Madam,

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you. The Lord has brought me to Aberdeen, where I see God in few. This town has been advised upon of purpose for me; it consisteth either of Papists, or men of Gallio’s naughty faith. It is counted wisdom, in the most, not to countenance a confined minister; but I find Christ neither strange nor unkind; for I have found many faces smile upon me since I came hither. I am heavy and sad, considering what is between the Lord and my soul, which none seeth but He. I find men have mistaken me; it would be no art (as I now see) to spin small and make hypocrisy a goodly web, and to go through the market as a saint among men, and yet steal quietly to hell, without observation: so easy is it to deceive men. I have disputed whether or no I ever knew anything of Christianity, save the letters of that name.

Men see but as men, and they call ten twenty and twenty an hundred; but Oh, to be approved of God in the heart and in sincerity is not an ordinary mercy. My neglects while I had a pulpit, and other things whereof I am ashamed to speak, meet me now, so as God maketh an honest cross my daily sorrow. Like a fool, I believed, under suffering for Christ, that I myself should keep the key of Christ’s treasures, and take out comforts when I listed, and eat and be fat: but I see now a sufferer for Christ will be made to know himself, and will be holden at the door as well as another poor sinner, and will be pleased to eat with the children, and to take the by–board, and glad to do so. My blessing on the cross of Christ that has made me see this! Oh! if we could take pains for the kingdom of heaven! But we sit down upon some ordinary marks of God’s children, thinking we have as much as will separate us from a reprobate; and thereupon we take the play and cry, “Holiday,” and thus the devil casteth water on our fire, and blunteth our zeal and care. But I see heaven is not at the door; and I see, nevertheless my challenges be many, I suffer for Christ, and dare hazard my salvation upon it; for sometimes my Lord comes with a fair hour and Oh, but His love be sweet, delightful, and comfortable.

Madam, I know your Ladyship knoweth this, and that made me bold to write of it, that others might reap somewhat by my bonds for the truth; for I should desire, and I aim at this, to have my Lord well spoken of, and honored, nevertheless He should make nothing of me but a bridge over a water.

Thus recommending your Ladyship, your son and children, to His grace, who has honored you with a name and room among the living in Jerusalem, and wishing grace to be with your Ladyship.

Aberdeen
—Samuel Rutherford (Letters)

He that has said in his heart  that there is no God is called a fool by every creature. The very idea of  a creature supposes a God, and we may more reasonably argue that there is nothing than that there is no God. The fact that the creatures are made proves the First Cause, and who is that but God? It is so clear from the creation, say the apostle–that is, the eternal God-head—that men are left without excuse (Romans 1:20). Rain from heaven is God's witness of his being and of his being good, as the apostle infallibly concludes (Acts 14:15-18) Creation and Providence, which is creation upheld and continued are witnesses for God, so that we may say with Job: 'Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee; or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee that the hand of the lord hath wrought this' (Job 12:7-9). If there is any being, there is a God, says the creation.
—Ralph Venning "The Sinfulness of Sin"

God has a book of remembrance for the sufferings of his people. The saints' purgatory is in this life. But there are two things which may bear up their spirits.
First, every groan of theirs goes to God's heart: 'I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel' (Exodus 6:5). In music when one string is touched, all the rest sound. When the saints are stricken God's heart reverberates.
Secondly, God has a book of records to write down his people's injuries. The wicked make sounds in the backs of the righteous, and then pour in vinegar. God writes down their cruelty: 'I remember that which Amalek did to Isreal' (1 Sam. 15:2). Amalek was Easu's grandchild (Gen. 36:12), a bitter enemy of Israel. The Amalekites showed their spite to Israel in two ways. First, they lay in ambush; and as Israel passed by, fell upon their rear, and cut off the feeble in their army (1 Sam. 15:2). Secondly, they openly gave battle to them and would have hindered them from going into Canaan (Exod. 17:8). Now God took notice of Israel's sufferings by Amalek: 'I remember what Amalek did to Israel, and I have my book of of remembrance I write it down.' 'Now go and smite Amalek' (1 Sam. 15:3)
—Thomas Watson "The Great Gain of Godliness"

I love Luther's term for the Scriptures when he called them the "Swaddling clothes of Christ."  Paul again in 2 Tim 3:16  used the term ALL Scripture, meaning both Testaments.

