Grace Gems for MAY 2007

"For you know that it was not with perishable
things such as silver or gold that you were
redeemed from the empty way of life handed
down to you from your forefathers." 1 Pet. 1:18

Christ redeems us from all sin—and from all the
consequences of sin. He endured the wrath of God
to the uttermost—for everyone who believes on Him.

By this redemption . . .
justice is satisfied,
wrath is pacified,
grace is procured,
all spiritual enemies are vanquished.

Each child of God is redeemed from . . .
the love of sin,
the guilt of sin,
the dominion of sin,
the damnatory power of sin,
the power of Satan,
the curse of the law,
hell and wrath to come!

The work of redemption was a great work. The
greatness of the person employed in this work,
speaks out the work to be a great work.

The great and invaluable price which was paid
down for our redemption, speaks it out to be a
great redemption. The price that we are bought
with, is a price beyond all computation.

This redemption that we have in Christ, is a free
and gracious redemption. All the rounds in this
ladder of redemption, are made up of free, rich,
and sovereign grace! Though our redemption
cost Christ dearly—yet as to us it is most free!

Jesus Christ has completely done the work of our
redemption. He does not redeem us from some of
our sins, and leave us to grapple with the rest.
Oh, no! Christ makes a most complete work of it.
He redeems us from all our iniquities. He delivers
us out of the hands of all our enemies.
He pays all debts,
He delivers from all wrath,
He takes off the whole curse,
He saves to the uttermost,
and will settle us in a state of full and perfect
bliss—when grace shall be turned into glory.

The redemption which we have in Jesus Christ, is an
eternal, a permanent, a lasting, yes, an everlasting
redemption! "Having obtained eternal redemption
for us." Hebrews 9:12

There are many choice and rare spiritual
benefits which flow from redemption:
reconciliation with God,
remission of our sins,
justification of our persons,
adoption into God's family,
sanctification,
full glorification.
Redemption sweetens all the bitterest trials
and sharpest afflictions, which we meet with
in this world.

Redemption is a rich mine, containing a mass
of treasure which cannot be valued. Could we
dig into it, could we pry into it—we would find
that it contains unsearchable riches . . .
riches of grace, of all grace,
riches of justification,
riches of sanctification,
riches of consolation,
riches of glorification,
the best of riches,
the most durable riches,
soul riches,
heavenly riches!

"They are Your servants and Your people, whom
You redeemed by Your great strength and Your
mighty hand!" Nehemiah 1:10

God so loved the world

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"God so loved the world, that He gave
His only-begotten Son." John 3:16.

Oh! what kind of love is this, for God to give . . .
His Son—not His servant;
His begotten Son—not His adopted Son;
His only Son—and not one son of many.

We see here . . .
the firstness of the Father's love, and
the freeness of the Father's love, and
the vehemency of the Father's love, and
the admirableness of the Father's love, and
the matchlessness of the Father's love!

Says God the Father to His Son, "Here is man—fallen
from his primitive purity, glory, and excellency—into a
most woeful gulf of sin and misery! He who was once
a son—has now become a slave; he who was once Our
friend—has now become Our enemy; he who was once
near Us—is now afar off; he who was once in Our favor
—is now cast off; he who was once made in Our image
—has now the image of Satan stamped upon him; he
who had once sweet communion with Us—has now
fellowship with the devil and his demons! Out of this
forlorn estate, he can never deliver himself! Neither
can all the angels in heaven deliver him! Now this
being man's woeful case and state, I make this offer
to You, O my Son: If, in the fullness of time, You will
assume the nature of man, tread the winepress of My
wrath alone, bear the curse, shed your blood, die, suffer,
satisfy My justice, fulfill My royal law—then I can, upon
the most honorable terms imaginable, save fallen man,
and put him into a safer and happier condition than he
ever was—and give You a noble reward for all Your
sufferings."

Upon this Jesus Christ replies: "O my Father! I am very
ready and willing to do, to suffer, to die—to satisfy Your
justice, to comply with You in all Your noble and gracious
inclinations—that poor sinners may be sanctified and
saved, made gracious and glorious, holy and happy;
that poor sinners may never perish, that poor sinners
may be secured from wrath to come, and be brought
into a state of light, life and love! I am willing to make
Myself an offering for their sin. Lo, I am come to do
Your will, O God."

This is the very knife which cut the throat of your child!

