,
"Thy soul shall be required of thee.
Whose then shall all thy treasures be?"
Wise to salvation through His Word,
And rich in faith His kingdom's heir,
Strong in the strength of Christ my Lord;
Be this my portion! 'tis my prayer:
For this would I count all things loss,
And glory only in the cross.
James Montgomery
.....Man would not be without religion: it would not be respectable; and therefore he is content to devote one-seventh of his time to religion, or, as he thinks and professes, to his eternal interests, and then he has six-sevenths to devote to his temporal interests; but whether he works for time or eternity, it is for himself, in reality. Such is "the way of Cain....."
.....How different the way of the man of faith! Abel felt and owned the curse; he saw the stain of sin, and, in the holy energy of faith, offered that which met it, and met it thoroughly---met it divinely. He sought and found a refuge in God Himself; and instead of building a city on the earth, he found but a grave in its bosom. The earth, which on its surface displayed the genius and energy of Cain and his family, was stained underneath with the blood of a righteous man. Let the man of the world remember this; let the man of God remember it; let the worldly-minded Christian remember it. The earth which we tread upon is stained by the blood of the Son of God. The very blood which justifies the Church condemns the world. The dark shadow of the cross of Jesus may be seen by the eye of faith, looming over all the glitter and glare of this evanescent world. "The fashion of this world passeth away....." It will soon all be over, so far as the present scene is concerned.....
C. H. Mackintosh
Of knowledge, wealth, or power be vain,
What mortals covet most, most prize.
When won, how few can long retain!
Heaven's noblest gift may prove a snare,
Unsanctified by faith and prayer.
He slept on pleasure’s lap, and woke
Shorn of his strength! Poor Samson found
The Lord had left him, when he broke
The vow with which his life was bound;
Blind, chained, enslaved, returning strength
Brought death with his revenge at length.
The wily traitor was betray'd
In his own craft; though woven well,
The net which for his king he laid
Entangled wise Achitophel;
Folly o'erruled what wisdom plann'd.
He perished by his own false hand.
"Soul, take thine ease; eat, drink, rejoice,
Through length of years," the rich man said;
"Thou fool! this night," replied the voice
That calls the living to the dead,
"Thy soul shall be required of thee.
Whose then shall all thy treasures be?"
Wise to salvation through His Word,
And rich in faith His kingdom's heir,
Strong in the strength of Christ my Lord;
Be this my portion! 'tis my prayer:
For this would I count all things loss,
And glory only in the cross.
James Montgomery
.....Man would not be without religion: it would not be respectable; and therefore he is content to devote one-seventh of his time to religion, or, as he thinks and professes, to his eternal interests, and then he has six-sevenths to devote to his temporal interests; but whether he works for time or eternity, it is for himself, in reality. Such is "the way of Cain....."
.....How different the way of the man of faith! Abel felt and owned the curse; he saw the stain of sin, and, in the holy energy of faith, offered that which met it, and met it thoroughly---met it divinely. He sought and found a refuge in God Himself; and instead of building a city on the earth, he found but a grave in its bosom. The earth, which on its surface displayed the genius and energy of Cain and his family, was stained underneath with the blood of a righteous man. Let the man of the world remember this; let the man of God remember it; let the worldly-minded Christian remember it. The earth which we tread upon is stained by the blood of the Son of God. The very blood which justifies the Church condemns the world. The dark shadow of the cross of Jesus may be seen by the eye of faith, looming over all the glitter and glare of this evanescent world. "The fashion of this world passeth away....." It will soon all be over, so far as the present scene is concerned.....
C. H. Mackintosh
Thursday, February 11, 2016
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Fanny Crosby
And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. 1 Corinthians 3:23
Ye are Christ's. You are His by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; His by His bloody purchase, for He counted down the price for your redemption; His by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to Him; His by relation, for you are named by His name, and made one of His brethren and joint-heirs. Labor practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, "I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ's." Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ's, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ's. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, "No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ's. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, couching between two burdens; but I am Christ's, and cannot loiter." When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, reply, "Thy music cannot charm me; I am Christ's." When the cause of God invites thee, give thyself to it; when the poor require thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ's. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that you are the Saviour's, recognizing in you His features of love and His countenance of holiness. "I am a Roman!" was of old a reason for integrity; far more, then, let it be your argument for holiness, "I am Christ's."
C. H. Spurgeon
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Fanny Crosby
And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. 1 Corinthians 3:23
Ye are Christ's. You are His by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; His by His bloody purchase, for He counted down the price for your redemption; His by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to Him; His by relation, for you are named by His name, and made one of His brethren and joint-heirs. Labor practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, "I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ's." Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ's, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ's. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, "No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ's. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, couching between two burdens; but I am Christ's, and cannot loiter." When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, reply, "Thy music cannot charm me; I am Christ's." When the cause of God invites thee, give thyself to it; when the poor require thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ's. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that you are the Saviour's, recognizing in you His features of love and His countenance of holiness. "I am a Roman!" was of old a reason for integrity; far more, then, let it be your argument for holiness, "I am Christ's."