Christ in the New Testament was forever quoting the old Testament; one of the best known passages he quoted was Deut 8:3 In Matt. 4:4 and Luke 4:4

Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The Prophet Isa also spoke of the will of God regarding the Old testament and the time Isa was speaking from in Isa 59:21

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

It is pretty clear the Covenant he is speaking of is not of just some duration but of all duration till the end of time. One cannot read it any other way without wresting the Scriptures to other than they actually say.

When Jesus referred to Deut 8:3 I believe he was talking about us having the shield of faith as spoken of all through Ephesians 6, because we are in a war zone every day as Christians; we are soldiers and in a war no less than the troops or military on the battlie-field only our enemy cannot be seen but is of unseen powers and spirits, and that makes the god of this world because of that even more dangerous than a visible enemy.

But to take up the shield of faith, and putting on the whole armour of God which as Paul describes it as:

Ephesians 6:10-20 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Since the letter of the Law was given to Moses in the Old Testament and that above any other part of Scripture reveals both the will of God and the nature of God Himself, and since God is immutable, it stands and abides forever. The two Testaments should not be divorced or separated, and only what Christ Himself abrogated still stands, in fact he himself said, In Matt 5

Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The Roman Catholic church though it hasn't gone so far as with the second commandment and doing away with it, it has given itself the authority to disregard the fourth commandment of Sabbath keeping; and the Protestant church, even much of the Reformed, twists, wriggles and argues technicalities, to say why keeping the Sabbath Day holy is no longer binding, and brings in ceremonial arguments which has no relevance at all to the point at hand in the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment is just one example. We all break the law each and every day, if we are truly en-grafted into Christ, then His blood has paid the price of our past, present and future sins, but if we truly are in Christ, that should not lend us to want to live licentiously or to say liberty is doing as we want instead of dong God's will. True Christian liberty is not freedom from the law but freedom under the law. If we say it is not longer binding on us as New Testament Christians we are actually passing sentence on the law of God. And in fact, making gods of ourselves by doing so. Just as Adam and Eve did in the garden.

The law to the New Testament Christian should not be a yoke or a burden but a joy and a delight. Jesus nailed it exactly when he said in John 14, If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Do we love him? And if so, are we willing to deny our own will to do the will of the Father? And do it joyfully and cheerfully? God loves a cheerful giver as it is given with a right heart. He doesn't like formalism or doing it out of rote as that would be nothing but trying to earn God's favour, and legalistic or self righteous rather than the righteousness of Christ?

Do we delight to do His will as revealed in the Ten commandments and the other commandments in Scripture outside of the Tables? If so, then one's hope is probably well grounded and sound. But if not, it maybe a time to search one's heart and think about the words of Jesus, of "if you love me, you will keep My commandments." If you love someone in this life, your spouse, child, parents, you want to do anything you can to make them happy don't we? The same should be true of if we love Christ and that will show itself, by our fruit. James says that faith without works is dead, and I have believed for some time that the works he is primarily speaking of is obedience, and doing God's will. That will include good works of course, but the scope is much broader, and it starts at the ten Commandments, because it is those that time and again every single day when we fall short and break them, that drive us back to Christ again and again. The Two Testaments stand together, not divided or divorced. It is not a question of Law vs Grace, it is a question of Sola Scriptura.

