A GREAT MIRACLE.
For Luther a poor friar to stand so stoutly against the pope was a great miracle; but that he should prevail against the pope as he did was greater; and that after all he should die in his bed, notwithstanding all the enemies he had, and the several designs they had to have destroyed him was the greatest of all. For all that the pope or the devil could do, Luther when he had finished his testimony died in his bed. Oh! why should any Christian be unwilling to die, seeing he shall not die till his work be done, till his testimony be finished?
EZEKIEL 1: 28.
Augustine, asking the question what God is? gives this answer; Surely it is He, who when He is spoken of cannot be spoken of, who when considered cannot be considered, when He is compared to any thing cannot be compared, when He is defined, groweth greater by defining. It is observable that it was not the Lord the prophet Ezekiel saw, it was only a vision. In the vision it was not the glory of the Lord which he saw, but the likeness of it; nay it was not the likeness, but the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, that made him to fall on his face, as not being able to behold it. Sin hath so weakened, dazzled and darkened the eye of our souls, that we cannot bear the sight of the glory of the Lord, nor the likeness of it, no! nor the appearance of the likeness of it.
SATAN is a lion,
not a lamb; a roaring lion, not a sleeping lion, not a lion standing still, but a lion going up and down. As not being contented with the many millions of souls he hath ‘he seeks whom he may sip up at a draught’ as the word in 1 Peter 5: 8 imports; his greatest design is to fill Hell with souls; which should awaken every one to be active, and to do all that may be done to prevent his design, and to help forward the salvation of souls.
SILENCE UNDER TROUBLES.
It was the saying of one that an excellent memory was needful for three sorts of men. First, for tradesmen; for they having much business to do, many reckonings to make up, many irons in the fire, had need of a good memory. Secondly, great talkers, for they being full of words, had need to have a good storehouse in their heads to feed their tongues. Thirdly, for liars telling many untruths, lest they be taken in their contradictions. I may add fourthly — those that are afflicted, that they may remember the great good, gained by former afflictions, and be silent under present troubles.
AFFLICTIONS
When Tiribazus, a noble Persian was arrested, he drew out his sword and defended himself, but when they told him that they came to carry him to the king he willingly yielded. So though a saint may at first stand a little out, yet when he remembers that afflictions are to carry him nearer to God, he yields and kisses the rod. Afflictions are like the prick at the nightingale’s breast that awakes her and puts her to her sweet and delightful singing.
Again afflictions serve to revive and recover decayed graces. They inflame the love that is cold and quicken the faith that is decaying, and put life into those hopes that are withering, and spirit into joys and comforts that are languishing. He that escapes reprehension may suspect his adoption. God had one Son without corruption but no son without correction.
HUMILITY
will keep the soul free from many darts of Satan’s casting, and snares of his spreading. As low trees and shrubs are free from many gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the taller trees, so humble souls are free from those gusts and blasts of error that rend and tear proud lofty souls. Satan and the world have less power to fasten errors upon humble souls. The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble. Certainly souls guided and taught by God are not easily drawn aside into error.
CHAFFING OF DECAYED GRACES.
I have read a story of a sexton that went into the church at night to rob a *woman who had been buried the day before with a gold ring upon her finger. Now when he had opened the grave and coffin and loosed the sheet he fell a rubbing and chafing her finger to get off the ring, and with rubbing and chafing, she having been but in a swoon before, revived and lived many years after. Smart afflictions are but the rubbing and chafing of our own graces.
* The woman was Mrs Henry Erskine.
CONSTANTINE
commanded that his effigies should be engraven, not as other emperors in their armour leaning, but as in a posture of prayer kneeling, to manifest to the world that he won more by secret prayer than by open battles.