C. H. Spurgeon
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
The law of his God is in his heart.....Psalms 37:31
He hath a Bible in his head, and another in his heart; he hath a good treasure within, and there hence bringeth good things.
John Trapp
And the LORD shall help them.....Psalms 37:40
He shall, he shall, he shall. Oh, the rhetoric of God! the safety of the saints! the certainty of the promises!
John Trapp
And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalms 37:40
He delivereth them; because they, trust in him. The whole lesson of the Psalm lies in these words.
J. J. Stewart Perowne, D. D.
He hath a Bible in his head, and another in his heart; he hath a good treasure within, and there hence bringeth good things.
John Trapp
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And the LORD shall help them.....Psalms 37:40
He shall, he shall, he shall. Oh, the rhetoric of God! the safety of the saints! the certainty of the promises!
John Trapp
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And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalms 37:40
He delivereth them; because they, trust in him. The whole lesson of the Psalm lies in these words.
J. J. Stewart Perowne, D. D.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. Psalms 37:16
.....'Tis always better to have scraps with a blessing, than to have manna and quails with a curse; a thin table with a blessing is always better than a full table with a snare; a threadbare coat with a blessing is better than a purple robe curst; a hole, a cave, a den, a barn, a chimney-corner with a blessing, is better than stately palaces with a curse; a woollen cap blest is better than a golden crown curst; and it may be that emperor understood as much, that said of his crown, when he looked on it with tears: "If you knew the cares that are under this crown you would never stoop to take it, up." And therefore, why should not a Christian be contented with a little, seeing his little shall be blest unto him? Isaac tills the ground and sows his seed, and God blesses him with an hundredfold; and Cain tills the ground and sows his seed, but the earth is cursed to him and commanded not to yield to him his strength. Oh, therefore never let a Christian murmur because he hath but little, but rather let him be still a blessing of that God that hath blest his little, and doth bless his little, and that will bless his little to him.
Thomas Brooks
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.....Psalms 37:23
When this Pilot undertakes to steer their course, their vessel shall never split upon the rock, run upon the sands, or spring a leak, so as to sink in the seas. To be sure he will see them safe in their harbour. He was no Christian, yet I suppose none will deny but he spake good divinity, who said, "If a man will choose God for his Friend, he shall travel securely through a wilderness that hath many beasts of prey in it; he shall pass safely through this world; for he only is safe that hath God for his guide." (Ar. Epist. xxvii.) Doth he not speak a little like David himself (Psalm 37:23) who never expected to come to glory except he were guided by his counsel? Now, if a poor heathen could say thus, and see good reason to trust God, and admire his faithfulness as he doth frequently (and so doth Seneca, justifying God's faithfulness in all his dealings with the best men in all their sufferings, and the prosperity of the wicked); what then shall the heavenly Christian say, who hath experienced so much of God's faithfulness in answering his prayers, in fulfilling his promises, and supplying all his exigencies?
James Janeway
.....'Tis always better to have scraps with a blessing, than to have manna and quails with a curse; a thin table with a blessing is always better than a full table with a snare; a threadbare coat with a blessing is better than a purple robe curst; a hole, a cave, a den, a barn, a chimney-corner with a blessing, is better than stately palaces with a curse; a woollen cap blest is better than a golden crown curst; and it may be that emperor understood as much, that said of his crown, when he looked on it with tears: "If you knew the cares that are under this crown you would never stoop to take it, up." And therefore, why should not a Christian be contented with a little, seeing his little shall be blest unto him? Isaac tills the ground and sows his seed, and God blesses him with an hundredfold; and Cain tills the ground and sows his seed, but the earth is cursed to him and commanded not to yield to him his strength. Oh, therefore never let a Christian murmur because he hath but little, but rather let him be still a blessing of that God that hath blest his little, and doth bless his little, and that will bless his little to him.
Thomas Brooks
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The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD.....Psalms 37:23
When this Pilot undertakes to steer their course, their vessel shall never split upon the rock, run upon the sands, or spring a leak, so as to sink in the seas. To be sure he will see them safe in their harbour. He was no Christian, yet I suppose none will deny but he spake good divinity, who said, "If a man will choose God for his Friend, he shall travel securely through a wilderness that hath many beasts of prey in it; he shall pass safely through this world; for he only is safe that hath God for his guide." (Ar. Epist. xxvii.) Doth he not speak a little like David himself (Psalm 37:23) who never expected to come to glory except he were guided by his counsel? Now, if a poor heathen could say thus, and see good reason to trust God, and admire his faithfulness as he doth frequently (and so doth Seneca, justifying God's faithfulness in all his dealings with the best men in all their sufferings, and the prosperity of the wicked); what then shall the heavenly Christian say, who hath experienced so much of God's faithfulness in answering his prayers, in fulfilling his promises, and supplying all his exigencies?
