Sunday 27 September 2009

First promise of salvation

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
September 27, 2009


And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)


This is the first promise of the remarkable salvation that would bridge the gap between sinful man and a gracious God. From the beginning of creation, God had a redemptive plan that would begin and end with Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the promised Seed, entered the world with the purpose of bruising the head of Satan (Romans 16:20) and claiming God's children to be His own. Thus, Christ destroyed the power of the evil one and freed mankind from the tremendous bondage of sin. From this, His grace flows forth and draws us as believers to His side.

Tuesday 22 September 2009

More on God Dwelling with the Humble and Contrite

Day By Day By Grace

Bob Hoekstra

September 22, 2009

The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap. (Psalm 113:4-7)

In our previous meditation, we considered the Lord's loftiness, coupled with His interest in man's lowliness. "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit" (Isaiah 57:15). In our present verses, we again see the Lord's desire to dwell with the humble and contrite.

Our great God dwells in the heaven of heavens, ruling over all the nations of the world. "The LORD is high above all nations." His glory is even more majestic than the galaxies which He hung throughout the stellar heavens: "His glory above the heavens." There is no one in all the universe who could be likened unto Him. "Who is like the LORD our God?" Nevertheless, though He rightly inhabits the highest realms of existence, He is willing to consider our lowly estate and become involved in the affairs of humanity: "who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth."

From His high and lofty position, the Lord observes the family of man. He is not looking for the boastful and the arrogant. He is looking for the humble and the contrite. "Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar" (Psalm 138:6). Although our God is the creator of all the universe, He is looking for the spiritually bankrupt and those whose hearts are crushed. "'For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,' says the LORD. 'But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word'" (Isaiah 66:2). This last phrase gives a key characteristic of those who are truly humble and contrite. They respond with reverence when hearing God's word.
What does the Lord desire to do for the humble and contrite? He wants to bring spiritual restoration: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me" (Psalm 138:7). Our great God is a God of compassion. He wants to restore the crushed heart. "The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit…He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds" (Psalm 34:18 and 147:3). Our mighty, compassionate Lord "raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap."


Creator of heaven and earth, I am amazed that You are interested in me. I want to be numbered among the humble and contrite. I have nothing by which to commend myself to You. I only bring a heart that is broken by a multitude of agonies and impossibilities. Please revive me by Your grace, through Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.

The Solid Rock

When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart; emptied as when a man wipeth a dish and turneth it upside down; submerged and thrown on our beam ends like a vessel mastered by the storm. Discoveries of inward corruption will do this, if the Lord permits the great deep of our depravity to become troubled and cast up mire and dirt. Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace, our God is the harbour of weather-beaten sails, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims. Higher than we are is He, His mercy higher than our sins, His love higher than our thoughts. It is pitiful to see men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon an exceeding high and glorious Lord. A Rock He is since He changes not, and a high Rock, because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at His feet; He is not disturbed by them, but rules them at His will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting to this divine shelter. Hence the prayer of the text. O Lord, our God, by Thy Holy Spirit, teach us the way of faith, lead us into Thy rest. The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand; Thou, Thou alone canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon Thee—we need Thee to bring us to Thee. To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is Thy gift, and Thine alone. This night be pleased to deal well with Thy servants.

Charles Spurgeon

Sunday 20 September 2009

Without Christ We Are NOTHING

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
September 20, 2009

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:4-5)

We cannot do anything without the Lord. He is the vine; and just as the branches receive their life-giving nutrients through the vine, so we as Christians receive the things we need for life from Christ. When a branch is apart from its source of life, it is dead. And so it is with us—until we are grafted onto that eternal and life-giving vine of Christ. We abide in Christ by our faith in Him and the salvation he offers. By this faith, even we shall bear fruit.

In Christ Alone

A beautiful song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENtL_li4GbE

Friday 18 September 2009

Faith

Daily Promises

Blue Letter Bible

September 18, 2009


But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)


What is faith? It is trusting in the work of another. Therefore, we cannot please Him until we place all our trust and faith in Christ; for He is the author and finisher of our faith who will reward those who will seek His face.

