The Works (Vol 7) by Thomas Goodwin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Book II (Of gospel holiness) by reading Chapters 5 and 6.
Today Goodwin continues to look at what it means to be God's friend.
Firstly in Chapter 5 Goodwin encourages us to have conversation with God as friend, particularly by:
(i) telling him how well we love him;
(ii) delighting in him;
(iii) unfolding secrets to him.
Then in Chapter 6 we are exhorted as God's friend to:
(i) ask his advice and counsel upon all occasions and in all turning of life;
(ii) follow his advice;
(iii) make use of his favour and friendship in all business, and depend thereon alone;
(iv) take some seeming denials of particular requests kindly from him;
(v) trust God especially in great exigents and take heed of being jealous of him;
(vi) study his favours, how to find out his loving-kindness in them.
I particularly liked the encouragement to trust God's goodness when his actions don't appear loving: 'Many actions of men are such as a good interpretation cannot be put upon them, nor a good construction made of them ; therefore interpreters restrain those sayings of love, that it believes all, &c. ; that is, credible, all things believable, otherwise to put all upon charity, will eat out charity. But none of God's ways are such, but love and faith may pick a good meaning out of them. A bono Deo nil nisi bonum, from a good God there comes nothing but what is good ; and therefore says Job, ' Though he kill me, I will trust in him.' Endeavour to spy out some end of his for good at the present, and if none ariseth to thy conjecture, resolve it into faith, and make the best of it.'
Very wise advice. If God is your friend, trust that he is working for your good even though you don't understand how.
Next week's reading
Continue Book II (Of gospel holiness) by reading Chapters 7 and 8.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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