(Brooks, "The Golden Key to Open Hidden Treasures")

Suppose a man should come to his dinner table, and there
should be a knife laid down, and it should be told him, "This
is the very knife which cut the throat of your child!" If
the man would use this knife as a common knife, would not
everyone say, "Surely this man had but very little love to his
child, who can use this bloody knife as a common knife!"

Just so, when you meet with any temptation to sin, oh, then
say, "This is the very knife which cut the throat of Jesus,
and pierced His sides! This very knife was the cause of His
sufferings, and made Christ to be a curse!" Ah, how should
Christians look upon sin as that accursed thing, which made
Christ a curse—and accordingly to abhor it! Oh, with what
detestation should every Christian fling away his sins! "Sin,
you have slain my Lord—and poured out His heart's blood!
You have been the only cause of the death of my Savior!"

Look upon the cross on which Christ was crucified, and the
pains He suffered thereon—and the seeming sweetness which
is in sin will quickly vanish. When you are solicited to sin,
cast your eye upon Christ's cross; remember His astonishing
sufferings for your sin, and sin will soon grow distasteful to
your soul. How can sin not be hateful to us—if we seriously
consider how hurtful it was to Jesus Christ?

The book of life

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"And another book was opened, which is
the book of life." Revelation 20:12

The names of the elect are written in the book of life.
They do not obtain salvation by chance, but were
elected by God to eternal life and happiness before
the foundation of the world. Now their names being
once written in the book of life, they shall never,
never be blotted out of that book! In the book of
predestination there is not one blot to be found;
the salvation of the elect is most sure and certain!

"I will never blot out his name from the
book of life." Revelation 3:5

The book of life is the book of all those who were
elected and redeemed to life, through Jesus Christ.
This book of life contains a register of such particular
persons in whose salvation, God from all eternity
determined to have His mercy glorified; and for whom
Christ merited faith, repentance, and perseverance—
that they should repent, believe, and be finally saved.

"The book of life shall be opened;" that is to say, the
decrees of God will be then published and made known,
which now are sealed up in His bosom and locked up
in His archives. Then it will be seen whom are appointed
to eternal life—for the glorifying of God's free, rich, and
sovereign grace; and whom He purposed to leave in
their sins, and to perish forever—for the exaltation of
His justice.

"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who
does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those
whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Revelation 21:27

The book of life shall be opened in the great day,
because then it shall be shown . . .
who were elect—and who were reprobates;
who truly believed in Christ—and who did not;
who worshiped God in spirit and in truth—and who did not;
who walked with God as Noah did—and who did not;
who truly reverenced God—and who did not;
who followed the Lamb wherever He went—and who did not;
who were sincere—and who were not;
who are sheep—and who are goats;
who are sons of God—and who are slaves of Satan;
who have mourned for their sins—and who have made a sport of sin;
who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds—and who did not;
who preferred their farms, and their oxen, and their swine,
yes, their very lusts—before a Savior, a Redeemer!

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the lake of fire!" Revelation 20:15

Look upon death

(Brooks, "Words of counsel to a dear dying friend")

Look upon death as that which is best.

"Better is the day of death, than the day of one's
birth." Ecclesiastes 7:1

"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
better by far." Philippians 1:23

The Greek is very significant—"far, far the better!"
A saint's dying day is the daybreak of eternal glory!
In respect of pleasure, peace, safety, company and
glory—a believer's dying day is his best day.

Look upon death as a remedy, as a cure. Death
will perfectly cure you of all bodily and spiritual diseases
at once: the infirm body and the defiled soul, the aching
head and the unbelieving heart. Death will cure you of
all your ailments, aches, diseases, and distempers.

In Queen Mary's days, there was a lame Christian,
and a blind Christian—both burned at one stake.
The lame man, after he was chained, casting away
his crutch, bade the blind man to be of good cheer;
"For death," says he, "will cure us both; you of
your blindness, and me of my lameness!"

As death will cure all your bodily diseases, so it will
cure all your soul distempers also. Death is not the
death of the man—but the death of his sin! Death
will at once free you fully, perfectly, and perpetually
from all sin; yes, from all possibility of ever sinning!
Sin was the midwife which brought death into the
world—and death shall be the grave to bury sin.

Why, then, should a Christian be afraid to die,
unwilling to die—seeing death gives him an
eternal separation . . .
from infirmities and weaknesses,
from all aches and pains,
from griefs and gripings,
from distempers and diseases,
both of body and soul?

