Refreshment for the Savior's Flock Through Bible Verses/Part 3

by: James Smith, 1871

Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation!" Matthew 26:41

We are always exposed to temptation from Satan, the world, and our own lusts; consequently, we should always watch and pray.

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way in which you shall go!" Psalm 32:8

Sinful human nature is prone to choose and prefer the wrong way; divine teaching is necessary to lead and keep us right.

"What is your life? It is even a vapor!" James 4:14

We are not sufficiently affected with the brevity of life! If we were, our thoughts, desires, and hopes would be more taken up with eternal things.

My days are shorter than a span:
A little point, my life appears;
How frail, at best, is dying man!
How vain are all His hopes and fears!

 

"He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all those who believe!" 2 Thessalonians 1:10

When Jesus comes, His people will be collected, perfected, and glorified! Each will resemble Him, and reflect His glory forever!

O glorious hour! O blessed abode!
I shall be near and like my God!
And flesh and sin no more control,
The sacred pleasures of the soul!

"When he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him!" James 1:12

The present is the time of toil and trial — the time of rest and triumph is before us; let us look forward whenever downcast.

Then why, my soul, complain or fear?
The crown of glory see!
The more I toil and suffer here —
The sweeter rest will be!

 

"Who is like You among the gods, O Lord — glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders!" Exodus 15:11

Our God is incomparable! The more we contemplate His glories — the more humble, resigned, and devoted we shall be!

 

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

In our present sinful state, we must daily bear and forbear with each other — and forgive as we hope to be forgiven.

I hope for pardon, through Your Son,
For all the crimes which I have done;
Oh, may the grace that pardons me,
Constrain me to forgive like Thee!

 

"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." Galatians 5:17

Every Christian has two distinct and opposite principles within Him — and these are always in a state of conflict!

 

"Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart!" Hebrews 12:3

Our thoughts should be daily directed to Jesus — and we should dwell upon all that He said, and did, and suffered for us.

My soul rejoices to pursue,
The steps of Him I love;
Until glory breaks upon my view.
In brighter worlds above!

"Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path!" Psalm 119:105

The Word of God is for daily use. But in seasons of darkness and sorrow — we learn its value, and prize its contents!

Oh, may these heavenly pages be,
My ever dear delight;
And still new beauties may I see,
And still increasing light!
 

"Father, forgive them — for they know not what they do!" Luke 23:34

If Jesus prayed for His enemies when they were putting Him to death — much more will He plead for His redeemed children who are seeking to promote His glory!

Hark, how He prays! The charming sound
Dwells on His dying lips, "Forgive!"And every groan and gaping wound
Cries, "Father, let the rebels live!"

 

"I have called you friends!" John 15:15

To be the friend of Jesus is the highest honor we can enjoy! And yet, as poor and depraved as we are — this honor is ours!

He calls a worm, His friend!
He calls Himself, my God!
And He shall save me to the end,
Through His own precious blood!

 

"The Word of our God shall stand forever!" Isaiah 40:8

The Word of God is like His nature — unchangeable. We cannot believe it too confidently, nor trust it too firmly.

May this blessed volume ever lie,
Close to my heart — and near my eye,
Until life's last hour my soul engage,
And be my chosen heritage!

 

"Hold me up — and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117

The Christian is always dependent on His God. And the more He is sanctified — the more He feels His dependence, and prays for divine keeping.

Grace will complete what grace begins,
To save from sorrows and from sins;
The work that wisdom undertakes
Eternal mercy ne'er forsakes!

 

"He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness!" Isaiah 61:10

Sin has stripped us naked, and exposed us to shame!

Grace clothes us, and introduces us to glory!

This spotless robe the same appears
When ruined nature sinks in years:
No age can change its glorious hue;
The robe of Christ is ever new!

"Any of you who does not give up everything he has, cannot be my disciple!" Luke 14:33

Every Christian must have the spirit of a martyr — and be ready to give up everything, if Jesus calls for it.

 

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart." Psalm 27:14

In waiting on the Lord we . . .
gain strength,
obtain grace, and
secure deliverance from all our foes and fears!

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young." Isaiah 40:11

Jesus takes particular care of all His weak and feeble people.

Jesus, Shepherd of Your sheep,
Gather me within Your arms;
Safely in Your bosom keep,
Free from dangers and alarms!

  

"Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 8:39

The love of God was fixed upon His people in Jesus before the world was — and none of the circumstances of time can remove it!

Things future, nor things that are now,
Not all things below or above;
Can make Him His purpose forego,
Or sever my soul from His love!

 

"My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!" Philippians 4:19

The Lord's favor to His people is free, infinite, and fruitful! From it flows every temporal and spiritual good.

Their daily needs His hands supply,
Their steps He guards with watchful eye;
Leads them from earth to Heaven above,
And crowns them with eternal love!

