INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 31
"Faith & prayer must go together." "...he gives glory to God by a repeated profession of his confidence in him & dependence on him." "If God be our strength, we may hope that he will both put his strength in us & put forth his strength for us." "It is the wisdom & duty of every one of us solemnly to commit our spirits into the hands of God, to be sanctified by his grace, devoted to his honour, employed in his service, & fitted for his kingdom." "God's eyes is upon our souls when we are in trouble, to see whether they be humbled for sin, submissive to the will of God, & bettered by the affliction. If the soul, when cast down under affliction, has been lifted up to him in true devotion, he knows it." "His enemies robbed him of his reputation among men, but they could not rob him of his comfort in God, because they could not drive him from his confidence." "If God have our times in his hand, he can help us; &, if he be our God, he will help us; & then what can discourage us?" "The time of life is in God's hands, to lengthen or shorten, embitter or sweeten, as he pleases, according to the counsel of his will." "We may pray in faith;" "The pride of men endangers their liberty;" "God's loving-kindness to his people, all things considered, is wonderful;" "It is a common thing to speak amiss when we speak in haste & without consideration;" "Those that have their own hearts full of love to God cannot but desire that others also may be in love with him;" "We must love him, not only for his goodness, because he preserves the faithful, but for his justice, because he plentifully rewards the proud doer (who would ruin those whom he preserves), according to their pride." "Those that hope in God have reason to be of good courage, & let their hearts be strong, for, as nothing truly evil can befal them, so nothing truly good for them shall be wanting to them." "...we should animate ourselves & one another to proceed & persevere in our Christian course, whatever threatens us, & whoever frowns upon us." CHAPTER 32 "The remission of sins gives rest & relief to those that were weary & heavily laden. Matthew 11:28." "Sin makes us loathsome in the sight of God & utterly unfit for communion with him, &, when conscience is awakened, it makes us loathsome to ourselves too; but, when sin is pardoned, it is covered with the robe of Christ's righteousness, like the coats of skins wherewith God clothed Adam & Eve (an emblem of the remission of sins), so that God is no longer displeased with us, but perfectly reconciled." "Those that would have the comfort of the pardon of their sins must take shame to themselves by a penitent confession of them." "We must confess sin with shame & holy blushing, with fear & holy trembling." "God is more ready to pardon sin, upon our repentance, than we are to repent in order to the obtaining of pardon." "All godly people are praying people." "You may as soon find a living man without breath as a living Christian without prayer." "Those that are sincere & abundant in prayer will find the benefit of it when they are in trouble:" "Those are best able to teach others the grace of God who have themselves had the experience of it." "He teaches us by his word & guides us with his eye, by the secret intimations of his will in the hints & turns of Providence, which he enables his people to understand & take direction from, as a master makes a servant know his mind by a wink of his eye." "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, which will not only spoil their vain & carnal mirth, & put an end to it, but will make them pay dearly for it." CHAPTER 33 "Holy joy is the heart & soul of praise" "Thankful praise is the breath & language of holy joy;" "God makes himself known to us." "God's word is right, & therefore all our deviations from it are wrong, & we are then in the right when we agree with it." "...he is a God of inexhaustible bounty: The earth is full of his goodness," "It is dangerous being at war with him who has the host of heaven for his armies & the depths of the sea for his magazines, & therefore it is wisdom to desire conditions of peace" "The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever." "He still moulds the hearts of men, turns them as the rivers of water, which way soever he pleases, to serve his own purposes, darkens or enlightens men's understandings, stiffens or bows their wills, according as he is pleased to make use of them." "A great army cannot be sure of victory; for, when God pleases, one shall chase a thousand." "Let not the strong man then glory in his strength, but let us all strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God, go forth, & go on, in his strength." "Those that have the Lord for their God shall find him their help & their shield." "In their dangers he will secure them, so that they shall not receive any real damage." "We must rely on God, hope in his mercy, in the goodness of his nature, though we have not an express promise to depend upon." CHAPTER 34 "If we hope to spend our eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend as much as may be of our time in this work." "It is not vainglory to glory in the Lord." "We have reason to join in thanksgiving to God." "David's prayers helped to silence his fears; having sought the Lord, & left his case with him, he could wait the event with great composure." "God will regard the prayer of the destitute." "Taste & see God's goodness, that is, take notice of it & take the comfort of it. I Peter 2:3. He is good, for he makes all those that trust in him truly blessed; let us therefore be so convinced of his goodness as thereby to be encouraged in the worst of times to trust in him." "Those that live by faith in God's all-sufficiency want nothing; for in him they have enough." "We must learn to bridle our tongues, & be careful what we say, that we never speak amiss, to God's dishonour" "We must be upright & sincere in every thing we say, & not double-tongued." "It is not enough not to do hurt in the world, but we must study to be useful, & live to some purpose." "Those that truly repent of what they have done amiss will warn others to take heed of doing likewise." "It is certain that there is no lasting honour, but that which comes from God." "All good people are under God's special favour & protection." "God takes notice of what we say: They cry, & the Lord hears them" "He not only takes notice of what we say, but is ready to us for our relief: He is nigh to those that are of a broken heart, & saves them." "Though God is high, & dwells on high, yet he is near to those who, being of a contrite spirit, know how to value his favour, & will save them from sinking under their burdens; he is near them to good purpose." "Those that are God's faithful servants, that make it their care to please him & their business to honour him, & in doing so trust him to protect & reward them, &, with good thoughts of him, refer themselves to him, have reason to be easy whatever befals them, for they are safe & shall be happy." "...let us be confirmed in the choice we have made of the ways of God; let us be quickened in his service, & greatly encouraged by the assurances he has given of the particular care he takes of all those that faithfully adhere to him." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Job To Song Of Solomon, Mac Donald, pgs. 342 - 359.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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