The Lord has to sometimes show us, not only the power of the one against us, but also the weaknesses of our own hearts. His battles are not won through strength and prowess, but through weakness, thoroughly weakened, that refuses to do anything at all for itself but trust in His faithfulness–even when trust seems folly.
—Arthur Matthews

It is not the knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man. 'If you know these things, blessed and happy are you if you do them." ['Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven' (John 13:17, Matt. 7:21). Judas called Christ Lord, Lord, and yet betrayed him, and is gone to his place. Ah! How many Judases have we in these days, that kiss Christ and yet betray Christ; that in their words profess him, but in their works deny him; that bow their knee to him, and yet in their hearts despise him; that call him Jesus and yet will not obey him for their Lord.
Reader, if it be not strong upon thy heart to practice what thou read,to what end dost thou read? To increase they own condemnation? If thy light and knowledge be not turned into practice, the ore knowing man thou art, the more miserable man thou wilt be in the day of recompense; thy light and knowledge will more torment thee than all the devils in hell. Thy knowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash thee, and that scorpion that will for ever bite thee, and that worm that will everlastingly gnaw thee; therefore read, and labour to know, that thou may do, or else thou art undone forever. When Demosthenes was asked, what was the first part of an orator, what the second, what the third? he answered, Action; the same may I say. If any should ask me, what is the first, the second the third part of a Christian? I must answer, Action; as that man that reads that he may know, and that labours to know that the may do, will have two heavens–a heaven of joy, peace and comfort on earth, and a heaven of glory and happiness after death.
—Thomas Brooks "Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices"

(some words modernized by Blog owner)

Many fancy a fine, easy way to heaven;' a sigh, a tear, or "Lord, have mercy" will save them. Those who believe this are in a golden dream. The text tells us of working out  salvation. Basil compares the way to heaven to a man going over a narrow bridge. if he treads ever so much aside, he falls in and drowns. He that thinks the way is easy is never yet in the way. There are so many precepts to obey, so many promises to believe, so many temptations t resist that we shall not find the easy way.
We must go to heaven through sweat and blood. There is nothing gotten without hard labour. You cannot have the world without labour, and would you have Christ and salvation without it? Do men dig for lead and not much more for gold? It is observable that Adam in paradise was not easy, but he dressed the vineyard. The angels themselves though they are glorious spirits are yet ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14). God has put this diligence into creatures void of reason. The bee is a most industrious creature; all of them have their own work to do in the hive. Some of the bees trim the honey, some work the wax, some frame the comb, and others lie as sentinels at the door of the hive to keep out the drone. is the bee so industrious by the instinct of nature in the working of honey? Oh how industrious ought we to be in the working out  of salvation!
—Thomas Watson, "The One thing necessary"

The poem speaks for itself  to anyone who knows what it is to wait in hope upon the Lord, and yet even as one does, your losses and afflictions and crosses sill increase. But still we wait in patience and in hope.

It is based on Psalm 40:1

I'm waiting I'm waiting for Thee, blessed Lord,
Though encompassing foes threaten ill:
My weak, trembling faith clingeth fast to Thy Word,
And trustingly waiteth Thy will.

In waiting I'm waiting for Thee, Lord, alone–
Not delv'rance from dangers without–
For Thyself Lord, to come and claim my heart's throne
And self's lesser hopes put to rout.

I'm waiting I'm waiting my hope bruis'd and sore,
Murmurs, Lord, at Thy "tarrying yet";
Thou plannest a harvest where death locks the door,
Then grant, Lord, my faith ne'er forget.

I'm waiting Thy fire, Lord, to burn
The base metal that quails 'neath Thy hand;
To be still and know–though Thy fire would I learn
"Thou'rt God," when I can't understand.
–Arthur Matthews

Do men die forever because they will? Then who are you, O man who charges God with destruction? Surely herein you charge God foolishly. As He does not delight in your sin, so neither does He delight in your death. The malefactor must not be angry with the Judge for passing a sentence of condemnation upon him, but he ought to blame himself for doing that which he deserves to be condemned? How often has He stretched forth his hand all the day long, but all the day long you have been disobedient and contrary? How speechless will this make you when He comes to judge the world in righteousness!
Do men die forever because they will? Then the death of the wicked is most just and righteous? It is but equal that the willing slaves of sin who would not become the Lord's freemen should be fettered in chains of darkness. The offender who refuses a pardon offered justly, nay, doubly deserves to have judgment executed, both because of his offense and because he slights mercy. The patient who thrusts away the physician who would heal him of a sore distemper very well deserves to die for it, and the sinner who will not turn to God, who rejects the Lord Jesus who is both able both to pardon and to heal him, though he perishes and is condemned, yet is not in the least wronged.
—Nathaniel Vincent "The Conversion of a Sinner"