A Heart That Yearns for Souls

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

It is written: “ But when he (Jesus) saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matt. 9:36)
It is a rare thing indeed to find anyone who is moved by that holy grace of compassion for lost souls. History speaks of few men and women who in days gone by were moved with such a divine passion for the salvation of souls. Multitudes have come and gone throughout the fifty generations since the Redeemer of souls walked upon the face of the earth, but the numbers of those who have felt heaven’s heart beating within their bosom have been relatively few and far between. Lamentably, the numbers are dwindling at an alarming rate. Few are moved at the preaching of the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and even fewer are moved with heaven’s compassion for the lost. Lust for material security has replaced sweet rest in the security of the Father’s hand. Rare indeed it is to find one moved by holy grace and divine passion for the lost sheep with little to no thought of the personal cost. It is a heart that yearns for souls by His grace.
The psalmist David wrote: “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” (Ps. 142:4) Wrongful understanding of the Doctrines of Grace leads to Pharisee-ism. Rightful understanding humbles the heart and stirs divine passions with a relentless craving to speak of God’s grace to the lost. It does not self indulge in the selection of the elect; rather it is moved by a heaven wrought yearning for all whom the eyes behold. Heaven’s compassion is not reasonable by human standards; it is merciful by heaven’s decree. It is a sad journey indeed that does not experience God’s saving grace in others.
It is written: “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed...” (Ps. 126:6) What do you suppose causes one to be moved and go forth into the fields? What moves one to that passionate desire to seek the salvation of the lost? When looking upon the masses, what causes the heart to flood with holy tears? What causes one to say, “Here am I, Father, send me”? It is that special holy work of grace upon the heart! It is the divine gift of seeing what Jesus saw and feeling the heartbeat of His compassion. It is the gift of heaven’s LOVE.

Wednesday 16 September 2009

The Lord is our teacher

Daily Promises
Blue Letter Bible
September 16, 2009

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:34)

One beauty of the Covenant of Grace is this: we are promised intimate and familial knowledge of our Lord. No longer is He a God far-removed, approachable by a chosen few. No, in the New Covenant we are all kings and priests and are granted, in Christ, the most intimate access to the Father's throne--indeed, even access to the Father's ear by our prayers!

Monday 14 September 2009

Repentance and Faith

"Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 20:21


Paul was telling these folks that this was his main message, repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as it should be with all Ministers today. These two words (repentance and faith) are two words that confuse a lot of folks in our time. We must understand repentance toward God is not salvation in itself, in other words repentance never saved one single soul, it is faith toward Jesus Christ that delivers salvation to the unworthy soul. The word repentance simply means “a turning around or a reversal” and there is nothing about a turning around or reversal that delivers salvation. Faith toward Jesus Christ is the point of salvation because it is faith in Him that can save; it is faith that His blood is strong enough to wash away all our sins. Since repentance is not the same as saving faith therefore it is not a saving factor. However when we look at the word repentance we do see a great significance to it. When Paul said “repentance toward God” we see that it is God who we owe repentance toward, it is God that we have so greatly sinned against and it is God that we must turn from the wickedness of this world and began to follow and worship. We have all offended God all of our life by living in iniquity and are guilty of crimes against Him. We repent toward God because it is He who can give a pardon for sin, since it is He who we have sinned against it is Him who we owe our repentance too. True repentance can only exist once we have an understanding of our sins against God, just to acknowledge repentance is not repentance in itself. We must ask why is there repentance, and the answer must be “because I have sinned against God and want forgiveness”. The Lord tells us that a true worship of Him is a spiritual thing between God’s Spirit and your heart, John 4:24 and therefore repentance must be a spiritual thing between you and God whom you have sinned against. A simply acknowledgement of repentance in your mind or through your mouth is not enough, just as a simple acknowledgement of saving faith is not enough. It must be from the heart or it is not real to God and therefore there is no pardon of sin.


