Sermons & Devotionals by Ralph Erskine
Ralph Erskine
A Song of Praise
SECTION I. God's Merciful Judgments 1 Thou, O Jehovah, art my God, Thee as mine own I claim; I'll therefore celebrate abroad And praise thy glorious name: For thou hast wonders manifold Perform'd in recent dress; Shap'd to thy counsels, which of old Are truth and faithfulness. 2 In heaps and rubbish... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Benefits Accruing to Believers from Christ
Art thou by lusts a captive led, Which breeds thy deepest grief? To ransom captives is his trade, Thy husband's thy relief. His precious name is JESUS, why? Because he saves from sin; Redemption's right he won't deny, Thy husband's near of kin. His wounds have sav'd thee once from woes, His blood fr... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Christ Suitable for All Christians' Needs
Let all believers learn to lay all things they need over against the all things that Christ hath; when you think on your guiltiness, look to Christ's righteousness, and lay this over against that; when you apprehend your weakness, then apprehend Christ's strength, and lay this over against that; whe... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Christ the Believer's Adorning Garment
Yea, thou excell'st in rich attire The lamp that lights the globe Thy sparkling garment heav'ns admire, Thy husband is thy robe. This raiment never waxes old, 'Tis always new and clean: From summer-heat and winter-cold, Thy husband can thee screen. All who the name of worthies bore, Since Adam was u... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Christ the Believer's Sweet Nourishment
Thy food conform to thine array, Is heavenly and divine; On pastures green, where angels play, Thy husband feeds thee fine. Angelic food may make thee fair And look with cheerful face; The bread of life, the double share, Thy husband's love and grace. What can he give, or thou desire, More than his ... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Christ's Treasures Opened by Himself
"All things that the Father hath are mine."—John 16:15. The glorious excellency, fullness, and all-sufficiency of our Lord Jesus Christ is inexpressibly great; none can speak of it so well as himself; and indeed he himself is the preacher here; and as here we have his word, so, if his Spirit accompa... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Comfort to Believers in Christ's Relations
Behold the patrimony broad That falls to thee by line; In him thou art an heir of God, Thy husband's Father's thine. He is of relatives a store, Thy friend will help in thrall; Thy brother much, thy father more, Thy husband most of all. All these he does amass and share, In ways that most excell; 'M... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Earth Despicable, Heaven Desirable
There's nothing round the spacious earth To suit my vast desires; To more refined and solid mirth My boundless thought aspires. Fain would I leave this mournful place, This music dull, where none But heavy notes have any grace, And mirth accents the moan: Where troubles tread upon reliefs, New woes ... Read More
Ralph Erskine
God's Great Name, the Ground and Reason of Saving Great Sinners
[This sermon was preached at Carnock, July 18th, 1730, before the administration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.] "Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake."—Psalm 106:8. My friends, the sacramental cup that some of you have in view, is a cup of salvation; and those that adventure to t... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Hear Christ's Testimony about Himself
The third direction to your faith is, O let faith take the testimony of Christ out of his own mouth concerning his own glory, which is here wrapped into the very midst of the Father's glory! "All things that the Father hath are mine," Christ, the Mediator, is the speaker here: and as he declares, to... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Heaven's Grand Repository
"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand." John 3:35. [What follows was delivered immediately before the celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper at Dunfermline, June 27, 1731.] It is in the holy and over-ruling providence of him, in whose hand all things and all ... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Improve God's Name
"Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake."—Psalm 106:8. We tender our exhortation to believers, in particular, who have run to this strong tower of salvation, the name of the Lord. O admire his goodness, admire his name. He knows all your sins against him, and against his name; yet for his n... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Objections Against Receiving Christ Answered
1. Objections are drawn from the greatness and multitude of sins. It is true, there are some who have no such objections as this at all; they are as secure, senseless, and dense as a stone of the wall; there is no hope of saying any thing, to move and affect such unless the Lord himself awaken them.... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Purgatory Needful for Christians
It was the Father's mind that Christ should come and shew his disciples the proper and needful purgatory he designed to bring them through; not the anti-christian purgatory, after this life; for there is no word of this in the sacred oracles; but the Christian purgatory is three-fold; the first is, ... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Ralph Erskine's Marvellous Ministry by Dr. G. Ella. Word
When Mr. McMillan of Aberdeen published Ralph Erskine's writings under the title The Beauties of Ralph Erskine, he was not thinking of the appearance of the man he admired but of the spiritual gems revealed in his fine sermons and poetry. Gentle James Hervey gave most of his books away but he kept E... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Smoking Spiritualized
This Indian weed now wither'd quite, 'Tho' green at noon, cut down at night, Shows thy decay; All flesh is hay. Thus think, and smoke tobacco. The pipe so lily-like and weak, Does thus thy mortal state bespeak. Thou art ev'n such, Gone with a touch. Thus think, and smoke tobacco. And when the smoke ... Read More
Ralph Erskine
Some Sidelights on Ralph Erskine
Ralph Erskine [1685-1752] perhaps lacked some of the impressiveness of his brother, [Ebenezer,] yet Robert Mackenzie rightly says of him in his book John Brown of Haddington [Banner of Truth, 1964] that he was '. . . gentler, more ideal, more mystical than his brother, fond of music and proficient o... Read More
Ralph Erskine
The Believer's Faith and Hope Encouraged
The cunning serpent may accuse, But never shall succeed ; The God of peace will Satan bruise, Thy husband broke his head. Hell-furies threaten to devour, Like lions robb'd of whelps: But lo! in ev'ry perilous hour, Thy husband always helps. That feeble faith may never fail, Thine advocate has pray'd... Read More
Ralph Erskine
The Best Match; Or, the Incomparable Marriage Between the Creator and the Creature
"Thy Maker is thy Husband." — Isaiah 54:5 The prophet Isaiah having largely discoursed of the sufferings of Christ, and the blessed fruits and effects of them; among which one is, that he should have a numerous seed to believe on him; and that, when the Jews reject him, the Gentiles should gladly re... Read More
Ralph Erskine
The Difference Between Legal and Gospel Mortification
1. Gospel and legal mortification differ in their principles from which they proceed. Gospel mortification is from gospel principles, viz. the Spirit of God [Rom. 8. 13], 'If ye through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live'; Faith in Christ [Acts 15. 9], 'Purifying their hearts by... Read More
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Ralph Erskine was the brother of another prominent churchman, Ebenezer Erskine. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, Ralph was ordained assistant minister at Dunfermline in 1711. He ratified the protests which his brother laid on the table of the assembly after being rebuked for his synod sermon, but he did not formally withdraw from the establishment till 1737.
He was also present at, though not a member of, the first meeting of the "associate presbytery". When the severance took place over the oath administered to burgesses, he adhered, along with his brother, to the burgher section.
His works consist of sermons, poetical paraphrases and gospel sonnets. The Gospel Sonnets have frequently appeared separately. His Life and Diary, edited by the Rev. D Fraser, was published in 1842.