Come my friend, let us go to the throne of grace, and put up\nsuch petitions as may show that we have honourable views of the riches and\nbounty of our king.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am but a poor man in the trade of grace; I live from hand to\nmouth, and procure just enough, as we say, to keep the wolf from the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is a happy and most desirable frame to be ready and willing\neither to live or to die, and to be enabled so absolutely to give ourselves up\nto the Lord\u2019s disposal as to have no choice of our own either way, but only intent\nupon improving today and cheerfully to leave tomorrow and all beyond it in his\nhands who does all things well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Newton<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh lovely posture!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (adapted from Octavius Winslow’s “Morning Thoughts”)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “But if we judged ourselves, we would<\/p>\n\n\n\n not come under judgment.” 1 Cor. 11:31<\/p>\n\n\n\n Self condemnation averts God’s condemnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a penitent sinner truly, humbly, graciously<\/p>\n\n\n\n sits in judgment upon himself, the Lord will never<\/p>\n\n\n\n sit in judgment upon him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The penitent publican, who stood afar off, wrapped<\/p>\n\n\n\n in the spirit of self condemnation, retired from His<\/p>\n\n\n\n presence a justified man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proud, self righteous Pharisee, who marched<\/p>\n\n\n\n boldly to the altar and justified himself, went forth<\/p>\n\n\n\n from God’s presence a condemned man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When God sees a penitent sinner arraigning, judging,<\/p>\n\n\n\n condemning, loathing himself, He exclaims, “I do not<\/p>\n\n\n\n condemn you; go and sin no more.” He who judges<\/p>\n\n\n\n and condemns himself upon God’s footstool, shall be<\/p>\n\n\n\n acquitted and absolved from God’s throne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lord give unto us this secret spirit of self judgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such was Job’s, when in deep contrition he declared,<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such was David’s, when he penitentially confessed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this<\/p>\n\n\n\n evil in Your sight.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such was Peter’s, when he vehemently exclaimed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such was Isaiah’s, when he plaintively cried, “Woe is me,<\/p>\n\n\n\n for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such was the publican’s, when he humbly<\/p>\n\n\n\n prayed, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh lovely posture!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh sacred spirit of self abhorrence, of self condemnation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Spirit works it in the heart, and this stamps<\/p>\n\n\n\n it as so precious, so salutary, and so safe. The great<\/p>\n\n\n\n day of the Lord will unveil blessings passing all thought,<\/p>\n\n\n\n and glories passing all imagination, to the soul who<\/p>\n\n\n\n beneath the cross lies prostrate, in the spirit of self<\/p>\n\n\n\n condemnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The judgment day of the self condemning soul is on<\/p>\n\n\n\n this side of eternity! While the judgment day of the<\/p>\n\n\n\n self justifying soul is on the other side of eternity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And oh, how terrible will that judgment be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A damnable sin!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spurgeon, “THE DANGER OF DOUBTING”<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is my firm conviction, that to doubt the kindness, the<\/p>\n\n\n\n faithfulness, and the love of God, is a very heinous offence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbelief is akin to Atheism–<\/p>\n\n\n\n Atheism denies God’s existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbelief denies God’s goodness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And since goodness is essential to God, these<\/p>\n\n\n\n doubts do, in reality, stab at his very being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That can be no light sin which makes God a liar; and yet<\/p>\n\n\n\n unbelief does in effect, cast foul and slanderous suspicion<\/p>\n\n\n\n upon the veracity of the Holy One of Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbelief of God is the fountain of innumerable sins–<\/p>\n\n\n\n as the black cloud is the mother of many rain-drops,<\/p>\n\n\n\n so dark unbelief is the parent of many crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbelief concentrates the vice of ages into a moment,<\/p>\n\n\n\n and gathers up the virus of all the offences of the<\/p>\n\n\n\n race in one transgression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbelief is a damnable sin, that it should be condemned<\/p>\n\n\n\n by every believer, should be struggled against, should if<\/p>\n\n\n\n possible be subdued, and certainly should be the object<\/p>\n\n\n\n of our deep repentance and abhorrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A fleshly religion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,\nnor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13<\/p>\n\n\n\n The flesh, however high it may rise, can never rise above\nitself. It begins in hypocrisy\u2014it goes on in hypocrisy\u2014and it never can end but\nin hypocrisy. Whatever various shapes it puts on\u2014a fleshly religion never can\nrise above itself. There is\u2014no brokenness of heart\u2014no contrition of spirit\u2014no\ngodly sorrow\u2014no genuine humility\u2014no living faith\u2014no spiritual hope\u2014no heavenly\nlove shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit\u2014in those that are “born\nafter the will of the flesh.” No abasing views of self\u2014no tender feelings\nof reverence towards God\u2014no filial fear of His great name\u2014no melting of\nheart\u2014no softening of spirit\u2014no deadness to the world\u2014no sweet communion with\nthe Lord of life and glory\u2014ever dwelt in their bosoms!