There are some gems in it for the afflicted Christian.  I think Paul, who as great an apostle as he was, still confessed his weaknesses and infirmities, must have had a few midnights of fear of his own.  Some folks have likened my lot in life to Paul's and I can see why,as in a very real way, I am a prisoner for Christ.  It is one thing to be this ill, strapped to a sick bed, incurably ill, it is another to be almost amputated from  the body of Christ while you suffer it,  and yet except for a few dear friends in the online world that is so for me.   As always,, in these kinds of cases, whether with Paul, David, or most of all our dear Lord, the greater part of the afflictions, the being imprisoned  and shut away, with just my body and me, devoid of all loved one but for my cat, has come from the visible church. This always seems to be so if you look in Scripture or through the annals of Christian history, it seems to be so. Even Archbishop Thomas Cramner was once a bloody persecutor of the puritans.

Isobel Kuhn describes the "Midnight of fear" as being "Awakened in a depth of night we have only half a grip on ourselves and fear can inflate itself and torture us."

And we do all  have those midnights of fear when in afflictions; the deeper the afflictions, the more frequent or deeper or more tumultuous then can be I believe.   A few quotations to speak to this from Green Leaf in Drought time, for those of you who may also know the midnight of fear.

My cloud of battle-dust may dim
His veil of splendour, curtain Him;
And in the midnight of my fear,
I may not feel Him standing near.
But as I lift my eyes above,
His banner over me is love.
—Gerald Massey

When Arthur and Wilda were trying to find their way out of communist China, and their lives imperilled by being tricked by the communist regime, he wrote to his parents in a letter:

With our feelings inside like stretched rubber, we do not find it easy to write letters. You know the feeling, and I can guess that you are a bit that way yourselves even now. It's the old top-knot that feels it most, but even for that we have a promise, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind [imagination] is stayed on thee. The imagination is what jumps around into all sorts of places that it ought to keep out of. One day we are as b right and cheery as crickets, and the next as down as it is possible to be… The temptation keeps coming to tink that our way is hid from God, but we know He cares and plans.
—Arthur Matthews

• Psalms 140:1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;

• Psalms 140:5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.

• Psalms 142:3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

• Psalms 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

• Psalms 143:7 Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

• Psalms 144:1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:

• Psalms 144:7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

• Psalms 144:9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

If like me, you feel like Paul, afflicted on every side, (2 Cor. 4:8) by those who are supposed to do the opposite towards you especially, the Lord will deliver us in due time:

Isaiah 49:25 But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

God opens his hand, in the way of providence, towards his worst enemies. He gave Nebuchadnezzar all the kingdoms of the earth. But he opens his heart in the gospel of his Son. This is the better portion of the two. While we are thankful for the one, let us not rest satisfied in it: it is merely a hand portion. Rather let us pray with Jabez to be blessed indeed;and that we might have a Joseph's portion; not only the precious things of the earth and the fulness thereof, but "the good will of him that dwelt in the bush!" Thou satisfiest the desire, etc. God does not give grudgingly. It seems to be a characteristic of the divine nature, both in the natural and moral world, to raise desires, not with a view to disappoint, but to satisfy them. O what a consoling thought is this! If there be any desires in us which are not satisfied, it is through their being self created ones, which is our own fault; or through artificial scarcity from men's luxury, which is the fault of our species. God raises no desires as our Creator, but he gives enough to satisfy them; and none as our Redeemer and Sanctifier but what shall be actually satisfied. O the wonderful munificence of God! "How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!"
—Andrew Fuller.

Ralph Venning wrote in "The sinfulness of sin" and I can surely testify that this has been true for me:

Man is more hurtful to man than the animals are to man.–Ralph Venning

I am reading "Green Leaf in Drought Time"  by Isobel Kuhn, the story of missionaries in China.  And a couple of things I have read thus far resonated.

