All things for good by Watson (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 8 (Exhortations to them who are called).
1. Admire God’s free grace;
2. Pity those who are not yet called;
3. Walk worthy of your high calling.
Then in Chapter Nine Watson looks at the ground and origin of our effectual calling:
1. God’s purpose is the cause of salvation;
2. God’s purpose is the ground of assurance.
I liked the encouragement to revel in God's grace: 'Admire and adore God’s free-grace in calling you — that God should pass over so many, that He should pass by the wise and noble, and that the lot of free-grace should fall upon you! That He should take you out of a state of vassalage, from grinding the devil’s mill, and should set you above the princes of the earth, and call you to inherit the throne of glory! Fall upon your knees, break forth into a thankful triumph of praise; let your hearts be ten-stringed instruments, to sound forth the memorial of God’s mercy. None so deep in debt to free grace as you, and none should be so high mounted upon the pinnacle of thanksgiving. Say as the sweet singer; "1 will extol thee, O God my King, every day will I bless thee, and I will praise thy name for ever" (Psalm cxlv. 1, 2). Those who are patterns of mercy should be trumpets of praise. O long to be in heaven, where your thanksgivings shall be purer and shall be raised a note higher.'
Oh what it would have meant if God's electing grace passed over my head!
Next week's reading
Commence The Christian's daily walk, in holy security and peace by Henry Scudder (Available from Amazon or free here) by reading the Recommendations and the Epistle to the Reader.
Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
2 comments:
I found much encouragement in that work, and at a time when it was much needed! God's providence are always perfect! May I more and more see and praise The Lord for all His marvelous works!
There were so many excellent sayings in that work, but the one that was most helpful was :
"No vessel can be made of gold without fire; so it is impossible that we should be made vessels of honour, unless we are melted and refined in the furnace of affliction"
As I've had a year of setbacks and disappointments, it is so good to be able to rejoice that The Lord is refining me, and that is a very good thing indeed!
Have a happy and blessed New Year, Pastor Radford!
CJ,
Sorry to hear that you've had a tough year.
But as you yourself have testified, Romans 8:28 is certainly a verse to dwell on during difficulties.
In fact, the whole of chapter eight of Romans holds a very dear place in my heart.
Thanks for continuing with the blog, you remain a great encouragement to me.
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