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The flesh, with all its workings, and all its subtle deceit and\nhypocrisy\u2014never sank so low as self abhorrence and godly sorrow\u2014and never\nmounted so high as into communion with God. The depth of the one is too\ndeep\u2014and the height of the other too high for any but those who are “born\nof God.” This birth by “the will of the flesh,” leaves a man\njust where it found him\u2014dead in sin\u2014destitute of the fear of God\u2014and utterly\nignorant of that divine teaching, which alone can save his soul from eternal\nwrath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All true sanctification<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Octavius Winslow)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us<\/p>\n\n\n\n from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar<\/p>\n\n\n\n people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:14<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no victory over the indwelling power of sin, and<\/p>\n\n\n\n there is no pardon for the guilt of sin, but as the soul deals<\/p>\n\n\n\n with the blood of Christ. The great end of our dear Lord’s<\/p>\n\n\n\n death was to destroy the works of the devil. Sin is the great<\/p>\n\n\n\n work of Satan. To overcome this, to break its power, subdue<\/p>\n\n\n\n its dominion, repair its ruins, and release from its\ncondemnation,<\/p>\n\n\n\n the blessed Son of God suffered the ignominious death of the<\/p>\n\n\n\n cross. All that bitter agony which He endured, all that mental<\/p>\n\n\n\n suffering, the sorrow of His soul in the garden, the sufferings<\/p>\n\n\n\n of His body on the cross–all was for sin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See, then, the close and beautiful connection between the death<\/p>\n\n\n\n of Christ–and the death of sin. All true sanctification comes<\/p>\n\n\n\n through the cross! Seek it there. The cross brought into your<\/p>\n\n\n\n soul by the eternal Spirit will be the death of your sins. Go to\nthe<\/p>\n\n\n\n cross! Oh, go to the cross of Jesus! In simplicity of faith, go\nwith<\/p>\n\n\n\n the strong corruption; go with the burden of guilt; go to the\ncross!<\/p>\n\n\n\n You will find nothing but love there, nothing but welcome there,<\/p>\n\n\n\n nothing but purity there. The precious blood of Jesus\n“cleanses us<\/p>\n\n\n\n from all sin.” And while you are kept low beneath the\ncross, your<\/p>\n\n\n\n enemy dares not approach you, sin shall not have dominion over<\/p>\n\n\n\n you, nor shall Satan, your accuser, condemn you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We pity the poor wretch who can dance under the gallows!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (Charles Spurgeon, “Flowers from a Puritan’s Garden”\n1883)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Do you account him a happy man, who is condemned to die \u2014\nbecause he has a plentiful allowance until his execution? Do you account him a\nhappy man, who makes a fair show abroad \u2014 while at home he is pinched with\npoverty and misery? Do you account him a happy man, who revels in all kinds of\npleasures today \u2014 but is to die this night?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we view unpardoned sinners aright, we shall heartily pity\nthem! Let their temporal condition be as good as it may at this present time \u2014\nthe wrath of God abides on them, and they are “condemned already!”\nAnd as for the future, it is black with certain doom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alas for the unhappy man against whom God sets His face! What\nmisery can be greater, than to be reserved for damnation in the great day of\nthe wrath of God? We wonder at the mirth of men who are condemned to Hell \u2014\ntheir fantasy is terrible to behold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence we cannot join with them in their carnal mirth. Sinners\nmay dance \u2014 but it will not be to our music. They may revel and riot \u2014 but we\ndare not endorse them in their jollity, for we know that their day is coming!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are indeed a child of God \u2014 let no desire to share their\ncarnal delights lurk in your mind! Do not be envious of the prosperity of the\nwicked! Who would envy a criminal about to be executed, of his last cup of\nwine? Do not let their frivolities attract you. We pity the poor wretch who can\ndance under the gallows which he will shortly hang on! Just so, sinners who are\non the road to Hell sporting and jesting, are worse than mad! Their singing\nwill soon turn to sighing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh\nslipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when<\/em> I saw the\nprosperity of the wicked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:4 For there are<\/em> no bands in their death: but their strength\nis<\/em> firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:5 They are<\/em> not in trouble as other<\/em> men; neither are\nthey plagued like other<\/em> men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence\ncovereth them as<\/em> a garment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart\ncould wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:12 Behold, these are<\/em> the ungodly, who prosper in the world;\nthey increase in<\/em> riches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:16 When I thought to know this, it was<\/em> too painful for me;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Psa.