Repentance is not real unless there is a true turning from sin, Job 36:10 “He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.” What good is there in repentance if there is no turning from sin? Doesn’t the word by definition mean a turning around? It is our faith in Jesus Christ that makes repentance possible. The sinner on his own will never repent to God because the sinner has nothing inside of him to cause this repentance.


Pastor Randy Johnson

The Dew Of Heaven

"His heavens shall drop down dew" Deut. 33:28


What the dew in the East is to the world of nature, that is the influence of the Spirit in the realm of grace. How greatly do I need it! Without the Spirit of God I am a dry and withered thing. I droop, I fade, I die. How sweetly does this dew refresh me! When once favored with it I feel happy, lively, vigorous, elevated. I want nothing more. The Holy Spirit brings me life, and all that life requires. All else without the dew of the Spirit is less than nothing to me: I hear, I read, I pray, I sing, I go to the table of communion, and I find no blessing there until the Holy Ghost visits me. But when He bedews me, every means of grace is sweet and profitable.


What a promise is this for me! "His heavens shall drop down dew." I shall be visited with grace. I shall not be left to my natural drought, or to the world's burning heat, or to the sirocco of Satanic temptation. Oh, that I may at this very hour feel the gentle, silent, saturating dew of the Lord! Why should I not? He who has made me to live as the grass lives in the meadow, will treat me as He treats the grass; He will refresh me from above. Grass cannot call for dew as I do. Surely, the Lord who visits the unpraying plant will answer to His pleading child.


Charles Spurgeon

Treasure in earthen vessels

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels." 2 Corinthians 4:7

Do not be surprised if you feel that in yourself you are but an earthen vessel—if you are made deeply and daily sensible of your frail body.

Do not be surprised . . .
if your clay house is often tottering;
if sickness sometimes assails your mortal tabernacle;
if in your flesh there dwells no good thing;
if your soul often cleaves to the dust; and
if you are unable to retain a sweet sense of God's goodness and love.

Do not be surprised nor startled . . .
at the corruptions of your depraved nature;
at the depth of sin in your carnal mind;
at the vile abominations which lurk and work in your deceitful and desperately wicked heart.

Bear in mind that it is the will of God that this heavenly treasure which makes you rich for eternity, should be lodged in an earthen vessel.

We have ever to feel our native weakness—and that without Christ we can do nothing—that we maybe clothed with humility, and feel ourselves the chief of sinners, and less than the least of all saints.

We thus learn to prize the heights, breadths, lengths, and depths of the love of Christ, who stooped so low to raise us up so high!

By J. C. Philpot

Saturday 12 September 2009

Faith and trials

I will sing of mercy and judgment.
Psalm 101:1

Faith triumphs in trial. When reason is thrust into the inner prison, with her feet made fast in the stocks, faith makes the dungeon walls ring with her merry notes as she I cries, "I will sing of mercy and of judgment. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing." Faith pulls the black mask from the face of trouble, and discovers the angel beneath. Faith looks up at the cloud, and sees that

'Tis big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on her head."

There is a subject for song even in the judgments of God towards us. For, first, the trial is not so heavy as it might have been; next, the trouble is not so severe as we deserved to have borne; and our affliction is not so crushing as the burden which others have to carry. Faith sees that in her worst sorrow there is nothing penal; there is not a drop of God's wrath in it; it is all sent in love. Faith discerns love gleaming like a jewel on the breast of an angry God. Faith says of her grief, "This is a badge of honour, for the child must feel the rod"; and then she sings of the sweet result of her sorrows, because they work her spiritual good. Nay, more, says Faith, "These light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." So Faith rides forth on the black horse, conquering and to conquer, trampling down carnal reason and fleshly sense, and chanting notes of victory amid the thickest of the fray.