 

"Strengthen me according unto Your Word!" Psalm 119:28

The Lord has promised us strength,
our duties and trials teach us our need of it,
and in answer to prayer we receive it!

Pity my frailty, dearest Lord;
Grace in the needful hour afford:
O steel this timorous heart of mine
With fortitude and love divine!

WHY Must We Glorify God?— Part 5

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Excerpts from the book by Thomas Watson: Body of Divinity
[1] Because he gives us our being. "It is he who has made us." We think it a great kindness in a man to spare our life—but what kindness is it in God to give us our life! We draw our breath from him; and as life, so all the comforts of life are from him. He gives us health, which is the sauce to sweeten our life. He gives us food, which is the oil that nourishes the lamp of life. If all we receive is from his bounty, is it not reasonable we should glorify him? Should we not live to him, seeing we live by him? "For of him, and through him, are all things." All we have, is of his fullness, all we have is through his free grace; and therefore to him should be all. It follows, therefore, "To him be glory forever!" God is not our only benefactor—but our founder, just as rivers which come from the sea empty their silver streams into the sea again.

[2] Because God has made all things for his own glory. "The Lord has made all things for himself:" that is, "for his glory." As a king has tax out of commodities, so God will have glory out of everything. He will have glory out of the wicked. If they will not give him glory, he will get glory upon them. "I will gain glory through Pharaoh." But especially has he made the godly for his glory; they are the lively organs of his praise. "This people have I formed for myself, and they shall show forth my praise." It is true, they cannot add to his glory—but they may exalt it; they cannot raise him in heaven—but they may raise him in the esteem of others here on earth. God has adopted the saints into his family, and made them a royal priesthood, that they should show forth the praise of him who has called them. I Pet 2:2.

[3] Because the glory of God has intrinsic value and excellence; it transcends the thoughts of men, and the tongues of angels. His glory is his treasure, all his riches lie here; as Micah said. "What have I more?" So, what has God more? God's glory is more worth than heaven, and more worth than the salvation of all men's souls. It would be better that kingdoms be thrown down, better men and angels be annihilated, than God should lose one jewel of his crown, one beam of his glory!

[4] Creatures below us, and above us, bring glory to God; and do we think to sit rent free? Shall everything glorify God but man? It is a pity then that man was ever made.

(1.) Creatures BELOW us glorify God, the inanimate creatures and the heavens glorify God. "The heavens declare the glory of God." The curious workmanship of heaven sets forth the glory of its Maker; the sky is beautified and pencilled out in blue and azure colors, where the power and wisdom of God may be clearly seen. "The heavens declare his glory:, we may see the glory of God blazing in the sun, and twinkling in the stars. Look into the air, the birds with their chirping music, sing hymns of praise to God. Every animal in its kind glorifies God. Isa 43:30. "The beast of the field shall honor me."

(2.) Creatures ABOVE us glorify God. "The angels are ministering spirits." They are still waiting on God's throne, and bring some revenues of glory into the treasury of heaven. Surely man should be much more studious of God's glory than the angels; for God has honored him more than the angels, in that Christ took man's nature upon him, and not the angels. Though, in regard of creation, God made man "a little lower than the angels," yet in regard of redemption, God has set him higher than the angels. He has married mankind to himself; the angels are Christ's friends, not his spouse. He has covered us with the purple robe of righteousness, which is a better righteousness than the angels have. If then the angels bring glory to God, much more should we, being dignified with honor above angelic spirits.

[5] We must bring glory to God, because all our hopes hang upon him. Psalm 39:9. "My hope is in you." "My expectation is from him." I expect a kingdom from him. A good child will honor his parent, by expecting all he needs from him. "All my springs are in you." The silver springs of grace, and the golden springs of glory—are in him!

Man's Chief End - Part 3

Thomas Watson
EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK "Body of Divinity"

Question 1. What is the chief end of man?

Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Here are two ends of life specified:

1. The glorifying of God.

2. The enjoying of God.

I. The GLORIFYING of God. "That God in all things may be glorified." The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. "Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Everything works to some end and purpose; now, man being a rational creature, must propose some end to himself, and that should be—that he may lift up God in the world. He had better lose his life than the end of his living. The great truth is asserted—is that the end and purpose of every man's living should be to glorify God. Glorifying God has respect to all the persons in the Trinity; it respects God the Father who gave us life; God the Son, who lost his life for us; and God the Holy Spirit, who produces a new life in us. We must bring glory to the whole Trinity.