When Samson died, the Philistines died together with
him. Just so, when a saint dies, his sins die with him.

Death came in by sin, and sin goes out by death!
Death kills sin which bred it.

Look upon death as a rest, a full rest.
A believer's dying day is his resting day . . .
from sin,
from sorrow,
from afflictions,
from temptations,
from desertions,
from dissensions,
from vexations,
from oppositions,
from persecutions.

This world was never made to be the saints' rest.
Arise and depart, for this is not your resting place,
because it is polluted! (Micah 2:10)

Death brings the saints . . .
to a full rest,
to a pleasant rest,
to a matchless rest,
to an eternal rest!

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The dirty lane

(Brooks, "Words of counsel to a dear dying friend")

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil. 1:21

Look upon your dying day as a gainful day. There is
no gain compared to that which comes in by death.
A Christian gets more by death, than he does by life.
To be in Christ is very good—but to be with Christ
is best of all, "I desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is better by far!" Phil. 1:23. It was a mighty
blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth—but it
was the top of blessings for Paul to be with Christ
in heaven! Seriously consider these things—

By death you shall gain incomparable crowns!
   A crown of life, Rev. 2:10; James 1:12;
   A crown of righteousness, 2 Tim. 4:8;
   An incorruptible crown, 1 Cor. 9:24-25;
   A crown of glory, 1 Pet. 5:4.
There are no crowns compared to these crowns!

By death you shall gain a glorious kingdom!
"It is your Father's pleasure to give you a kingdom!"
We must put off their rags of mortality—that we may
put on our robes of glory. There is no entering into
paradise—but under the flaming sword of this angel,
death—who stands at the gate. Death is the dirty
lane through which the saint passes . . .
to a kingdom,
to a great kingdom,
to a glorious kingdom,
to a peaceful kingdom,
to an unshaken kingdom,
to a durable kingdom,
to a lasting kingdom, yes,
to an everlasting kingdom!

Death is the dark, short way, through which the
saints pass to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!

The funeral of all your sorrows!

(Brooks, "Words of counsel to a dear dying friend")

At death, you shall gain full freedom and liberty
from all your enemies within and without—namely,
sin, Satan, and the world!

Death will free you from the indwelling power of
sin. In this present world, sin plays the tyrant; but
in heaven there is no tyranny—but perfect felicity.
As in hell there is nothing but wickedness, so in
heaven there is nothing but holiness.

Death will free you from all provocations, temptations,
and suggestions to sin. You shall be above all Satan's
assaults. The old serpent is cast out, and shall be
forever kept out of the new Jerusalem above!

Death will free you from all the effects and consequences
of sin—namely, losses, crosses, sicknesses, diseases,
disgraces, sufferings, etc. When the cause is taken away,
the effect ceases. When the fountain of sin is dried up,
the streams of afflictions, of sufferings, must be dried up.
Sin and sorrow were born together, live together, and
shall die together. Death will free you from all bodily
infirmities and diseases.

Death will free you from all your sorrows, whether inward
or outward, whether for your own sins or the sins of others,
whether for your own sufferings or the sufferings of others.
Now, it may be, you are seldom without tears in your eyes,
or sorrow in your heart. Oh, but death will be the funeral
of all your sorrows! Death will wipe all tears from your
eyes, "and sorrow and mourning shall flee away!"

Dear friend, death shall do that for you, which all your
physicians could never do for you. It shall both instantly
and perfectly cure you of all sorts of weaknesses and
maladies, both inward and outward, of both your body
and your soul! O my dear friend, is it not better to die,
    and be rid of all sin;
    and be rid of all temptations;
    and be rid of all sorts of miseries;
than to live, and still carry about with us our sins,
our sorrows, our burdens, and our constant ailments?

You have afflicted me

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

"I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous,
and in faithfulness You have afflicted me."
Psalm 119:75

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now
I obey Your word." Psalm 119:67

God's corrections are our instructions,
His lashes are our lessons,
His scourges are our schoolmasters,
His chastisements are our admonishments.

By afflictions, troubles, distresses and dangers—the
Lord teaches His people to look upon sin as the most
loathsome thing in the world; and to look upon holiness
as the most lovely thing in the world. Sin is never so
bitter, and holiness is never so sweet—as when our
troubles are greatest and our dangers highest.

