Sunday, March 4, 2012
Ephesians 4:31-32
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Daily Devotion
Now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. The Lord stood with me, and strengthened me.
Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Gen. 41:52. 2 Cor. 1:35. 1 Pet. 1:6,7. 2 Tim 4:17. 1 Pet. 4:19.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Ecclesiastes 7:3
Sorrow is better than laughter,.... Sorrow, expressed in the house of mourning, is better, more useful and commendable, than that foolish laughter, and those airs of levity, expressed in the house of feasting; or sorrow on account of affliction and troubles, even adversity itself, is oftentimes much more profitable, and conduces more to the good of men, than prosperity; or sorrow for sin, a godly sorrow, a sorrow after a godly sort, which works repentance unto salvation, that needeth not to be repented of, is to be preferred to all carnal mirth and jollity. It may be rendered, "anger is better than laughter" (h); which the Jews understand of the anger of God in correcting men for sin; which is much better than when he takes no notice of them, but suffers them to go on in sin, as if he was pleased with them; the Midrash gives instances of it in the generation of the flood and the Sodomites: and the Targum inclines to this sense,
"better is the anger, with which the Lord of that world is angry against the righteous in this world, than the laughter with which he derides the ungodly.''
Though it may be better, with others, to understand it of anger in them expressed against sin, in faithful though sharp rebukes for it; which, in the issue, is more beneficial than the flattery of such who encourage in it; see Proverbs 27:5;
for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better: when the sadness is not hypocritical, as in the Scribes and Pharisees, but serious and real, arising from proper reflections on things in the mind; whereby the heart is drawn off from vain, carnal, and sensual things; and is engaged in the contemplation of spiritual and heavenly ones, which is of great advantage to it: or by the severity of the countenance of a faithful friend, in correcting for faults, the heart is made better, which receives those corrections in love, and confesses its fault, and amends.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritūs Sancti
Monday, February 20, 2012
Christian Classics Library
He requires no great matters of us; a little
remembrance of Him from time to time, a little adoration: sometimes to
pray for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, and
sometimes to return Him thanks for the favours He has given you, and
still gives you, in the midst of your troubles, and to console yourself
with Him the oftenest you can. Lift up your heart to Him, sometimes
even at your meals, and when you are in company: the least little
remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. You need not cry very
loud; He is nearer to us than we are aware of.
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Prescense of God
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Conversations and Letters of Brother Lawrence
an excerpt from:
PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD THE BEST RULE OF A HOLY LIFE
Such was my beginning; and yet I must tell you, that for the first ten
years I suffered much: the apprehension that I was not devoted to GOD,
as I wished to be, my past sins always present to my mind, and the great
unmerited favours which GOD did me, were he matter and source of my
sufferings. During this time I fell often, and rose again presently.
It seemed to me that the creatures, reason, and GOD Himself were against
me; And faith alone for me. I was troubled sometimes with thoughts,
that to believe I had received such favours was an effect of my
presumption, which pretended to be at once where others arrive with
difficulty; at other times that it was a wilful delusion, and that
there was no salvation for me.
When I thought of nothing but to end my days in these troubles (which
did not at all diminish the trust I had in GOD, and which served only to
increase my faith), I found myself changed all at once; and my soul,
which till that time was in trouble, felt a profound inward peace, as if
she were in her centre and place of rest.
Ever since that time I walk before GOD simply, in faith, with humility
and with love; and I apply myself diligently to do nothing and think
nothing which may displease Him. I hope that when I have done what I
can, He will do with me what He pleases.
As for what passes in me at present, I cannot express it. I have no
pain or difficulty about my state, because I have no will but that of
GOD, which I endeavour to accomplish in all things, and to which I am so
resigned, that I would not take up a straw from the ground against His
order, or from any other motive but purely that of love to Him.
I have quitted all forms of devotion and set prayers but those to which
my state obliges me. And I make it my business only to persevere in His
holy presence, wherein I keep myself by a simple attention, and a
general fond regard to GOD, which I may call an actual presence of GOD;
or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the
soul with GOD, which often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly, and
sometimes also outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to
moderate them, and prevent their appearance to others.
In short, I am assured beyond all doubt, that my soul has been with GOD
above these thirty years. I pass over many things, that I may not be
tedious to you, yet I think it proper to inform you after what manner I
consider myself before GOD, whom I behold as my King.
I consider myself as the most wretched of men, full of sores and
corruption, and who has committed all sorts of crimes against his King;
touched with a sensible regret I confess to Him all my wickedness, I ask
His forgiveness, I abandon myself in His hands, that He may do what He
pleases with me. This King, full of mercy and goodness, very far from
chastising me, embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves
me with His own hands, gives me the key of His treasures; He converses
and delights Himself with me incessantly, in a thousand and a thousand
ways, and treats me in all respects as His favourite. It is thus I
consider myself from time to time in His holy presence.
My most usual method is this simple attention, and such a general
passionate regard to GOD; to whom I find myself often attached with
greater sweetness and delight than that of an infant at the mother's
breast: so that if I dare use the expression, I should choose to call
this state the bosom of GOD, for the inexpressible sweetness which I
taste and experience there. If sometimes my thoughts wander from it by
necessity or infirmity, I am presently recalled by inward motions, so
charming and delicious that I am ashamed to mention them.
I desire your reverence to reflect rather upon my great wretchedness, of
which you are fully informed, than upon the great favours which GOD does
me, all unworthy and ungrateful as I am.