Works (Vol 7) - Goodwin - XXXIII - Sermon I of 'On repentance'

Required reading
The Works (Vol 7) by Thomas Goodwin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Sermon I of 'On repentance'.

My summary
Today we read the first of two sermons on Zephaniah 2:1-3: 'Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.'

At the beginning of the chapter Goodwin himself provides a nice summary of what the text is considering.

Firstly we are to consider the persons to whom the exhortation is made:
(i) the whole nation;
(ii) every person in the nation;
(iii) the meek.

Secondly Goodwin encourages us to consider the duties to which the readers are exhorted:
(i) to gather collectively;
(ii) to search into the sins of the nation.

Thirdly Goodwin wants us to consider the motives to stir up everyone to this, both good and bad.

The rest of the sermon fleshes out these points.

What grabbed me
I liked this description of God's actions when he hears the moans of a broken soul: 'Oh, for God to hear a poor broken soul thus truly bemoaning itself, how doth it stir him, make his bowels work within him ! See what himself says : Jer. xxxi. 18-20, ' When I heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, I remember him still, my bowels are troubled for him.' Every groan went to the heart of him ; if he should have damned him, it would have troubled him all his days.'

So encouraging to know that God yearns for us in our distress.

Next week's reading
Read Sermon II of 'On repentance'.

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