First Presbyterian Church - Yorktown, Tx

06/11/2026

Take notice what unteachable creatures we are by nature. We will not set our hearts to receive instruction until we are whipped to it by the rod of correction, and then, hardly. Unless God multiplies stripe upon stripe, and affliction upon affliction, his multiplying precepts are in vain. We are like a child that will be taught only when the rod is upon his back! But the whip, the rod, the prison, the wilderness: anything is precious that brings instruction with it. Ah, but what if you find yourself by the patience and forbearance of God free from affliction, and the candle of the Almighty shines in your tabernacle, and your steps are washed in butter? How might you avoid chastisement and keep off the strokes of divine displeasure from yourselves and families? Study the word of God well. Neglect of the word forces God to turn us over to a severer discipline. Set your hearts to all the truths and counsels God has reveal3eed to you. We should prize our creature comforts more and indulge in them less, and be more thankful and less sensual. We need to prize the gospel by its worth and study self-denial and meekness of spirit; and labor to discover the hidden corruptions of our won heart, a bottomless pit. Labor to maintain sweet communion with God, and make God your choice not your necessity. Labor to maintain such constant fellowship with him, that when you die, you may change your place only, not your company! Study to know God more, and love him better! Shile you are in your strength and peace, there is but one thing necessary. There are many maybes, but one must-be. O take heed of industrious folly, and the pursuit of trifles; mind you work! Redeem the time; the days are evil. O that Christians would study the worth of time, and value a day, an hour, a moment!
PSALM 119:71
It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn your statutes.

06/10/2026

The imputed righteousness of Christ is the highest reason in the world to rejoice. Every believer is in a more blessed and happy estate in Christ’s righteousness than Adam was in his innocence. Adam’s righteousness was uncertain and possible to lose. But the righteousness of Christ is more firm and sure to us. It is a noble portion that shall never be taken away. Adam sinned away his righteousness, but a believer cannot sin away the righteousness of Christ Jesus! The gates of hell shall never be able to prevail against the soul clothed in Christ. What higher ground of joy and triumph can there be than this? Adam’s righteousness was in his own keeping, but righteousness in Christ is in our Father’s keeping. We are kept as in a garrison. Though the saints may meet with many shakings in this world it is certain we will come to full possession of eternal life. God is so unchangeable in his purposes of love, and so invincible in his power, that neither Satan, nor the world, nor our own flesh shall ever be able to separate saints from the crown of life. The power of God is so far above all created opposition, that it will certainly maintain us in a state of grace. Adam’s righteousness was a mere man’s righteousness. How can that be compared to the righteousness of Christ? His righteousness is far more excellent, absolute, glorious, and in every way all-sufficient. It is the righteousness of God. If all created excellencies, all the privileges of God’s people, and all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them were presented in one view, they would be nothing to the fullness in Jesus Christ! The world rejoices in barns, money, honor, and pleasures, but the joy of a Christian that keeps a fixed eye on Christ and his righteousness cannot be expressed.
REVELATION 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21
For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

06/09/2026

The imputed righteousness of Christ is the only true basis for a believer to build his happiness, joy, comfort, peace and quiet of his conscience upon. If a judge acquits the prisoner at the bar, he cares not if the jailer or fellow prisoners condemn him. There are no accusers that a believer needs to fear since it is God, the supreme judge, that absolves him. The consideration of this should arm us, comfort us, and strengthen us against all the terrors of conscience, guilt, accusation of the law, or cruelty of Satan. If God justifies, non can reverse it. If any come against you, true or false, they shall never hurt you. He from whom there is no appeal has fully acquitted you. And none can take your peace. Ah! What a strong cordial to all the people of God if they would just live in the power of this glorious truth. Christ’s righteousness is real, sure, and a solid foundation upon which a believer may safely build his peace, joy, and everlasting rest. It will help him to glory in tribulations, and to triumph over all adversities. Seek Christ who was crucified, and you do not need to fear anything, for God’s justice has already received satisfaction for your sin. The day of judgment is the most dreadful day that ever was in the world to all the ungodly, but the faithful shall lift up their heads! The law looks for perfect obedience, and because the sinner cannot come up to it, it pronounces him accursed. The sinner seeks had for mercy, yet the law shows none! When the believing sinner casts his eye upon the righteousness of Christ, it is a perfect and exact righteousness. God imputes to me the perfect holiness and obedience of my blessed Saviour. He has clothed us with the robe of his Son’s righteousness. By this means we recover more by Christ than we lost by Adam. It is far more glorious than that which we lost by the first Adam!
ROMANS 5:18
Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all.

