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[Even] the sense of their own sinfulness will be overruled for the good of the godly. Thus our own sins shall work for good. This must be understood warily, when I say the sins of the godly work for good — NOT THAT THERE IS THE LEAST GOOD IN SIN. Sin is like poison, which corrupts the blood, infects the heart, and, without a sovereign antidote, brings death. Such is the venomous nature of sin, it is deadly and damning. Yet, God, by His mighty overruling power, makes sin in the issue turn to the good of his people. Hence, that golden saying of Augustine, “God would never permit evil, if He could not bring good out of evil.” The feeling sinfulness in the saints works for good several ways.

I. SIN MAKES THE CHRISTIAN WEARY OF THIS LIFE.

That sin is in the godly is sad, but that it is a burden is good. Paul’s afflictions were but a play to him, in comparison of his sin. He rejoiced in tribulation, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 7:4). But how did he weep and bemoan himself under his sins! “Who shall deliver me from the body of death?” (Rom. 7:24). A believer carries his sins as a prisoner his shackles; oh, how does he long for the day of release. This sense of sin is good.

II. THIS IN-BEING OF CORRUPTION MAKES THE SAINTS PRIZE CHRIST MORE.

He feels his sin, as a sick man feels his sickness, how welcome is Christ the physician to him! When Paul had cried out of a body of death, how thankful was he for Christ! “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 7:25). Christ’s blood saves from sin; it is our sacred ointment.

III. THIS SENSE OF SIN WORKS FOR GOOD, AS IT IS AN OCCASION OF PUTTING THE SOUL UPON SIX SPECIAL DUTIES:

1. A sense of sin puts the soul upon self-searching.

A child of God being conscious of sin, takes the candle and lantern of the Word, and searches into his heart. He desires to know the worst of himself; as a man who is diseased in body desires to know the worst of his disease. Though our joy lies in the knowledge of our graces, yet there is some benefit in the knowledge of our corruptions. Therefore Job prays, “Make me to know my transgressions” (Job 13:23).

It is good to know our sins, that we may not flatter ourselves, or take our condition to be better than it is. It is good to find out our sins, lest they find us out.

2. The inherence of sin puts a child of God upon self-abasing.

Sin is left in a godly man, as a cancer, or a hunch upon the back, to keep him from being proud. Gravel and dirt are good to ballast a ship, and keep it from overturning; the sense of sin helps to ballast the soul, that it be not overturned with vain glory.

We read of the “spots of God’s children” in Deuteronomy 3:5. When a godly man beholds himself in the glass of Scripture, and sees the spots of infidelity and hypocrisy, this makes the plumes of pride fall; they are humbling spots. It is a good use that may be made even of our sins, when they occasion low thoughts of ourselves. Better is that sin which humbles me, than that duty which makes me proud.

3. Sin puts a child of God on self-judging.

He passes a sentence upon himself; I am more brutish than any man (Prov. 30:12). It is dangerous to judge others, but it is good to judge ourselves, “If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Cor 11:31). When a man has judged himself, Satan is put out office. When he lays anything to a saint’s charge, he is able to retort and say, “It is true, Satan, I am guilty of these sins, but I have judged myself already for them; and having condemned myself in the lower court of conscience, God will acquit me in the upper court of heaven.”

4. Sin puts a child of God upon self-conflicting.

Our spiritual-self conflicts with our carnal-self, “The spirit lusts against tile flesh” (Gal. 5:17). Our life is a wayfaring life, and a warfaring life. There is a duel fought every day between the two seeds. A believer will not let sin have peaceable possession. If he cannot keep sin out, he will keep sin under; though he cannot quite overcome, yet he is overcoming, “To him that is overcoming” (Rev. 2:7).

5. Sin puts a child of God upon self-observing.

He knows sin is a bosom-traitor, therefore he carefully observes himself. A subtle heart needs a watchful eye. The heart is like a castle that is in danger every hour to be assaulted; this makes a child of God to be always a sentinel, and keep a guard about his heart. A believer has a strict eye over himself, lest he fall into any scandalous enormity, and so open a sluice to let all his comfort run out.