By affliction, the Lord teaches His people to sit loose
from this world, and to be prepared for eternity.

By affliction, God shows His people the vanity, vexation,
emptiness, weakness, and nothingness of all created
things; and the choiceness, preciousness and sweetness
of communion with Himself.

It has been the lot and portion of God's dearest
children, to be exercised with very great and
grievous afflictions; in order . . .
to the discovery of sin,
to the embittering of sin,
to the preventing of sin,
to the purging away of sin; and
to the discovery of grace,
to the trial of grace,
to the exercise of grace,
to the increase of grace; and
to the weaning of them from this world; and
to the ripening of them for heaven; and
to the completing of their conformity to Christ,
the captain of their salvation, "who was made
perfect through sufferings," Hebrews 2:10; and
to work in them more pity and compassion to
those who are in misery, and who sigh and
groan under their Egyptian taskmasters.

They poured out a prayer

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

The greatest antidote against all the troubles of
this life, is fervent prayer.

"Lord, in trouble have they visited you; they
poured out a prayer when Your chastening
was upon them." Isaiah 26:16

"They poured out a prayer." Before, they would
say a prayer—but now, they poured out a prayer.

Saints never visit God more with their prayers
—than when He visits them most with His rod.
Saints never pray with . . .
that seriousness,
that spiritualness,
that heavenliness,
that humbleness,
that brokenness,
that fervency,
that frequency—as they do, when they are
under the mighty chastening hand of God!

A sincere Christian never prays so sweetly—as
when under God's rod. When a Christian is in
trouble—then prayer is his food and drink.

Oh, what a spirit of prayer was . . .
upon Jonah—when he was in the whale's belly; and
upon Daniel—when he was among the lions; and
upon David—when fleeing in the wilderness; and
upon the dying thief—when he was on the cross; and
upon Jacob—when his brother Esau came to meet him
with four hundred bloody cut-throats at his heels!

When a Christian is under great troubles, deep distresses,
and most extreme dangers; he should pray . . .
more for the sanctification of affliction—than its removal;
more to get off his sins—than to get off his chains;
more to get good by the rod—than to get free from the rod;
that his afflictions may be a purifying and refining fire,
that his heart may be low and his graces high,
that he may be more weaned from this world,
that he be more ripe for eternal glory.

Neither Christ nor heaven can be hyperbolized!

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

What are all . . .
the silks of Persia,
the spices of Egypt,
the gold of Ophir, and
the treasures of both Indies—
compared to the glory of heaven?

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
has conceived what God has prepared for
those who love Him!" 1 Corinthians 2:9

One of the ancients says, "Our conception
of heaven, is as a little drop from the sea.
For those glorious things of heaven are . . .
so many that they exceed number,
so great that they exceed measure,
so precious that they are above all estimation!"

Says another, "Do you ask me what heaven is?
When I meet you there, I will tell you!"

Says Jerome, "Are you able to put the whole earth,
and all the waters of the sea—into a little pot? Can
you hold the oceans in your hand? Can you measure
the heavens with your fingers—or weight the hills
and mountains with a scale? Just so, it is impossible
that you can comprehend the least of the joys of
heaven! Certainly, the least of the joys of heaven
are inconceivable and inexpressible!"

Neither Christ nor heaven can be hyperbolized!

"You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with
eternal pleasures at Your right hand!" Psalm 16:11

"They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give
them drink from Your river of delights!" Psalm 36:8

I cried

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

The child has got many a kiss, and many a hug
—by crying.

"In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my
God for help. From His temple He heard my voice;
my cry came before Him, into His ears." Psalm 18:6

Prayer is the only means to supply all defects;
prayer gets all, and makes up for the loss of all.

It is not the length—but the strength of prayer;
it is not the labor of the lip—but the travail of the
heart—which prevails with God. It is not . . .
the arithmetic of our prayers—how many they are; nor
the rhetoric of our prayers—how eloquent they are; nor
the geometry of our prayers—how long they are; nor
the music of our prayers—how sweet they are; nor
the logic of our prayers—how methodical they are
—which will prevail with God. It is only fervency in
prayer, which will make a man prevalent with God.
Fervent prayer hits the mark, and pierces the walls
of heaven!