\n73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then<\/em> understood I\ntheir end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A mother sin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unbelief is a mother sin\u2014a breeding sin. It does not remain in\nthe heart alone, but gives birth to thousands of sins, all springing up out of\nits prolific womb\u2014like the fabled sea monsters. We see in the wilderness how\nall through all their journeyings the crying sin of the people of Israel was\nunbelief. It was the parent of all their fretfulness, murmuring, and\nrebellion\u2014it lay at the root of everything done by them displeasing to God\u2014gave\nbirth to all their idolatry and all their other sins\u2014and eventually shut out\nall but Caleb and Joshua from the promised land. Their carcasses fell in the\nwilderness through unbelief<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Do you believe on the Son of God?” John 9:35<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Octavius Winslow<\/p>\n\n\n\n The application of this question, reader, must be to your conscience.\nHave you “like precious faith” with that which we have attempted to\ndescribe? Alas! it may be that you are that tree which brings not forth this\ngood fruit. Yours may be a species of fruit somewhat resembling it; but do not\nbe deceived in a matter so momentous as this. “You believe that there is\none God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” That is, you\nassent to the first proposition of true religion- the being of God; this is\nwell, because your judgment assents to that which is true. And still you have\nnot gone beyond the faith of demons! They believe, and yet horror inconceivable\nis but the effect of the forced assent of their minds to the truth- they\n“tremble.” Oh, look well to your faith! There must be, in true faith,\nnot only an assent, but also a consent. In believing to the saving of the soul,\nwe not only assent to the truth of the word, but we also consent to take Christ\nas He is there set forth- the sinner’s reconciliation with God. A mere\nintellectual illumination, or a historical belief of the facts of the Bible,\nwill never place the soul beyond the reach of hell, nor within the region of\nheaven. There is a “form of knowledge,” as well as a “form of\ngodliness;” and both existing apart from vital religion in the soul\nconstitute a “vain religion.” Again we press upon you the important\ninquiry, Have you the “faith of God’s elect”? Is it a faith that has\nstained the glory of self-merit, and laid the pride of intellect in the dust?\nIs it rooted in Christ? Has it transformed you, in some degree, into the\nopposite of what you once were? Are any of the “precious fruits” of\nthe Spirit put forth in your life? Is Jesus precious to your soul? And to walk\nin all circumstances humbly with God- is it the earnest desire of your heart?\nIf there is no sorrow for sin, no going out of yourself to Jesus, no fruits of\nholiness, in some degree, appearing, then is yours but a “dead\nfaith,”- dead, because it is a part and parcel of a nature “dead in\ntrespasses and in sins,”- dead, because it is not the fruit of the\nquickening Spirit- dead, because it is inoperative, even as the lifeless root\ntransmits no vitality and moisture to the tree- dead, because it never can\nbring you to eternal life. Of what value, then, is it? Cut it down! why should\nit use up the ground? If, then, you have never brought forth the good fruit of\nprayer, and repentance, and Faith, you are yet in the old nature of sin of\nrebellion, and of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man,\nand death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all\nsinned.” Romans 5:12<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n J.C.Philpot<\/p>\n\n\n\n What an amount of sorrow and misery beyond all calculation, and\nindeed beyond all conception, there is in this wretched world\u2014this valley of\ntears, in which our present earthly lot is cast! Sin is the source of all the\nevil which, is now, or ever has been in the world, for that one sin introduced\nevery other sin with it. Sin brought in its train every iniquity that has ever\nbeen\u2014conceived by the imagination\u2014uttered by the lips\u2014or perpetrated by the\nhands of man. In a moment man’s whole nature underwent a change\u2014stricken down\nby sin as by palsy or leprosy. His understanding became darkened\u2014his judgment corrupted\u2014his\nconscience deadened\u2014his affections alienated\u2014and all that warm current of\npurity and innocency which once flowed in a clear stream towards God, became\nthickened and fouled with the sin that was poured into it from the mouth of\nSatan\u2014and was thus diverted from its course of light, love, and life\u2014to run\ninto a channel of darkness, enmity, and death!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus the fountain was corrupted at its very source\u2014and from this\nspring-head have all the streams of evil flowed which have made the world a\nvery Aceldama\u2014a field of blood. This is the fountain\u2014whence have issued all\nthat misery and wretchedness which in all ages and in all climates have pursued\nman from the cradle to the grave\u2014which have wrung millions of hot tears from\nhuman eyes\u2014which have broken, literally broken, thousands of human hearts\u2014which\nhave desolated home after home\u2014and struck grief and sadness into countless\nbreasts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, Oh! this fountain of sin in the heart of man has done worse\nthan this! It has peopled hell! It has swept and is still sweeping thousands\nand tens of thousands into eternal perdition!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Come my friend, let us go to the throne of grace, and put up such petitions as may show that we have honourable views of the riches and bounty of our king. I am but a poor man in the trade of grace; I live from hand to mouth, and procure just enough, as we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6118"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6119,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6118\/revisions\/6119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}