It is good for us to read

The above may have to be qualified, with the fact that it depends on what we read. The Bible is full of injunctions for believers in instructing them as to this wonderful privilege. “O how love I thy law!  It is my study all the day” (Ps.119:97). How about a challenge – let us endeavour, to read God's word at least once a year.
It may be in this technological age that there is much less reading being practised than has been the case, yet more and more books are being published and there appears to be an insatiable appetite for reading.  Well, as believers how are we squaring up to our God-given privilege of reading good books. You are aware that as a congregation we have a new library. It is with grateful thanks to God, that in a very short period of time, almost all of the allocated book shelf space has now been filled up.  The quality of the books available in our little library is truly wonderful.  Why not come and see for yourself, and add to the list of those who borrow books from time to time. Let us encourage one another in this most useful of Christian pastimes.  It used to be that almost every other home in Lewis would have somewhere within its walls a copy of some evangelical work from authors such as – Bunyan, Boston, Owen and Spurgeon among many others. In the next column you will find a short devotional from one of these blessed saints of God.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon came as far as Dingwall in the days of Kennedy, but he would have had no knowledge of the fact that his works would have been extended not only to the ends of the land but to the ends of the earth.  How blessed we are as a people that we have been left with such legacies.  Surely, the least that we can do is to carry this work on to a rising generation, and what better way than not only to read good books but to carry the thoughts from these books within our hearts and witness the same to others.
Donald Martin

His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground (Lk.22:44).
The mental pressure arising from our Lord's struggle with temptation, so forced his frame to an unnatural excitement, that his pores sent forth great drops of blood which fell down to the ground.  This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Saviour so that he distilled great drops of blood!  This demonstrates the mighty power of his love.  It is a very pretty observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best.  This precious camphire-tree yielded most sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it giveth forth its best spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound.  This sets forth the voluntariness of Christ's sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely.  No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously.  No need for the rulers to cry, "Spring up, O well;" of itself it flows in crimson torrents.  If men suffer great pain of mind apparently the blood rushes to the heart.  The cheeks are pale; a fainting fit comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through its trial.  But see our Saviour in His agony; he is so utterly oblivious of self, that instead of his agony driving his blood to the heart to nourish himself, it drives it outward to bedew the earth.  The agony of Christ, inasmuch as it pours him out upon the ground, pictures the fullness of the offering which he made for men.  Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through which he passed, and will we not hear its voice to us?  "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”  Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the great tempter of your souls.
C H Spurgeon