"In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and He
answered by setting me free." Psalm 118:5

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The great master-scar of the soul

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

"I hate pride and arrogance!" Proverbs 8:13

Take heed of pride and haughtiness of spirit. Pride
is the great master-scar of the soul; it will bud
and blossom—it cannot be hidden. Pride is the
leprosy of the soul, which breaks forth in the
very forehead! Pride is . . .
the sum of all vileness,
a sea of sin,
a mother sin, a breeding sin—
a sin which has all sorts of sin in its womb!
In pride, all vices are wrapped up together in a bundle!

"The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of
this: They will not go unpunished!" Proverbs 16:5

God will have nothing to do with proud people.

He won't come near such loathsome lepers!

Therefore as ever you would enjoy God's presence,
arm yourself against pride,
watch against pride, and
pray hard against pride!

Fetch out the dirt and spots

(Thomas Brooks, "London's Lamentations" 1670)

"I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly
purge away your dross and remove all your
impurities." Isaiah 1:25

By severe providences and by fiery trials, God designs
the growth of His people in grace. Usually the graces of
the saints thrive best—when they are under a smarting
rod. Grace usually is in the greatest flourish—when the
saints are under the greatest trials. The trimming of the
candle—makes it burn the brighter. God bruises His
spices—to make them send forth the sweeter fragrance.
Fiery trials are like the brush, which, though it is sharp
and scratching—it makes the cloth more pure and clean.
God would not rub so hard, were it not to fetch out
the dirt and spots which are in His people.

Stars shine brightest in the darkest nights; and so do
the graces of the saints shine brightest in the darkest
nights of affliction and tribulation. God will sometimes
more carry on the growth of grace by a cross than by
a mercy. Yes, the Lord will, sooner or later, more or
less—turn all fiery trials into blessings for the helping
on the growth of grace in His people's souls. Though
fiery trials are grievous—yet they shall make us more
gracious. Though for the present they appear to harm
and damage us; yet in the outcome we shall find that
God will turn them into the spiritual and eternal
advantage of our precious souls.

Thrice happy will afflicted Christians be, if under all
their crosses and losses they grow into a more deep
acquaintance with God and His holiness; with the
vanity, mutability, impotency, and uncertainty of
the world; and with the deceitfulness, vileness,
baseness, and wretchedness of their own hearts!

If under fiery dispensations, we grow . . .
more holy than ever,
more humble than ever,
more heavenly than ever,
more meek and lowly than ever,
more tender and compassionate than ever,
more faithful and fruitful than ever,
more patient and contented than ever,
then we may be confident that the grand design
of God in bringing all those fiery trials upon us, was
for His glory, and our own spiritual and eternal good.

"God disciplines us for our good, that we may
share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Who sees us? Who will know?

(Thomas Brooks, "London's Lamentations" 1670)

Atheism reigns in the hearts and lives of sinners.

The covetous make their gold their god.

The drunkard and glutton make their bellies their god.

The ambitious make honors their god.

The voluptuous make pleasures their god.

The religionists make pious duties their god.

The moral make virtue their god.

"The fool says in his heart—There is no God!"
Psalm 14:1

Atheism denies God either:
in opinion—saying there is no God; or
in affection—wishing there were no God; or
in practice—living as if there were no God.

What abundance of atheists there are in the land!

"He says to himself—God has forgotten; He covers
His face and never sees." Psalm 10:11

"They say—How can God know? Does the Most
High have knowledge?" Psalm 73:11

"They say—The Lord does not see; the God
of Jacob pays no heed." Psalm 94:7

What horrid blasphemy, what gross atheism is here!
How do these atheists ungod the great God! How do
they deny His omnipotence and omniscience! What
an idol-god do they make the great God to be!

There are many who sin freely in secret, who can
be drunk and filthy in the dark, when the eye of man
is not upon them. Certainly those men's hearts are
very atheistic, who dare do that in the sight of God
—which they tremble to do before the eyes of men!

How many are there who flatter themselves in their
sins, and conclude that surely the bitterness of hell
and wrath is past, and that they are in a fair way for
heaven—when every step they take is towards the
bottomless pit, and divine vengeance hangs over
their heads, ready every moment to fall upon them!

"On earth are atheists many,
In hell there are not any."

"Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their
plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness
and think—Who sees us? Who will know?"
    Isaiah 29:15

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Unfreeze the frozen graces

(Thomas Brooks, "London's Lamentations" 1670)

God loves to see the graces of His children in continual
exercise. All the glory which God has from us in this life,
is from the actings of our graces. Sleepy graces bring
God no glory—nor do us any good. There is little difference
—as to the comfort and sweet of grace—between sleepy
grace, and no grace at all.