When we speak of God's glory, the question will be asked, What are we to understand by God's glory? There is a twofold glory:

[1] The glory that God has in himself, his INTRINSIC glory. Glory is essential to the Godhead, as light is to the sun: he is called the "God of Glory." Glory is the sparkling of the Deity; it is so natural to the Godhead, that God cannot be God without it. The creature's honor is not essential to his being. A king is a man without his regal ornaments, when his crown and royal robes are taken away; but God's glory is such an essential part of his being—that he cannot be God without it. God's very life lies in his glory. This glory can receive no addition, because it is infinite; it is that which God is most tender of, and which he will not part with. "My glory I will not give to another." God will give temporal blessings to his children, such as wisdom, riches, honor; he will give them spiritual blessings, he will give them grace, he will give them his love, he will give them heaven; but his essential glory he will not give to another! King Pharaoh parted with a ring off his finger to Joseph, and a gold chain—but he would not part with his throne! "Only in the throne will I be greater than you." So God will do much for his people; he will give them the inheritance; he will put some of Christ's glory, as mediator, upon them; but his essential glory he will not part with; "in the throne he will be greater."

[2] The glory which is ascribed to God, or which his creatures labor to bring to him. "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name." "Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit." The glory we give God is nothing else but our lifting up his name in the world, and magnifying him in the eyes of others. "Christ shall be magnified in my body."

The Way for Christians to Be Settled—Is to be Well Grounded Part 2

By Watson 

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK: BODY OF DIVINITY

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The second proposition is, that the way for Christians to be settled—is to be well grounded. "If you continue grounded and settled." The Greek word for grounded is a metaphor which alludes to a building that has the foundation well laid. So Christians should be grounded in the essential points of true religion, and have their foundation well laid.

Here let me speak to two things:

[1] That we should be grounded in the knowledge of fundamentals. The apostle speaks of "the first principles of the oracles of God." In all arts and sciences, logic, physics, mathematics, there are some rules and principles which must necessarily be known for the practice of those arts; so, in divinity, there must be the first principles laid down. The knowledge of the grounds and principles of true religion is exceedingly useful.

(1.) Else we cannot serve God aright. We can never worship God acceptably, unless we worship him regularly; and how can we do that, if we are ignorant of the rules and elements of true religion? We are to give God a "reasonable service." If we understand not the grounds of true religion, how can it be a reasonable service?

(2.) Knowledge of the grounds of true religion much enriches the mind. It is a lamp to our feet; it directs us in the whole course of Christianity, as the eye directs the body. Knowledge of fundamentals, is the golden key which opens the chief mysteries of true religion; it gives us a whole system and body of divinity, exactly drawn in all its lineaments and lively colors; it helps us to understand many of those difficult things which occur in the reading of the word; it helps to untie many Scripture knots.

(3.) It furnishes us with unshakable armor; and weapons to fight against the adversaries of the truth.

(4.) It is the holy seed of which grace is formed. It is the seed of faith. Psalm 9:10. It is the root of love. "Being rooted and grounded in love." The knowledge of the fundamental principles conduces to the making of a complete Christian.

[2] This grounding is the best way to being settled: "grounded and settled." A tree, that it may be well settled, must be well rooted; so, if you would be well settled in true religion, you must be rooted in its principles. We read in Plutarch of one who set up a dead man, and he would not stand. "Oh," said he, "there must be something within." So, that we may stand in shaking times, there must be a principle of knowledge within; first grounded, and then settled. That the ship may be kept from overturning, it must have its anchor fastened. Knowledge of principles is to the soul—as the anchor to the ship, which holds it steady in the midst of the rolling waves of error, or the violent winds of persecution. First grounded and then settled.

Use one: See the reason why so many people are unsettled, ready to embrace every novel opinion, and dress themselves in as many religions as fashions; it is because they are ungrounded. See how the apostle joins these two together, "unlearned and unstable." Such as are unlearned in the main points of divinity, are unstable. As the body cannot be strong which has the sinews shrunk; so neither can that Christian be strong in true religion, who lacks the grounds of knowledge, which are the sinews to strengthen and establish him.

Use two: See what great necessity there is of laying down the main grounds of true religion in a way of catechizing, that the weakest judgement may be instructed in the knowledge of the truth, and strengthened in the love of it. Catechizing is the best expedient for the grounding and settling of people. I fear one reason why there has been no more good done by preaching, has been because the chief heads and articles in true religion have not been explained in a catechetical way. Catechizing is laying the foundation. To preach and not to catechize, is to build without foundation. This way of catechizing is not novel, it is apostolic. The primitive church had their forms of catechism, as those phrases imply, a "form of sound doctrine," and "the first principles of the oracles of God." God has given great success to catechizing. By thus laying down the grounds of true religion catechistically, Christians have been clearly instructed and wondrously built up in the Christian faith.

It is my design, therefore (with the blessing of God); to begin this work of catechizing the next Sabbath day; and I intend every other Sabbath, in the afternoon, to make it my whole work to lay down the grounds and fundamentals of true religion in a catechetical way. If I am hindered in this work by men, or taken away by death, I hope God will raise up some other laborer in the vineyard among you, who may perfect the work which I am now beginning