6. Sin puts the soul upon self-reforming.

A child of God not only finds out sin, but drives out sin. One foot he sets upon the neck of his sins, and the other foot he turns to God’s testimonies (Psalm 119:59).

Thus the sins of the godly work for good.

God makes the saints’ maladies their medicines. But let none abuse this doctrine. Do not say that sin works for good to an impenitent person. No, it works for his damnation, but it works for good to them that love God; and for you that are godly, I know you will not draw a wrong conclusion from this, either to make light of sin, or to make bold with sin. If you should do so, God will make it cost you dear. If any of God’s people should be tampering with sin, because God can turn it to good, though the Lord does not damn them, He may send them to hell in this life. He may put them into such bitter agonies and soul-convulsions, as may fill them flail of horror, and make them draw nigh to despair. Let this be a flaming sword to keep them from coming near the forbidden tree.

DO NOT THINK LIGHTLY OF SIN.

Edited and excerpted from All Things for Good.

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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[One aspect of peacemaking is leading others to peace with God. The following excerpt provides just such a reminder for all who desire to experience the blessedness of being “peacemakers.”– editor]

[The godly man] is not content to go heaven alone but wants to take others there. Spiders work only for themselves, but bees work for others. A godly man is both a diamond and a lodestone — a diamond for the sparkling luster of grace and a lodestone for his attractiveness. He is always drawing others to embrace piety. Living things have a propagating virtue. Where religion lives in the heart, there will be an endeavor to propagate the life of grace in those we converse with: “My son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds” (Philemon 10). Though God is the fountain of grace, yet the saints are pipes to transmit living streams to others. This great effort for the conversion of souls proceeds:

I. From the nature of godliness.

It is like fire which assimilates and turns everything into its own nature. Where there is the fire of grace in the heart, it will endeavor to inflame others. Grace is a holy leaven, which will be seasoning and leavening others with divine principles. Paul would gladly have converted Agrippa — how he courted him with rhetoric! “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest” (Acts 26:27). His zeal and eloquence had almost captivated the king (v. 28). Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

2. From a spirit of compassion.

Grace makes the heart tender. A godly man cannot choose but pity those who are in he gull of bitterness. lie sees what a deadly cup is brewing for the wicked. They must, without repentance, be bound over to God’s wrath. The fire which rained on Sodom was but a painted fire in comparison with hell fire. Now when a godly man sees captive sinners ready to be damned, he strives to convert them from the error of their way: “Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Cor. 5:11).

3. From the holy zeal he has for Christ’s glory.

The glory of Christ is as dear to him as his own salvation. Therefore, that this may be promoted, he strives with the greatest effort to bring souls to Christ. It is a glory to Christ when multitudes are born to him. Every star adds a luster to the sky; every convert is a member added to Christ’s body and a jewel adorning his crown. The more there are saved, the more Christ is exalted. Why else should the angels rejoice at the conversion of a sinner, but because Christ’s glory now shines the more (Luke 15:10)?

Uses:

1. If men loved Christ, they would try to draw as many as they could to him. He who loves his captain will persuade others to come under his banner. This unmasks the hypocrite. Though a hypocrite may make a show of grace himself, yet he never bothers to procure grace in others. He is without compassion. I may allude to the verse: “that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off” (Zech. 11:9). Let souls go to the devil, he cares not.

2. How far from being godly are those who, instead of striving for grace in others, work to destroy all hopeful beginnings of race in them! Instead of drawing them to Christ, they draw them from Christ. Their work is to poison and harm souls. This harming of souls occurs in three ways:

(i) By bad edicts. So Jeroboam made Israel sin (1 Kings 16:26). He forced them to idolatry.

(ii) By bad examples. Examples speak louder than precepts, but principally the examples of great men are influential. If great men move irregularly, others will follow them.

