Grace Gems

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A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct--but a man of understanding delights in wisdom." Proverbs 10:23

"A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct!" That man has arrived at an advanced stage of folly, who takes as much pleasure in evil conduct, as if it were an agreeable amusement. But it would be far safer to sport with fire, than with sin--which kindles a fire that will burn to the lowest Hell! It may now be a sport to do evil--but in the lake of fire and brimstone, it will be no sport to have done it!

"But a man of understanding delights in wisdom." And therefore it is impossible that he should be so infatuated with sin. He is deeply sensible of the misery and ruin that is in sin. His delight is in holiness--and in the exercises of holiness, he experiences that heartfelt pleasure, which the sweetest sins could never afford!

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For one sin!

(Arthur Pink, "The Godhood of God")

The God of Scripture is infinite in Holiness. The "only true God" is He who hates sin with a perfect abhorrence, and whose nature eternally burns against it.

He is the One who beheld the wickedness of the antediluvians, and who opened the windows of Heaven and poured down the flood of His righteous indignation!

He is the One who rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and utterly destroyed these cities of the plain!

He is the One who sent the plagues upon Egypt, and destroyed her haughty monarch together with his hosts at the Red Sea!

He is the One who caused the earth to open its mouth and swallow alive Korah and his rebellious company!

Yes, He is the One who "spared not His own Son" when He was "made sin for us--that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

So holy is God, and such is the antagonism of His nature against evil, that . . .
  for one sin, He banished our first parents from Eden;
  for one sin, He cursed the posterity of Ham;
  for one sin, He turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt;
  for one sin, He sent out fire and devoured the sons of Aaron;
  for one sin, Moses died in the wilderness;
  for one sin, Achan and his family were all stoned to death;
  for one sin, the servant of Elisha was smitten with leprosy!

And this is the God that every Christ-rejector has yet to meet in judgment!

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The best name by which we can think of God!

(Martin Luther)

"This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in Heaven . . . " Matthew 6:9

The best name by which we can think of God is Father. It is a loving, deep, sweet, heart-touching name, for the name of Father is in its nature, full of inborn sweetness and comfort.

Therefore, also, we must confess ourselves to be His children--for by this name we deeply touch our God, since there is not a sweeter sound to the father than the voice of the child.

"He shall cry to Me: You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!" Psalm 89:26

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Such hopes are highly pleasing to the devil!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes!" Proverbs 11:7

Men derive almost the whole of their happiness from the hope of some future good.

Wicked men may indulge themselves in hopes of eternal happiness also. Such hopes are highly pleasing to the devil, who keeps his slaves quiet by means of them, until they are brought into the same hopeless condition with himself! Thus the life of a wicked man is spent in vain wishes, and toils, and hopes--until death kills at once his body, his hope, and his happiness!

Does the wicked man expect Heaven? How terrible will be the punishment of his presumptuous hopes, when he shall be hurled down headlong into the depths of eternal despair!

"But the hopes of the wicked come to nothing!" Proverbs 10:28

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A virtuous woman!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"A virtuous woman is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like rottenness in his bones." Proverbs 12:4

A virtuous woman . . .
  fears the Lord,
  reverences her husband,
  manages her house with prudence and care,
  behaves charitably to the poor, and kindly to all.

To what should we compare such a woman? Should we compare her to a bracelet, or say that she is a necklace of gold to her husband? Such comparisons would be quite below her worth. She makes him as happy as a king, and procures him such respect and honor, that she deserves to be compared to that royal ornament that encircles the head of Majesty. She is to her husband, a crown enriched with those lovely virtues, which shine with more radiant luster than diamonds! She is health to her husband's bones, for the sight of her amiable behavior, and the pleasure of her society, inspires him with that habitual cheerfulness which does good like a medicine.

But the woman who lacks virtue disgraces her husband, and is as rottenness in his bones.
Her peevish temper or her passionate behavior,
her extravagant expenses or her sordid avarice,
the levity of her speech or the scandal of her vices--
make him the object of pity or scorn when he is abroad, and fill him with anguish at home. She is not a help--but a torment to him. A man may get out of a fever in a few weeks--but the misery of this living disease is that it will prey upon a man's bones and spirits, until the death of one of the married parties brings relief.

Let wives consider seriously, whether they wish for happiness and honor to their husbands--or misery and disgrace; and whether it is better for themselves to prove helpers to the joy, and crowns to the head of their husbands--or living plagues to them, and fires to consume their vitals!

