Works (Vol 7) - Goodwin - XIII - Book II concluded (Of gospel holiness)

Required reading
The Works (Vol 7) by Thomas Goodwin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Book II (Of gospel holiness) by reading Chapters 7 and 8.

My summary
Today Goodwin finishes teaching us about what it means to be God's friend.

In Chapter 7 we learn that as friends of God, we should:
(i) be fearful to displease or offend him as our friend;
(ii) keep his commandments.

Then in Chapter 8 the idea that we are to obey God as his friends is expanded upon.  We are given motives for obedience then instructed to:
(i) know his will and humour and what will please him;
(ii) be careful of his business, bear it in our memories;
(iii) stand for his credit;
(iv) be content to submit to his will;
(v) set ourselves apart from all other men's business to follow his;
(vi) do his will and whatsoever comes in the way is not so necessary as this;
(vii) expect warrant for what God does;
(viii) do his will effectually.

What grabbed me
I appreciated the encouragement to deny God nothing: 'Deny him nothing, and yet take his denials kindly. Friends that are critical in friendship, if they think they shall be denied, will not so much as ask, for it will trouble them. Abraham spared not his son when God called for him, and he was called the friend of God. God, to endear thy friendship to him, sometimes will seem to stand in need of something thou hast. When Christ was on earth, he was poor, and good souls ministered unto him. Another time he sends to a poor man for his ass, with this message, which was a strange one, Luke xix. 31, ' The Lord hath need of him,' though the cattle on a thousand hills are his. It was but to fulfil a prophecy ; else we never read he rode, but went afoot many a wearisome step, from Galilee to Jerusalem, to and fro unto the feasts. God hath business in this world that concerns his glory, needs thy help against the mighty, needs thy good word in a good cause, and thou perhaps art sluggish, or loath to appear in it. Think nothing thou hast too dear for him, when he calls for it : ' I count not my life dear to me,' says Paul, ' to fulfil my ministration with joy,' Acts xx. 24. And take this for a rule to guide thee to know what he calls for from thee. When either thou canst not hold that which thou hast without sinning against him, or when the laying of it down tends to promote his glory, then God calls for it, and deny him not, he is a special friend. Remark that speech of Christ, 'He that forsakes not father, mother, &c., for my sake and the gospel's, is not worthy of me, ' Mat. x. 37, that is, ' of my friendship ;' he is not worthy to be held in correspondency withal by me.'

Deny God nothing and yet take his denials kindly.  Great advice.

Next week's reading
Commence Book III (Of gospel holiness) by reading Chapters 1, 2 and 3.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.