06/08/2026

An impenitent and unpardoned sinner has a vast debt upon him that will surely undo him unless he is released in time. He is bound over to suffer the wrath of God for evermore, and no hand can release him but God’s. Many times they do not consider this matter and cry, ‘peace, peace’ to themselves. But it is not the debtor which must cancel the debt, but the creditor. Have you a discharge from God? Poor creatures, what will you do? Many take care that they may owe nothing to any man. Oh! But what do you owe God? To live in doubt and fear of arrest, oh what a misery is that! When sin lies at the door ready to attack you every moment and haul you to the prison of hell: that is most dreadful. Think seriously, how do accounts stand between God and you? Sinners are loath to think about it. We are unwilling to be called to account; we shift and delay, and will not think of our misery. But putting off sin will not put it away! Failing to think about our misery will not help us out, and will not be a release or discharge. Our sin is an increasing debt, so that man is ever treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath. This should press us to be careful to get out of this condition. Flee as a deer from the hand of the hunter. Oh, it is a sad thing to lie in our sins! If you are in this debt, do not give sleep to your eyes; make peace with God speedily. We need to beg our pardon which is an exercise of faith, looking unto Christ. Christ taught us to pursue the discharge of our debts. God has set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. He that confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy. And certainly it is God’s way that we humbly beg. The exercise of repentance includes mourning for sin, and the confession and the forsaking of it.
ACTS 3:19
Repent, therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,

ROMANS 3:25
whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;

06/08/2026

06/07/2026

Though the sati8sfactionf or our sin is provided by another, and the surety is of God’s own providing, God will have the creature to own so heavy debt, and feel it in brokenness of heart. When we come with true remorse, and confess that we have offended so just, so holy, so merciful a Father, it must be grievous to us in the remembrance of it. You must not only confess sin as a wrong, but as a debt. Sin has wronged God, and it is a debt binding you over to a punishment you could never endure or make God any satisfaction for. The satisfaction of Christ must be pleaded by a sinner in the court of heaven, in a believing manner owning Christ’s surety. God and Christ are agreed about the business of salvation. God has agreed to accept satisfaction from Christ, and Christ has agreed to make this satisfaction. All the business now is about the sinner’s consent to accept Jesus Christ as his surety by the eye of faith. Christ Jesus tore the debt and handwriting that was against us, nailing it to the cross. We are required, in repentance, to won an unfeigned purpose to forsake sin. He that has been released of his debt must not keep running deeper into arrears. Christ never blotted out our debts that we might renew them, and go on upon a new course of offending God again. This is to dally with God and run into the snare he has broken for us. Shall we plunge ourselves into new debts from which he has given us an escape? We must purpose to forsake sin, otherwise we do not draw near to God with a true heart. We do but deal falsely with God in all the confessions we make unless there is an unfeigned purpose to renounce all sin and cast it off ass a thing that will undo our souls. All who call God ‘Father’ ought to humble beg him daily to pardon their sins!
1 JOHN 1:9
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

COLOSSIANS 2:14
erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.

