Christ's sympathy He is the infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, gracious, just, holy, and unchangeable I AM! The last day of the year This is the last evening of the year! Mary might well complain of Martha! The carrion which professors can now feed upon! The funeral of all your sorrows! Grace Gems for MAY 2007 The presence of a loving God! Orthodox in creed--but heterodox in life! My politics! Three golden balls! Spoiled children! He was infinitely happy and glorious without us! Yes, He is altogether lovely! A far-off Hell is the dread of no man! A Bag, a Book, and a Bottle! The Infinite has become an infant! Short pithy quotes from the Puritan Thomas Brooks! Grace Gems for MAY 2007 The presence of a loving God! The hen which does not sit on her eggs! The bags will come to an end, long before the treasure is exhausted! Who cares for pebbles--when jewels glitter before him? Today's Puritan AUDIO Devotional:
"Your enemy!" by Joseph Alleine
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You will find it helpful to READ the text--as you listen to the audio!
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It opens the eye of the mind!
(Joseph Alleine, "An Alarm to the Unconverted" 1671)
Conversion is a deep work, a heart work.
It makes a new man in a new world!
It extends to the whole man--to the mind, to the affections, to the motions of the whole life.
Conversion turns the balance of the judgment, so that God and His glory outweigh all carnal and worldly interests.
It opens the eye of the mind, and makes the scales of its native ignorance fall off, and turns men from darkness to light.
The man who before saw no danger in his condition, now concludes himself lost and forever undone--except renewed by divine grace.
He who formerly thought there was little hurt in sin, now comes to see it to be the chief of evils! He sees the stupidity, the deformity and the filthiness of sin; so that he is affrighted by it, loathes it, dreads it, flees from it, and even abhors himself for it! Romans 7:15; Job 42:6; Ezekiel 36:31
He who could see little sin in himself, and could find no matter for confession--now sees the rottenness of his heart and the desperate and deep pollution of his whole nature. He cries, "Unclean! Unclean! Lord, purge me with hyssop, wash me thoroughly, create in me a clean heart!" He sees himself altogether filthy, corrupt in both root and branch. He writes 'unclean' upon all his supposed virtues and good works. He discovers the filthy corners that he was never aware of, and sees the blasphemy, and murder, and adultery, that is in his heart, of which before he was ignorant.
His hatred boils and his anger burns against sin. He has no patience with himself; he calls himself 'fool' and 'beast'; and thinks any name too good for himself, when his indignation is stirred up against sin. He could once wallow in it with much pleasure; now he loathes the thought of returning to it as much as of licking up the filthiest vomit!
Hitherto he saw no form nor loveliness in Christ, no beauty that he should desire Him; but now he finds that Jesus is the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of great price which he is willing to sell all to obtain.
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For those who desire additional reading, here is a very helpful short article by Arthur Pink, "Cross-bearing". The text is
Matthew 16:24, "Jesus said unto His disciples: If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me."