(iii) By bad company. The wicked are for ever setting snares and temptations before others, as the prophet speaks in another sense: “I set pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink” (Jer. 35:5). So the wicked set pots of wine before others and make them drink, till reason is stupefied and lust inflamed. These who make men proselytes to the devil are prodigiously wicked. How sad will be the doom of those who, besides their own sins, have the blood of others to answer for!

3. If it is the sign of a godly man to promote grace in others, then how much more ought he to promote it in his near relations.

A godly man will be careful that his children should know God. He would be sorry that any of his flesh should burn in hell. He labors to see Christ formed in those who are himself in another edition. Augustine says that his mother Monica travailed with greater care and pain for his spiritual than for his natural birth. The time of childhood is the fittest time to be sowing seed of religion in our children. “Whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts” (Isa. 28:9). The wax, while it is soft and tender, will take any impression. Children, while they are young, will fear a reproof; when they are old, they will hate it.

Use 2: Let all who have God’s name placed on them do what in them lies to advance piety in others. A knife touched with a lodestone will attract the needle. He whose heart is divinely touched with the lodestone of God’s Spirit will endeavor to attract those who are near him to Christ. The heathen could say, “We are not born for ourselves only.” A Christian must not move altogether within his own circle, but seek the welfare of others. To be diffusely good makes us resemble God, whose sacred influence is universal. And surely it will be no grief of heart when conscience can witness for us that we have brought glory to God in this matter by working to fill heaven.

Not that this is in any way meritorious, or has any causal influence on our salvation. Christ’s blood is the cause, but our promoting God’s glory in the conversion of others is a signal evidence of our salvation.

From The Godly Man’s Picture

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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(1) If it is not pure, we differ nothing from a Pharisaical purity.

The Pharisees holiness consisted chiefly in externals. Theirs was an outside purity. They never minded the inside of the heart. “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion,” and “Ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s hones” (Matthew 23:25, 27). The Pharisees were good only on the surface. They were whited over, not white. They were like a rotten post laid in vermilion color, like a fair chimney-piece gilded without, but within nothing but soot. We must go further. Be “pure in heart,” like the king’s daughter “all glorious within” (Psalm 45:13); else ours is but a Pharisaical purity; and Christ says, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

(2) It is the chief seat or place of God’s residence.

God dwells in the heart. He takes up the heart for his own lodging (Isaiah 57:15; Ephesians 3:17), therefore it must be pure and holy. A king’s palace must be kept from defilement, especially his presence-chamber. How holy ought that to be! If the body be the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19), the heart is the holy of holies. Oh, take heed of defiling the room where God is to come. Let that room be washed with holy tears.

(3) It is the heart that sanctifies all we do.

If the heart be holy, all is holy – our affections holy, our duties holy. “The altar sanctifieth the gift” (Matthew 23:59). The heart is the altar that sanctifies the offering. The Romans kept their springs from being poisoned. The heart is the spring of all our actions; let us keep this spring from poison. Be “pure in heart.”

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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“Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile” (John 1:47). The word for sincere, haplous, signifies “without pleats and folds.” A godly man is plainhearted, having no subtle subterfuges. Religion is the livery a godly man wears and this livery is lined with sincerity.

Question: In what does the godly man’s sincerity appear?

Answer 1: The godly man is what he seems to be. He is a Jew inwardly (Rom. 2:29). Grace runs through his heart, as silver through the veins of the earth. The hypocrite is not what he seems. A picture is like a man, but it lacks breath. The hypocrite is an effigy, a picture; he does not breathe forth sanctity. He is only like an angel on a signpost. A godly man answers to his profession as the transcript to the original.