Hudson Taylor used to say: "There is a mighty power in contact… They are not clean, and sometimes we are tempted to draw our skirts together; but I believe there is no blessing when that is the case.. There is much power in drawing near to this people, and  there is a wonderful power in touching people.  A poor woman in Cheng-tu when she heard of Mrs. Riley's death said, "What a loss to us! She used to take hold of my hand and comfort me so…' If you put your hand on the shoulder of a man there is power in it.. there is something in contact: it is a real power we muse for God.
—Hudson Taylor

There is more way to touch a heart than the physical touch, though that is not disregarding or disputing what Taylor wrote. But at touch of the heart whether in person or in any way, can either be for the better of very bitter and destructive.  To lie here in illness,  the way I have the last day or two,  the things I have experienced from the "messengers of Christ" in the poem below, has been more than destructive, it brings torture to a death bed which is hardly the message OF Christ.

A poem from the same book:

A Mongol: On my lonely steppes I wait
For the messenger of Christ, who cometh late.
The wild winds mock my despairing cry,
O, why don't they hurry; I die! I die!

The sun is fast sinking, the hour is late,
The servants of Christ, O why do they wait?
Lost and forsaken, and so my last cry
Quivers, unwavered, neglected I die.

His servant: At my lonely post I wait,
A messenger of Christ; pray not too late.
Would the wild winds could bear my heart's cry,
Christ died to save you, then why must you die?

The sun is fast sinking, the hour is late,
The servant of Christ at the fast-barred gate.
NO, not forsaken: O Lord, lead us on,
In Thy bloodstained footprints, ere the daylight is gone.
R.. A. Matthew.

“I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow”

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me."
—-John Newton

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. It is wise to look to the strong for strength. Dwellers in valleys are subject to many disorders for which there is no cure but a sojourn in the uplands, and it is well when they shake off their lethargy and resolve upon a climb. Down below they are the prey of marauders, and to escape from them the surest method is to fly to the strongholds upon the mountains. Often before the actual ascent the sick and plundered people looked towards the hills and longed to be upon their summits. The holy man who here sings a choice sonnet looked away from the slanderers by whom he was tormented to the Lord who saw all from his high places, and was ready to pour down succour for his injured servant. Help comes to saints only from above, they look elsewhere in vain: let us lift up our eyes with hope, expectance, desire, and confidence. Satan will endeavour to keep our eyes upon our sorrows that we may be disquieted and discouraged; be it ours firmly to resolve that we will look out and look up, for there is good cheer for the eyes, and they that lift up their eyes to the eternal hills shall soon have their hearts lifted up also. The purposes of God; the divine attributes; the immutable promises; the covenant, ordered in all things and sure; the providence, predestination, and proved faithfulness of the Lord—these are the hills to which we must lift up our eyes, for from these our help must come. It is our resolve that we will not be bandaged and blindfolded, but will lift up our eyes. Or is the text in the interrogative? Does he ask, "Shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills?" Does he feel that the highest places of the earth can afford him no shelter? Or does he renounce the idea of recruits hastening to his standard from the hardy mountaineers? and hence does he again enquire, "Whence cometh my help?" If so, the next verse answers the question, and shows whence all help must come.
—Charles Spurgeon "Treausury of David"

If this were an imprecation, a malediction, yet it was medicinal, and had rationem boni, a charitable tincture and nature in it; he wished the men no harm as men. But it is rather prædictorium, a prophetical vehemence, that if they will take no knowledge of God's declaring himself in the protection of his servants, if they would not consider that God had heard, and would hear, had rescued, and would rescue his children, but would continue their opposition against him, heavy judgments would certainly fall upon them; their punishment should be certain, but the effect should be uncertain; for God only knows whether his correction shall work upon his enemies to their mollifying, or to their obduration. . . . In the second word, "Let them be sore vexed," he wishes his enemies no worse than himself had been, for he had used the same word of himself before, Ossa turbata, My bones are vexed; and Anima turbata, My soul is vexed; and considering that David had found this vexation to be his way to God, it was no malicious imprecation to wish that enemy the same physic that he had taken, who was more sick of the same disease than he was. For this is like a troubled sea after a tempest; the danger is past, but yet the billow is great still; the danger was in the calm, in the security, or in the tempest, by misinterpreting God's correction to our obduration, and to a remorseless stupefication; but when a man is come to this holy vexation, to be troubled, to be shaken with the sense of the indignation of God, the storm is past, and the indignation of God is blown over. That soul is in a fair and near way of being restored to a calmness, and to reposed security of conscience that is come to this holy vexation.
— John Donne.