HEBREWS 10:22
let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

06/06/2026

Oh that we had a due sense of what it is to sin against God, against an infinite majesty! No debt to man can be so great as our debt to God, both in number and weight. Our debts stand on record. Our words and our actions cannot be forgotten. Many times we lose memory of what we have done, but it is all recorded, and your iniquities will one day find you out, though you have forgotten and think you will never hear of them any more. A day of reckoning will come and all shall be called to give an account. The books at that day will be opened, and conscience by the power of God will recognize all our ways. O what it is to sin against God! God does not tell us when he will put the bond in suit against us; he may surprise us unawares. There can be no shifting to avoid the danger. When you fly from God as a friend, you fly to him as judge! All other debts cease at death, but here the law takes the sinner by the throat, and drags him to everlasting punishment. Death is God’s arrest. As soon as the soul steps out of the world, it is seized and forfeited into the hands of God’s justice. How many lie under this danger and never think of it! But Jesus Christ is a surety, and took the debt of man upon himself. He made full satisfaction by suffering the punishment due to us. It pleased the Father to bruise him. Christ paid the full price which justice demanded. All who have an interest in his death are free from the wrath of God. God will not exact the debt twice; therefore, we go free! Christ not only satisfied the punishment, but also established righteousness for us. He is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God through him. We come confessing our sins with a purpose to forsake them, pleading his propitiation and God’s promise to blot out our offences.
MATTHEW 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

LUKE 12:20
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
ISAIAH 53:4
Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases, yet we accounted him stricken,
struck down by God, and afflicted.

HEBREWS 7:27
Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself.

06/05/2026

What comfort the poor may have when they are also poor in spirit – those whose spirits are akin to their outward condition. Those who willingly submit to God in a poor condition honor him when they submit without murmuring. They may be encouraged by their share in the kingdom of heaven. Your King was poor in this world himself, and suffered hard things. If men in the army have only water to drink, yet it is as much as the general has; it is well with them! So Christ may well say, ‘Are you dejected because of your poverty? Are you poorer than I was?’ He was made poor that we might be rich! Ordinarily it is the poor of this world that are subjects of Christ’s kingdom. The Lord has been very little beholden to the great ones of the world for the furthering of his kingdom. Poverty is no hindrance to the highest degree in the kingdom of heaven! It may be a hindrance to honor in the kingdoms of the world, but not in the kingdom of heaven. When it is time to choose officers in the church, there should be no consideration of a man’s estate, but of spiritual power. The poorest of men may have more godliness and understanding in the kingdom of heaven than others, and are as qualified as any whatsoever. The poor have all the privileges of this kingdom! In this kingdom are spiritual riches that are infinitely beyond all outward riches! If you prize riches over the kingdom of heaven, and believe that given so much you would be a happy man, this shows a carnal heart. The kingdom of heaven makes you rich in faith, in holiness, in promises, in God and Christ, and in the enjoyments of the Holy Spirit and his gifts and graces. In the kingdom of heaven these spiritual riches are abundantly supplied. And, at last, the godly poor will posses all things! They will be as stones in a crown and shine as bright as the sun!
MATTHEW 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

06/04/2026

Faith is sometimes called sight. As the natural eye cannot see the invisible, so the natural man cannot see the things of God. This needs supernatural sight. Reason cannot see the resurrection of the body, the life to come, and such things as the word of God reveals to us. Nothing at all can be done in religion without a supernatural eye. A man may hear of heaven, forgiveness, and happiness, and think, ‘Oh, these are good things’, but notwithstanding he does not see them with a supernatural eye. He does not see them as holy and gracious. He desires them under his own conditions, but not in altering his disposition. He sees heavenly things with a carnal eye, as Balaam wished to ‘die the death of the righteous.’ Faith is able to see things afar off because it sees things in the power of God, and in the truth and promises of God. Faith is wrought by the mighty power of God in the soul. It takes great power to turn away from riches, honors, and pleasures, and to stand and admire the things that it cannot see. For a man to rule the course of his life upon reasons the world cannot see, because of a happiness to come, and because of an unseen God he believes in; It is a mighty power that plants such a grace in the heart. Faith is wrought by the mighty power of God, and thus faith lays hold upon the power of God that the promises shall be performed. This trust in the power and truth of God gives sight to faith. It is our duty to labor to have our faith clear, and to have this eye of faith giving us a strong sight. There are three evidences of strong sight: 1) When we have it, faith is able to see things afar off. 2) When there are clouds obscuring our hopes, faith’s sight can pierce through them. 3) when there is little light with many obstacles, faith yet breaks through to see things remote! Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
HEBREWS 11:26
He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward.

NUMBERS 23:10
Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the dust cloud of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”