Answer 2: The godly man strives to approve himself to God in everything: “We labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him” (2 Cor. 5:9). It is better to have God approve than the world applaud. Those who ran in the Olympic race strove to have the approval of the judge and umpire of the race. There is a time coming shortly, when a smile from God’s face will be infinitely better than all the applause of men. How sweet that word will be, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). The hypocrite desires the praise of men. Saul was for the approval of the people (I Sam. 15:30). A godly man approves his heart to God, who is both spectator and judge.

Answer 3: The godly man is ingenuous in laying open his sins: “I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid” (Psa. 32:5). The hypocrite veils and smothers his sin. He does not cut off his sin but conceals it. Like a patient that has some loathsome disease in his body, he will rather die than confess his disease. But a godly man’s sincerity is seen in this: he will confess and shame himself for sin: “Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly” (2 Sam. 24:17). A child of God will confess sin in particular. An unsound Christian will confess sin wholesale, he will acknowledge he is a sinner in general, whereas David points his finger to the sore: “I have done this evil” (Psa. 51:4). He does not say, “I have done evil”, but “this evil.”

Answer 4: The godly man has blessed designs in all he does. He propounds this objective in every ordinance–that he may have more acquaintance with God and bring more glory to God. As the herb heliotropium turns about according to the motion of the sun, so a godly man’s actions all move towards the glory of God. A godly man’s praying and worshipping is so that he may honor God. The hypocrite thinks of nothing but self-interest; the sails of his mill move only when the wind of promotion blows. He never dives into the waters of the sanctuary except to fetch up apiece of gold from the bottom.

Answer 5: The godly man abhors dissimulation with men; his heart goes along with his tongue; he cannot flatter and hate, commend and censure (Psa. 28:3). “Let love be without dissimulation” (Rom. 12:9). Dissembled love is worse than hatred; counterfeiting of friendship is no better than a lie (Psa. 78:36), for there is a pretense of that which is not. Many are like Joab: “He took Amasa by the beard to kiss him and smote him with his sword in the fifth rib, and he died” (2 Sam. 20:9,10). “Horrible poisons lie hidden under sweet honey.”

There is a river in Spain where the fish seem to be of a golden color but take them out of the water and they are like other fish. All is not gold that glitters; there are some who pretend much kindness, but they are like great veins which have little blood. If you lean upon them, they are like a leg out of joint. For my part I seriously question a man’s sincerity with God, if he flatters and lies to his friend. “He that hideth hatred with lying lips is a fool” (Prov. 10:18). By all that has been said, we may test whether we have this mark of a godly man–being sincere.

Sincerity (as I conceive it) is not strictly a grace but rather the ingredient in every grace. Sincerity is that which qualifies grace and without which grace is not true: “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity”(Eph. 6:24). Sincerity qualifies our love; sincerity is to grace what the blood and spirits are to the body. There can be no life without the blood, so no grace without sincerity.

Use: As we would be reputed godly, let us strive for this characteristic of sincerity.

1. Sincerity renders us lovely in God’s eyes. God says of the sincere soul, as of Zion, “This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it” (Psa. 132:14). A sincere heart is God’s paradise of delight. “Noah found grace in God’s eyes.” Why, what did God see in Noah? He was girt with the girdle of sincerity (Gen. 6:9). Noah was perfect in his generation. Truth resembles God and, when God sees a sincere heart, he sees his own image, and he cannot choose but fall in love with it: “He that is upright in his way is God’s delight” (Prov. 11:20).

2. Sincerity makes our services find acceptance with God. The church of Philadelphia had only “a little strength;” her grace was weak, her services slender; yet of all the churches Christ wrote to, he found the least fault with her. What was the reason? Because she was most sincere: “Thou hast kept fast my word, and hast not denied my name (Rev. 3:8). Though we cannot pay God all we owe, yet a little in current coin is accepted. God takes sincerity for full payment. A little gold, though rusty, is better than alchemy, be it never so bright. A little sincerity though rusted over with many infirmities, is of more value with God than all the glorious flourishes of hypocrites.