The strongest creature, the lion; and the subtlest creature,
the serpent—if they are asleep, are as easily surprised and
destroyed as the weakest worm!

Just so, the strongest saints, if grace is not in exercise,
are as easily surprised and captivated by sin, Satan,
and the world—as the weakest saints are! O sirs! God,
by some severe providence or other, by some fiery
dispensation or other—will stir up your sleepy graces!

There are several cases wherein the graces in a Christian's
heart may seem to be hidden, cold, dead and covered over;
as sparks of fire are hidden in the ashes; or as bits of gold
are hidden in a dust heap, or as pearls may be hidden in
the mire. The sparks of divine grace, by the prevalency of
some strong corruption, or by the violence of some dreadful
temptation—may burn low, as to their lively operations. But
God by one severe providence or another, by one fiery trial
or another—will blow that heavenly grace, that divine fire,
into a flame—and cause their hidden graces to revive!

By severe providences and fiery trials, God designs
the reviving, quickening, and recovering of our
decayed graces. By fiery trials, He will . . .
inflame that love which was ice-cold,
raise that faith which had fallen asleep,
quicken up those hopes which were languishing,
put life and spirit into those spiritual joys and
comforts which were withering and dying!

God by fiery trials, will unfreeze the frozen graces
of His people, and put new life and spirit into them!

God may have burnt up your outward comforts,
so that He might lead you forth to live in a daily
exercise of grace . . .
upon Himself,
upon His power,
upon His all-sufficiency,
upon His goodness,
upon His faithfulness,
upon His fullness,
upon His graciousness,
upon His unchangeableness,
upon His promises.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The bent of the needle

(Thomas Brooks, "London's Lamentations" 1670)

"No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one
who continues to sin has either seen Him or known
Him." 1 John 3:6

A trade, a course of sin—is inconsistent with a state
of grace. The best saints have sadly miscarried as to
particular actions; but he who shall judge of a man's
spiritual state by particular acts, though notorious bad,
will certainly condemn, where God acquits. We must
always distinguish between some single evil actions,
and a serious course of evil actions. It is not this or
that particular evil action—but a continued course of
evil actions—which denominates a man wicked. Just
so, it is not this or that particular holy act—but a
continued course of holy actions—which denominates
a man holy.

Every man is—as his course is. If his course is holy—the
man is holy. If his course is wicked—the man is wicked.

No man ought to conclude, because of some particular
good actions—that his spiritual state is good.

No man ought to conclude, because of some particular
sinful actions—that his spiritual state is bad.

A course of sinning is not consistent with a course of
godliness. Though the needle of the seaman's compass
may jog this way and that way—yet the bent of the
needle will still be northward. Just so, though a Christian
may have his particular sinful joggings this way or that
way—yet the bent of his heart will still be . . .
God-wards,
Christ-wards,
heaven-wards,
holiness-wards.

    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Worshipers of the golden calf!

(Thomas Brooks, "London's Lamentations" 1670)

There is a great deal of worldliness, and earthly-mindedness,
and covetousness among the professing Christians of our day.
They are worshipers of the golden calf! O sirs! the world is
all shadow and vanity. The world is like Jonah's gourd—a man
may sit under its shadow for a time, but it soon decays and dies.

The main reason why many professors dote upon the world,
is because they are not acquainted with a greater glory. If
the heart of man is not filled with God—it will be filled with
the world, the flesh and the devil.

The world may well be resembled to the fruit which undid us
all—which was fair to the sight, smooth in handling, sweet in
taste—but deadly in effect and operation!

O sirs! if you can gather grapes off thorns, and figs off
thistles, then go on, and dote upon the world still. All the
things of this world are vain things—they are vanity of
vanities, Eccles. 1:2. All in heaven count them vain, and
all in hell count them vain; pearls are but as pebbles
in their eyes. Lazarus in heaven is now rich enough,
and happy enough; and Dives in hell is now poor enough,
and miserable enough. He who makes the world his god
while he is in the world—what will he do for a god when
he goes out of this world?

Well, sirs, remember this—an inordinate love of the world
will eat out all a man's communion with God. A man cannot
look up to heaven and look down upon the earth—at the
same time.