"All I meet I find assists me
In my path to heavenly joy:
Where, though trials now attend me,
Trials never more annoy.
"Blest there with a weight of glory,
Still the path I'll ne'er forget,
But, exulting, cry, it led me
To my blessed Saviour's seat."

Charles Spurgeon

God is jealous.

God is jealous.
Nahum 1:2
Your Lord is very jealous of your love, O believer. Did He choose you? He cannot bear that you should choose another. Did He buy you with His own blood? He cannot endure that you should think that you are your own, or that you belong to this world. He loved you with such a love that He would not stop in heaven without you; He would sooner die than you should perish, and He cannot endure that anything should stand between your heart's love and Himself. He is very jealous of your trust. He will not permit you to trust in an arm of flesh. He cannot bear that you should hew out broken cisterns, when the overflowing fountain is always free to you. When we lean upon Him, He is glad, but when we transfer our dependence to another, when we rely upon our own wisdom, or the wisdom of a friend—worst of all, when we trust in any works of our own, He is displeased, and will chasten us that He may bring us to Himself. He is also very jealous of our company. There should be no one with whom we converse so much as with Jesus. To abide in Him only, this is true love; but to commune with the world, to find sufficient solace in our carnal comforts, to prefer even the society of our fellow Christians to secret intercourse with Him, this is grievous to our jealous Lord. He would fain have us abide in Him, and enjoy constant fellowship with Himself; and many of the trials which He sends us are for the purpose of weaning our hearts from the creature, and fixing them more closely upon Himself. Let this jealousy which would keep us near to Christ be also a comfort to us, for if He loves us so much as to care thus about our love we may be sure that He will suffer nothing to harm us, and will protect us from all our enemies. Oh that we may have grace this day to keep our hearts in sacred chastity for our Beloved alone, with sacred jealousy shutting our eyes to all the fascinations of the world!

Charles Spurgeon

Monday 7 September 2009

Faith

And when they could not come nigh unto Him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
Mark 2:4

Faith is full of inventions. The house was full, a crowd blocked up the door, but faith found a way of getting at the Lord and placing the palsied man before Him. If we cannot get sinners where Jesus is by ordinary methods we must use extraordinary ones. It seems, according to Luke 5:19, that a tiling had to be removed, which would make dust and cause a measure of danger to those below, but where the case is very urgent we must not mind running some risks and shocking some proprieties. Jesus was there to heal, and therefore fall what might, faith ventured all so that her poor paralyzed charge might have his sins forgiven. O that we had more daring faith among us! Cannot we, dear reader, seek it this morning for ourselves and for our fellow-workers, and will we not try to-day to perform some gallant act for the love of souls and the glory of the Lord.

The world is constantly inventing; genius serves all the purposes of human desire: cannot faith invent too, and reach by some new means the outcasts who lie perishing around us? It was the presence of Jesus which excited victorious courage in the four bearers of the palsied man: is not the Lord among us now? Have we seen His face for ourselves this morning? Have we felt His healing power in our own souls? If so, then through door, through window, or through roof, let us, breaking through all impediments, labour to bring poor souls to Jesus. All means are good and decorous when faith and love are truly set on winning souls. If hunger for bread can break through stone walls, surely hunger for souls is not to be hindered in its efforts. O Lord, make us quick to suggest methods of reaching Thy poor sin-sick ones, and bold to carry them out at all hazards.

Charles Spurgeon

Saturday 5 September 2009

A Strong Heart

A Thought From C. H. Spurgeon:

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" Ps. 27:14

Wait! Wait! Let your waiting be on the Lord! He is worth waiting for. He never disappoints the waiting soul.

While waiting keep up your spirits. Expect a great deliverance, and be ready to praise God for it.

The promise which should cheer you is in the middle of the verse -- "He shall strengthen thine heart." This goes at once to the place where you need help. If the heart be sound, all the rest of the system will work well. The heart wants calming and cheering; and both of these will come if it be strengthened. A forceful heart rests and rejoices, and throbs force into the whole man.