3. Sincerity is our safety. False hearts that will step out of God’s way and use carnal policy, when they think they are most safe, are least secure. “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely” (Prov. 10:9). A sincere Christian will do nothing but what the Word warrants, and that is safe, as to the conscience. The Lord takes care of the outward safety of the upright in their way: “I laid me down and slept” (Psa. 3:5). David was now beleaguered by enemies, yet God so encamped about him by his providence that he could sleep as securely as in a garrison: “The Lord sustained me.” The only way to be safe is to be sincere.

4. Sincerity is gospel perfection: “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man?” (Job 1:8). Though a Christian is full of infirmities and, like a child that is put out to nurse, weak and feeble, God still looks on him as if he were completely righteous.

5. Sincerity is what the devil attacks most. Satan’s spite was not so much at Job’s estate, as his integrity; he would have wrested the shield of sincerity from him, but Job held that fast (Job 27:6). A thief does not fight for an empty purse, but for money. The devil would have robbed Job of the jewel of a good conscience, and then he would have been poor Job indeed. Satan does not oppose profession, but sincerity. Let men go to church and make glorious pretenses of holiness. Satan does not oppose this; this does him no hurt and them no good; but if men want to be sincerely pious, then Satan musters up all his forces against them. Now what the devil most assaults, we must strive most to maintain. Sincerity is our fort royal, where our chief treasure lies. This fort is most shot at, therefore let us be more careful to preserve it. While a man keeps his castle, his castle will keep him. While we keep sincerity, sincerity will keep us.

6. Sincerity is the beauty of a Christian. Wherein does the beauty of a diamond lie, but in this, that it is a true diamond? If it is counterfeit, it is worth nothing. So wherein does the beauty of a Christian lie, but in this, that he has truth in the inward parts (Psa. 51:6)? Sincerity is a Christian’s ensign of glory; it is both his breastplate to defend him and his crown to adorn him.

7. The vileness of hypocrisy. The Lord would have no leaven offered up in sacrifice; leaven typified hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). The hypocrite does the devil double service; under the visor of piety, he can sin more and be less suspected: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers” (Matt. 23:14). Who would think that those who pray for so many hours on end would be guilty of extortion? Who would suspect of false weights the man who has the Bible so often in his hand? Who would think that the one who seems to fear an oath would slander? Hypocrites are the worst sort of sinners; they reflect infinite dishonor upon religion. Hypocrisy for the most part ends in scandal, and that brings an evil report on the ways of God. One man breaking in renders the honest suspect. One scandalous hypocrite makes the world suspect that all professing Christians are like him. The hypocrite was born to spite religion and bring it into disrepute. The hypocrite is a liar; he worships God with his knee, and his passions with his heart, like those who “feared the Lord, and served their own gods” (2 Kings 17:33). The hypocrite is an impudent sinner. He knows his heart is false, yet he goes on. All the plagues and curses written in the Book of God are the hypocrite’s portion; hell is his place of rendezvous (Mart. 24:51). Hypocrites are the chief guests the devil expects and he will make them as welcome as fire and brimstone can make them.

8. If the heart is sincere, God will wink at many failings: “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob” (Num. 23:21). God’s love does not make him blind; he can see infirmities. But how? Not with an eye of revenge, but pity, as a physician sees a disease in his patient so as to heal him. God does not see iniquity in Jacob so as to destroy him, but to heal him: “I have seen his ways, and will heal him” (Isa. 57:17,18). How much pride, vanity, passion, does the Lord pass by in his sincere ones! He sees the integrity, and pardons the infirmity. How much God overlooked in Asa! The “high places were not removed,” yet it is said, “The heart of Asa was perfect all his day” (2 Chron. 15:17). We esteem a picture, though it is not drawn full length. So though the graces of God’s people are not drawn to their full length–no, have many scars and spots–yet having something of God in sincerity, they shall find mercy. God loves the sincere and it is the nature of love to cover infirmity.