James Janeway
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Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalms 37:24
Thus the Spirit comforts and answers the secret thoughts which everyone might have, saying with himself, I have, how-ever, seen it happen, that the righteous is oppressed, and his cause is trodden in the dust by the wicked. Nay, he replies, dear child, let it be so, that he falls; he still cannot remain lying thus and be cast away; he must be up again, although all the world doubts of it. For God catches him by the hand, and raises him again.
Martin Luther
Thus the Spirit comforts and answers the secret thoughts which everyone might have, saying with himself, I have, how-ever, seen it happen, that the righteous is oppressed, and his cause is trodden in the dust by the wicked. Nay, he replies, dear child, let it be so, that he falls; he still cannot remain lying thus and be cast away; he must be up again, although all the world doubts of it. For God catches him by the hand, and raises him again.
Martin Luther
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Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. Psalms 37:24
A man pardoned, and justified by faith in Christ, though he may, and sometimes doth, fall into foul sins, yet they never prevail so far as to reverse pardon, and reduce to a state of non-justification. "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand!" He speaks of a good man pardoned, justified; he may fall; but how far? from pardon, from justification? No, then he should utterly fall, be cast down beneath God's hand; but the text saith, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand; or, as Montanus renders the words, the Lord upholdeth his hands, and he will not let him sink into such a condition. If it were so, then sin should have dominion over him, but, Rom. 6:14. "Sin shall not have dominion over you;" and chap. 8:2, justified ones are freed from the law of sin and death; and verse 30, the predestinated, called, justified, and glorified ones, are so linked together, that there is no breaking their chain; if they do sin, they have an "Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 2:1-2.
William Greenhill
A man pardoned, and justified by faith in Christ, though he may, and sometimes doth, fall into foul sins, yet they never prevail so far as to reverse pardon, and reduce to a state of non-justification. "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand!" He speaks of a good man pardoned, justified; he may fall; but how far? from pardon, from justification? No, then he should utterly fall, be cast down beneath God's hand; but the text saith, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand; or, as Montanus renders the words, the Lord upholdeth his hands, and he will not let him sink into such a condition. If it were so, then sin should have dominion over him, but, Rom. 6:14. "Sin shall not have dominion over you;" and chap. 8:2, justified ones are freed from the law of sin and death; and verse 30, the predestinated, called, justified, and glorified ones, are so linked together, that there is no breaking their chain; if they do sin, they have an "Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 2:1-2.
William Greenhill
Monday, February 8, 2016
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Psalms 37:1
Would it not be accounted folly in a man that is heir to many thousands per annum that he should envy a stage-player, clothed in the habit of a king, and yet not heir to one foot of land? who, though he have the form, respect, and apparel of a king or nobleman, yet he is, at the same time, a very beggar, and worth nothing? Thus, wicked men, though they are arrayed gorgeously, and fare deliciously, wanting nothing,
and having more than heart can wish, yet they are but only possessors: the godly Christian is the heir.....
Ludovic de Carbone, quoted by John Spencer
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Commit thy way unto the LORD.....Psalms 37:5
When we bear the burden of our own affairs ourselves, and are chastised with anxiety and want of success, and with envying the ungodly who prosper better than we do, the best remedy is first to do our duty, as we are enabled in the use of the means, then cast the care of the success over on God, as
the ploughman doth when he hath harrowed his land; and let the burden of it rest on God, and let us not take it off him again, but put our mind to rest, resolved to take the harvest in good part, as he shall send it.
David Dickson
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Rest in the LORD.....Psalms 37:7
I. Rest in the will of God, for whatever he wills is for your good, your highest good.
II. Rest in the love of God, and often meditate on the words of Jesus on this point, "Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me."
III. Rest in the mercy of God.
IV. Rest in the word of God.
V. Rest in the relation thy God fills to thee; he is the Father.
VI. Rest in the Lord as he is manifested in Jesus, thy God in covenant.
James Smith
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But the meek shall inherit the earth.....Psalms 37:11
.....The earth is the Lord's; these are the children of the Lord, and they shall inherit his earth. When the Lord taketh it into his own possession and enjoyment, they shall succeed him in the possession and enjoyment of it. It is their right, and shall descend unto them by right, by inheritance. It is the Lord's right, and by the Lord shall descend to them as their right. They cannot yet have it for the Lord hath it not yet; but when
the Lord hath it, it shall fairly descend to them. This accursed earth they shall never have, but when it is taken into the hands of the Lord, and blessed by the Lord, then it shall be theirs, then it shall be inherited by the children of blessing.
John Pennington
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