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November 20, 2007
It’s 13 sermons on Psalm 42 delivered in 1648. I’m on page 74 and Katie is about a hundred pages ahead of me and God is speaking to both of our hearts in thrilling ways. I’m going to put favorite quotes from it in the comments thread over the next several days. Feel free to insert your comments as always.
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As a Blog Returns to its Vomit 
If you meet with a man who obtains his persuasion of God’s love from the smiles of any creature, you may say of such a man beforehand, Oh this poor soul ere long will be in the dark and under some discouragements. (p. 35)
When a man’s mind is empty, as in temptation adn want of comfort, it is empty of Christ and full of fear. Then it grinds itself, as in a quern or mill when empty of corn, one stone grinds another. The more full a man’s mind is, the more free from temptations and fears. Now Scripture matter is the most filling matter. (p. 43)
God would not have his people discouraged, and if God their Father and Jesus Christ their Savior would not have them discouraged, then there is no true reason for their discouragements whatever their condition be. “Let not your heart be troubled,” said our Savior to his disciples. (p. 50)
But as for me, I have committed and do commit such and such great sins; have I not reason and just reason to be discouraged? No! for discouragement itself is a sin, another sin, a gospel sin. My sin against the law is no just cause why I should sin against the gospel. (p. 68)
For what day is there in all the year that is so short, dark, and gloomy, but a man may see to work by? Indeed, sometimes the sun is in an eclipse, somtimes behind a cloud; someitmes it breaks not forth with its golden beams as at other times. But if the sun be up, and it be day, a man has always light enough to work by. Now the sun is always up with the saints. It is always day with them. Though the beams of the Sun of Righteousness do not shine brightly, yet it is always day. They are not children of darkness. They may have a dark day of it, but though it be never so dark, they may find light enough to do the great work for which they came, which is to believe, and trust, and stay themselves on God. (p. 177)
Discouragement is a hindrance to humiliation, and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed, the less he is discouraged, and the more a man is discouraged, the less he is truly humbled. (p. 80-81)
“discouragement is a hindrance to humiliation”
hmmmmm…..
discouragement has its hope set on what is truly false hope? and humility is bowed low in hope of mercy at the feet of our good God?
“they may find light enough to do the great work for which they came, which is to believe, and trust, and stay themselves on God. ”
Ah, sweet water over parched lips… the work for which I came is to believe, and trust, and remain in his love… truly our labor is in itself a great reward… what a God, to demand so little, and to bless so abundantly…
“My sin against the law is no just cause why I should sin against the gospel.”
YOWZA!
I gotta get this book. Glad I dipped in this morning for a bit-o-blog.
If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged, not discouraged and yet humbled, then trace all your sins to your unbelief, and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that sin. (p. 86)
But you say….”I abilities, I lack sufficiencies, I lack endowments; therefore I am discouraged and have I not reason to be?…..I have read in scripture that the people have been too many and the means too strong, for God to work by; but I have never read that it was too small or weak for God to work by. Did not the weakness of the apostles overcome the strenth of all the world?(p. 220)
God’s call is not like Man’s. Man’s call always pre-supposes abilities. God’s call sometimes brings them.(p.222)