9. Nothing but sincerity will give us comfort in an hour of trouble. King Hezekiah thought he was dying, yet this revived him, that conscience drew up a certificate for him: “Remember, 0 Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth . . .” (Isa. 38:3). Sincerity was the best flower in his crown. What a golden shield this will be against Satan! When he roars at us by his temptations, and sets our sins before us on our death-bed, then we shall answer, “It is true, Satan; these have been our misdeeds, but we have bewailed them; if we have sinned, it was against the bent and purpose of our heart.” This will stop the devil’s mouth and make him retreat; therefore strive for this jewel of sincerity. “If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God” (1 John 3:21). If we are cleared at the petty sessions in our conscience, then we may be confident we shall be acquitted at the great assizes on the day of judgment.

From The Godly Man’s Picture: Drawn with a Scripture Pencil

The current formatting and editing is copyrighted by Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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He who loves God desires His presence. Lovers cannot be long apart, they soon have fainting fits, for want of a sight of the object of their love. A soul deeply in love with God desires the enjoyment of Him in His ordinances, in word, in prayer, and sacraments. David was ready to faint away and die when he had not a sight of God. “My soul fainteth for God” (Psalm 84:2).

He who loves God does not love sin. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil” (Psalm 97:10). The love of God, and the love of sin, can no more mix together than iron and clay. Every sin loved, strikes at the being of God; but he who loves God, has a hatred of sin. He who would part two lovers is a hateful person. God and the believing soul are two lovers; sin parts between them, therefore the soul is implacably set against it. By this try your love for God. How could Delilah say she loved Samson, when she entertained correspondence with the Philistines, who were his mortal enemy?

He who loves God is not much in love with anything else. His love is very cool to worldly things. His love to God moves swiftly, as the sun in the firmament; to the world it moves slowly, as the sun on the dial. The love of the world eats the heart out of religion; it chokes good affections, as earth put out fire. The world was a dead thing to Paul. “I am crucified to the world, and the world is crucified to me” (Gal. 6:14).

He who loves God cannot live without Him. Things we love we cannot be without. A man can do without music or flowers, but not food; so a soul deeply in love with God looks upon himself as undone without Him. “Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like them who go down into the pit” (Psalm 143:7)…. Alas! how do they show they have no love to God who can do well enough without Him! Let them have corn and oil, and you shall never hear them complain of the lack of God.

He who loves God will be at any pains to get Him. What pains the merchant takes, what hazards he runs, to have a rich return from the Indies! Jacob loved Rachel, and he could endure the heat by day, and the frost by night, that he might enjoy her. A soul that loves God will take any pains for the fruition of Him…. “I sought him whom my soul loveth” (Song of Sol. 3:2). How can they say they love God, who are not industrious in the use of means to obtain Him?

He who loves God prefers Him before estate and life. (1) Before estate — “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things” (Phil. 3:8). Who that loves a rich jewel would not part with a flower for it? (2) Before life — “They loved not their lives to the death” (Rev. 12:11). Love to God carries the soul above the love and the fear of death.

He who loves God loves His favorites, the saints (I John 5:1). To love a man for his grace and the more we see of God in him, the more we love him, that is an infallible sign of love to God. The wicked pretend to love God, but hate and persecute His image…. Can it be imagined that he loves God who hates His children because they are like God?

If we love God we cannot but be fearful of dishonoring him, as the more a child loves his father the more he is afraid to displease him, and we weep and mourn when we have offended him…. That Peter should deny Christ after he had received such signal tokens of His love, this broke his heart with grief. “He wept bitterly.” Are our eyes dropping tears of grief for sin against God? It is blessed evidence of our love to God; and such shall find mercy. “He shows mercy to thousands of them that love Him.”

Use. Let us be lovers of God. We love our food and shall we not love Him that gives it? All the joy we hope for in heaven is in God; and shall not He who shall be our joy then, be our love now? It is a saying of Augustine,…. “I would hate my own soul if I did not find it loving God.”

Excerpted from A Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson (1692)

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