No one else can get at that secret urn of life, the heart, so as to pour strength into it. He alone who made it can make it strong. God is full of strength, and, therefore, He can impart it to those who need it. Oh, be brave; for the Lord will impart His strength to you, and you shall be calm in tempest, and glad in sorrow.

He who penned these lines can write as David did -"Wait, I say, on the Lord." I do, indeed, say it. I know by long and deep experience that it is good for me to wait upon the Lord.

Friday 4 September 2009

I will; be thou clean.

Morning and Evening
Charles H. Spurgeon
September 4, 2009

I will; be thou clean.
Mark 1:41

Primeval darkness heard the Almighty fiat, "light be," and straightway light was, and the word of the Lord Jesus is equal in majesty to that ancient word of power. Redemption like Creation has its word of might. Jesus speaks and it is done. Leprosy yielded to no human remedies, but it fled at once at the Lord's "I will." The disease exhibited no hopeful signs or tokens of recovery, nature contributed nothing to its own healing, but the unaided word effected the entire work on the spot and for ever. The sinner is in a plight more miserable than the leper; let him imitate his example and go to Jesus, "beseeching Him and kneeling down to Him." Let him exercise what little faith he has, even though it should go no further than "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean"; and there need be no doubt as to the result of the application. Jesus heals all who come, and casts out none. In reading the narrative in which our morning's text occurs, it is worthy of devout notice that Jesus touched the leper. This unclean person had broken through the regulations of the ceremonial law and pressed into the house, but Jesus so far from chiding him broke through the law Himself in order to meet him. He made an interchange with the leper, for while He cleansed him, He contracted by that touch a Levitical defilement. Even so Jesus Christ was made sin for us, although in Himself He knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. O that poor sinners would go to Jesus, believing in the power of His blessed substitutionary work, and they would soon learn the power of His gracious touch. That hand which multiplied the loaves, which saved sinking Peter, which upholds afflicted saints, which crowns believers, that same hand will touch every seeking sinner, and in a moment make him clean. The love of Jesus is the source of salvation. He loves, He looks, He touches us, WE LIVE.

Wednesday 2 September 2009

A Wake-up Call to Husbands in Hibernation

Steve Burchett

Does the following anonymous piece, titled "The Wall," describe your marriage?


Their wedding pictures mocked them from the table, these two, whose minds no longer touched each other. They lived with such a heavy barricade between them that neither battering ram of words nor artilleries of touch could break it down. Somewhere, between the oldest child's first tooth and the youngest daughter's graduation, they lost each other.

Throughout the years, each slowly unraveled that tangled ball of string called self, and as they tugged at stubborn knots each hid his searching from the other. Sometimes she cried at night and begged the whispering darkness to tell her who she was. He lay beside her, snoring like a hibernating bear, unaware of her winter.

She took a course in modern art, trying to find herself in colors splashed upon a canvas, and complaining to other women about men who were insensitive. He climbed into a tomb called "the office," wrapped his mind in a shroud of paper figures, and buried himself in customers.

Slowly, the wall between them rose, cemented by the mortar of indifference.

One day, reaching out to touch each other, they found a barrier they could not penetrate, and recoiling from the coldness of the stone, each retreated from the stranger on the other side. For when love dies, it is not in a moment of angry battle, nor when fiery bodies lose their heat. It lies panting, exhausted, expiring at the bottom of a wall it could not scale.


Husbands, the health of your marriage is ultimately your responsibility (Eph. 5:22-25). Perhaps you once had great dreams for your marriage. Looking back on your wedding day, there was such joy and there were so many aspirations. Things are different now. Long and intimate discussions are a distant memory. Romantic nights are rare. Big plans have been squelched by big bills. The wall grows higher every day.

There is hope for your marriage, but it will take intentional effort on your part. Peter says, "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." (1 Pet. 3:7, ESV).