• It disciplines, educates, convicts, and drives us outside of ourselves to Jesus Christ, the fulfill-er and end of the law. The Law cannot lead us to a saving knowledge of God in Christ. Rather, the Holy Spirit uses the Law as a mirror to show us our guilt, to shut us off from hope and to bring us to repentance. It drives us to the spiritual need out of which faith in Christ is born. This convicting use of the law is critical for the believer's piety, for it prevents the ungodly self-righteousness that is prone to reassert itself even in the holiest of saints.

• It becomes the rule of life for the believer. His law shows the mark at which we ought to aim, and the goal towards which we ought to press, that each of us, according to the measure of grace bestowed upon him, may endeavour to frame his life according to the highest rectitude, and, by, constant study, continually advance more and more. *

Here is the best instrument for them to learn more thoroughly each day the nature of the Lord's will to which they aspire and confirm them in the understanding of it, It causes frequent meditation upon it to be aroused to to obedience, to be strengthened in it, and be drawn back from the slipper path of transgression. For what would be less lovable than the Law if, with importuning and threatening alone, it troubled souls through fear and distressed them through fright?
—John Calvin **

*From Calvin's tracts and letters.
** From the Institutes of the Christian religion.

Website owners note–that I hope to write a blog post myself over the next day two as regards Calvin and the law, as this is also another oft misrepresented view of Calvin, that he exhorted the law above the Gospel.

Does it matter much, if at the coming of grace, you are cheerful and devout? This is an hour desired by all, for he whom the grace of God sustains travels easily enough. What wonder if he feel no burden when borne up by the Almighty and led on by the Supreme Guide! For we are always glad to have something to comfort us, and only with difficulty does a man divest himself of self.

The holy martyr, Lawrence, with his priest, conquered the world because he despised everything in it that seemed pleasing to him, and for love of Christ patiently suffered the great high priest of 69 God, Sixtus, whom he loved dearly, to be taken from him. Thus, by his love for the Creator he overcame the love of man, and chose instead of human consolation the good pleasure of God. So you, too, must learn to part with an intimate and much-needed friend for the love of God. Do not take it to heart when you are deserted by a friend, knowing that in the end we must all be parted from one another.

A man must fight long and bravely against himself before he learns to master himself fully and to direct all his affections toward God. When he trusts in himself, he easily takes to human consolation. The true lover of Christ, however, who sincerely pursues virtue, does not fall back upon consolations nor seek such pleasures of sense, but prefers severe trials and hard labors for the sake of Christ.

When, therefore, spiritual consolation is given by God, receive it gratefully, but understand that it is His gift and not your meriting. Do not exult, do not be overjoyed, do not be presumptuous, but be the humbler for the gift, more careful and wary in all your actions, for this hour will pass and temptation will come in its wake.

When consolation is taken away, do not at once despair but wait humbly and patiently for the heavenly visit, since God can restore to you more abundant solace.

This is neither new nor strange to one who 70 knows God’s ways, for such change of fortune often visited the great saints and prophets of old. Thus there was one who, when grace was with him, declared: “In my prosperity I said: ‘I shall never be moved.’” But when grace was taken away, he adds what he experienced in himself: “Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled.” Meanwhile he does not despair; rather he prays more earnestly to the Lord, saying: “To Thee, O Lord, will I cry; and I will make supplication to my God.” At length, he receives the fruit of his prayer, and testifying that he was heard, says “The Lord hath heard, and hath had mercy on me: the Lord became my helper.” And how was he helped? “Thou hast turned,” he says, “my mourning into joy, and hast surrounded me with gladness.” Ps. 29:7-12.

