Directions against covetousness—THREE: (9.) Consider the dreadful effects of the love of riches. It is a most certain sign of a state of death and misery. It is the departing of the heart from God to...  Read More

Directions against covetousness—Two: (4.) Consider the life of Christ and how he condemned worldliness by his example. He did not choose to be a prince, to have great possessions, lands, money, and b...  Read More

Directions against covetousness—ONE: (1.) Remember how short a time you have to enjoy the wealth you have accumulated. How quickly are you stripped of all! The world is just an inn or passage, and lif...  Read More

Do not lose any measure of the comfort that is found in the sweet privilege that whatsoever is in God is mine. If I am in a perplexed condition, his wisdom is mine; if in great danger, his power is m...  Read More

The greatest trial of trust is in our last encounter with death, where we will find not only a deprivation of all comforts in this life, but a confluence of all ill at once. But we must know that God...  Read More

For our better encouragement in these sad times, and to help our trust in God, we should often call to mind the former experiences, which either ourselves or others have had of God's goodness, and ma...  Read More

For the better settling of our trust in God, a further discovery is necessary than of the nature and providence of God; for though the nature of God is written in the book of creation in such great l...  Read More

Nothing should displease us that pleases God, and neither should anything be pleasing to us that displeases him. This conformity is the ground of comfort. 'If we acknowledge God in all our ways, he w...  Read More

God's ways seem often to us full of contradictions because his course is to bring things to pass by contrary means. There is a mystery not only in God's decree concerning man's eternal state, but lik...  Read More

Though man has a freedom in working, and of all men the hearts of kings are most free, yet even these are guided by an overruling power (Prov. 21:1), as the rivers of water are carried in their chann...  Read More

The consideration of God's continual providence is a great stay to our faith. It is good to know that God's providence is extended as far as his creation. Every creature, in every element and place r...  Read More

(8) David  does not only resolve to turn to God, but presently takes up his soul before it strayed too far from God. The further and the longer the soul wanders from God, the more it entangles itself...  Read More

(7) We should therefore labour to bring our souls to a firm and peremptory resolution, and not remain wavering, as if it were equally balanced between God and other things. We must enforce our souls....  Read More

(5) Observe further, that distrust is the cause of all disquiet. The soul allows itself by something here below to be drawn away from God but can find no rest until it returns to him. It is God's mer...  Read More

(3) When the soul finds no rest the Spirit of God awakens the soul and keeps it in the holy pursuit of stirring up the grace of faith to its proper function. It is not so much the having of grace, as...  Read More

What if neither the words of others nor the rebuke of our own hearts, will quiet the soul? Is there no other remedy left? That is when we must look up to God, the father and fountain of comfort. It i...  Read More

Some will show a great deal of humanity in comforting others, but little Christianity; for as kind men they will utter some cheerful words, but as Christians they lack wisdom from above to speak a gr...  Read More

It is a course that will have a blessing attending it, for friends to join in league, one to watch over another, and observe each other's ways. It is a usual course for Christians to join together in...  Read More

It is best to prevent, as much as in us is possible, the very first risings of sinful passions, before the soul be overcast. Passions are but little motions at first, but grow as rivers do, greater a...  Read More

God, when he will humble a man, need not fetch forces from without. If he but let our own hearts loose, we will have trouble enough. If there were no enemy in the world, nor devil in hell, we carry e...  Read More

Here is the life of a Christian in this world. (1) He is in great danger if he be not troubled at all. (2) When he is troubled, he is in danger to be over-troubled. (3) When he has brought his soul i...  Read More

When grieving for our sin becomes too much. (1) Excessive grieving for our sin is wrong when it takes the soul from minding what it should and distracts us from the duties of our callings. Christ upo...  Read More

No man is hurt but by himself first. We are drawn to evil and allured from a true good to a false by our own lusts; 'God tempts no man' (James 1:13). Satan has no power over us further than we willin...  Read More

We see here how to frame our complaints. David complains not of God, nor of his troubles, nor of others, but of his own soul; he complains of himself to himself. As if he said, 'Though all other thin...  Read More