What can you do? First, live with your wife in an understanding way. Literally, Peter says, "Live with your wives according to knowledge." We are responsible to know much about our wives and the marriage relationship. How does a husband gain such insight? At least two ways: (1) Through meditation upon Scripture's teaching about wives and marriage. (2) Through regular, unhurried conversations with his wife. You should know your wife's joys, fears, dreams, and hurts. This will mean some late nights of discussion, even when you have to get up early the next morning. And yes, you may "get behind" in your knowledge of internet chitchat. But husbands, you must build a wall between you and your computer or television, if that's what it takes to tear down the wall between you and your bride!

Second, show your wife honor as the weaker vessel and as a fellow heir of the grace of life. As those who are called to happily submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22; Titus 2:5), our wives are also prone to mistreatment by us if we take advantage of their "weaker" status. This must not happen. Our wives are like fine china (expensive dishes)—they are delicate and need us to be tender in how we treat them. They must feel our gentle touches often and know that we aren't behaving that way just because we want to have sex. Also, we must show them honor because they are fellow heirs of the grace of life. Husbands and wives have different roles, but they are equal in Christ. Our most intimate conversations about the Lord should be with our wives, not the men of the church.

If we fail to heed Peter's exhortation, not only will the wall continue to grow between you and your wife, but according to Peter something even more devastating will happen: "Your prayers will be hindered" (1 Pet. 3:7). If you do not understand and honor your wife, prayer is useless because God won't answer. That is a horrifying thought for a true believer because ineffective prayer leads to the absence of the presence and blessing of God, resulting in a discouraged and powerless Christian. One way to determine if you have slipped in your responsibilities is to ask, "Is God ignoring my prayers?"

Hibernating husbands, arise from your slumber and repent. Intentionally live out Peter's admonition (maybe even write out a strategy). Go to your wife and humbly confess your sins to her and your desire to know and honor her. And take action. Obey 1 Peter 3:7, looking to Christ for strength and motivation to obey (cf. 1 Pet. 2:21-25; Titus 2:11-14). By God's grace and for His glory, that awful wall that sin has built will come crashing down.


Copyright © 2009 Steve Burchett

Permission granted for reproduction in exact form, including web address.

All other uses require written permission www.CCWtoday.org

Afflictions and Spiritual Growth

MORNING THOUGHTS,
or DAILY WALKING WITH GOD
By Octavius Winslow, Leamington, Dec. 1856.

"Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept your word." Psalm 119:67

THERE is infinite wisdom in the Lord's restorings. This perfection of Jesus is clearly revealed here: in the way He adopts to restore, we see it. That He should make, as He frequently does, our very afflictions the means of restoration to our souls, unfolds the profound depth of His wisdom. This was David's prayer—"Quicken me according to Your judgments:" and this was his testimony—"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept Your word." The season of trial is not infrequently the sanctified season of revival. Who that has passed through the furnace has not found it so? Then the declension of the soul has been discovered—then the hidden cause of that declension has been brought to light—then the spirit has bowed in contrition before the Lord—then grace has been stirred up in the heart, a new sweetness has been given to prayer, a new impulse to faith, a new radiance to hope, and from the flame the gold and the silver have emerged, purified from their tin and dross. But for the production of effects like these, why the many peculiar and heavy afflictions that we sometimes see overtaking the child of God? Do not think that our Heavenly Father takes pleasure in chastening us; do not think that it delights Him to behold the writhings, the throes, and the anguish of a wounded spirit; do not think that He loves to see our tears, and hear our sighs and our groans, under the pressure of keen and crushing trial. No: He is a tender, loving Father; so tender and so loving that not one stroke, nor one cross, nor one trial more does He lay upon us than is absolutely needful for our good—not a single ingredient does He put in our bitter cup, that is not essential to the perfection of the remedy. It is for our profit that He chastens, not for His pleasure; and that often to rouse us from our spiritual sleep, to recover us from our deep declension, and to impart new vigor, healthiness, and growth to His own life in the soul.