If this is the case with great saints, we who are weak and poor ought not to despair because we are fervent at times and at other times cold, for the spirit comes and goes according to His will. Of this the blessed Job declared: “Thou visitest him early in the morning, and Thou provest him suddenly.”1616 Job 7:18.

In what can I hope, then, or in whom ought I trust, save only in the great mercy of God and the hope of heavenly grace? For though I have with me good men, devout brethren, faithful friends, 71 holy books, beautiful treatises, sweet songs and hymns, all these help and please but little when I am abandoned by grace and left to my poverty. At such times there is no better remedy than patience and resignation of self to the will of God.

I have never met a man so religious and devout that he has not experienced at some time a withdrawal of grace and felt a lessening of fervor. No saint was so sublimely rapt and enlightened as not to be tempted before and after. He, indeed, is not worthy of the sublime contemplation of God who has not been tried by some tribulation for the sake of God. For temptation is usually the sign preceding the consolation that is to follow, and heavenly consolation is promised to all those proved by temptation. “To him that overcometh,” says Christ, “I will give to eat of the Tree of Life.”1717 Apoc. 2:7. Divine consolation, then, is given in order to make a man braver in enduring adversity, and temptation follows in order that he may not pride himself on the good he has done.

The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead; therefore, you must never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and on the left are enemies who never rest.
—Thomas á Kempis

The man who is at perfect ease is never suspicious, but the disturbed and discontented spirit is upset by many a suspicion. He neither rests himself nor permits others to do so. He often says what ought not to be said and leaves undone what ought to be done. He is concerned with the duties of others but neglects his own.

Direct your zeal, therefore, first upon yourself; then you may with justice exercise it upon those about you. You are well versed in coloring your own actions with excuses which you will not accept from others, though it would be more just to accuse yourself and excuse your brother. If you wish men to bear with you, you must bear with them. Behold, how far you are from true charity and humility which does not know how to be angry with anyone, or to be indignant save only against self!

It is no great thing to associate with the good and gentle, for such association is naturally pleasing. 59 Everyone enjoys a peaceful life and prefers persons of congenial habits. But to be able to live at peace with harsh and perverse men, or with the undisciplined and those who irritate us, is a great grace, a praiseworthy and manly thing.

Some people live at peace with themselves and with their fellow men, but others are never at peace with themselves nor do they bring it to anyone else. These latter are a burden to everyone, but they are more of a burden to themselves. A few, finally, live at peace with themselves and try to restore it to others.

Now, all our peace in this miserable life is found in humbly enduring suffering rather than in being free from it. He who knows best how to suffer will enjoy the greater peace, because he is the conqueror of himself, the master of the world, a friend of Christ, and an heir of heaven.
—Thomas á Kempis

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat…We must find each other."
Mother Theresa

Til the church starts to make a difference to the hurting, the wounded, the rejected, unwanted and unloved, the dying, the people forgotten and overlooked by society instead of increasing the hurt and wounds of such, she is never going to be taken seriously as it goes against all the teachings of Christ–to an unbelieving world, believers who behave such like make Christ and the Bible look like a lie, so it will never make a difference where that attitude reigns, and will do anything but glorify God. Till she becomes a solution to rather than an adding to the problem, people are always going to be hurting and suffering. Sadly even in Christendom this does happen, I know up close and personal and will be counting the cost till I die. It's not all-prevailing, thankfully, but it is TOO prevalent.

Are there not many good, commendable, and imitable things in the Godly, which are not to be found in others? Why should all these be quite overlooked and passed by, and a few failings in all, or more gross faults in some of the Godly, be only taken notice of, and narrowly observed, and more exaggerated in them,then these same, or grosser ones in others are,who yet are quite destitute of those many other good things which the Godly have? Sure this is not fair nor equal dealing; It’s very like the disposition of a sort of Insects, that can flee over the whole of a meadow full of fragrant sweet-smelling and pleasant flowers, and sit down upon, and suck a little dung in it.
From the Epistle to the Reader in James Durham's, The Great Gain of Contenting Godliness