Let husbands give honor to their wives, and encourage them in virtue, by their kindness and approbation. What tender love does Christ show to those whom He is pleased to betroth to Himself in loving-kindness! So ought husbands to love their wives.

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The great clock of eternity has only just begun to tick!

(George Everard, "Bright and Fair! A Book for Young Ladies" 1882)

Life is great beyond all expression, because eternity is inseparably linked to it.

If the comfort and happiness of the rest of your life depended upon the use of one day or one hour--you would be very careful to use it aright! But infinitely greater is the disproportion between our little day of life here--and the vast eternity that follows. Yet upon the one, hangs the other.

How shall we think of eternity? How shall we measure it? How shall we grasp it? How shall we get at least some faint idea of that ever-abiding, unending existence, which stretches away into the far horizon, and whose boundary we can never reach?

Take it in this way. Suppose that for every flower that blooms in summer, you count a thousand years--and add together the sum of all.

Suppose that, for every leaf that trembles in the breeze, you also count a thousand years--and then add together these two sums.

In a similar manner, for every bird or insect that flies in the air, for every living creature that treads the earth, for every fish that is found in the mighty deep--count a thousand years.

Then, if you can, add together these vast totals and imagine the time they demand, and remember that when these cycles of ages have rolled by, the great clock of eternity has only just begun to tick!

And this great eternal future hangs on this short passing life! What a reality does this give to it! What a vast importance attaches to every moment of it!

"So teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

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He was infinitely happy and glorious without us!

(James Smith, "The Pastor's Evening Visit")

"Christ, who loved us!" Romans 8:37

No condition can possibly be more dreary, than to feel that no one loves or cares for us!

There is something peculiarly sweet and pleasant--in being the object of another's love. Even the love of a poor child is sweet. But to be loved by one who is most wealthy, most exalted in station, and most honorable in character--must be peculiarly delightful!

How, then, should we rejoice; how happy should we be--who are loved by the Lord Jesus! Especially when we consider:
on the one hand . . .
  how despicable,
  how poor,
  how worthless, and
  how unlovely WE are!
And, on the other hand . . .
  how glorious,
  how wealthy,
  how worthy,
  how lovely JESUS is!

To be loved by Jesus--is to be preferred before the possession of a world!

Think of . . .
  the glory of His person,
  the vastness of His possessions,
  the number of His angelic attendants,
  the unlimited sovereignty which He exercises,
  and the excellent character He bears!

Also bear in mind--that He knew what loving us would cost Him--how He would be treated by us and by others--for our sakes!

Yet He fixed His love upon US!

He loved US--just because He would!

He passed by others more dignified in nature, more exalted in station--but He chose US!

He did not, could not, NEED us--for He was infinitely happy and glorious without us!

Yet He loved us!

He still loves us!

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A canary and a goldfish!

(author unknown)

A canary and a goldfish had their allotment together in the same room.

One hot day the master of the house heard the fish complaining of his silent condition, and envying the sweet song of his companion overhead. "Oh, I wish I could sing as sweetly as my friend up there!"

Meanwhile the Canary was eyeing the inhabitant of the globe, "How cool it looks! I wish my lot were there."

"So then it shall be!" said the master, and forthwith placed the fish in the air--and the bird in the water.

Immediately they saw their folly, and repented of their discontent and grumbling.

The moral of this little fable is this: Let every man be content in the state in which Divine Providence has placed him, and believe that it is what is best fitted for him!

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:11-12

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It is far better to dwell in a poor cottage!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"The house of the wicked will be destroyed--but the tent of the upright will flourish." Proverbs 14:11

The upright man is far happier in the poorest circumstances--than a wicked man in his greatest prosperity. Though a wicked man surmounts his neighbor as far as the cedars of the mountain overtop the creeping shrubs of the valley--yet he shall be filled with the strokes of divine vengeance. Though he dwells in a magnificent palace--the tempest of divine indignation shall beat it down!

But the righteous man, though at present he appears like the incarnate Savior, a tender plant--shall grow like the cedar in Lebanon. And though his dwelling place is but a tent, it shall flourish, and prosper, and grow into a heavenly mansion! It is far better to dwell in a poor cottage where the blessing of God rests, and in which is heard the melody of joy and praise--than in a palace which lies under the curse of the Lord!

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Half of the happiness of Heaven!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

Salvation from Hell is half of the happiness of Heaven!

"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4:7-8

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A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct." Proverbs 10:23

"Fools mock at sin." Proverbs 14:9

"Folly delights a man who is destitute of wisdom--but a man of understanding walks uprightly." Proverbs 15:21

"The mouth of the wicked gulps down evil!" Proverbs 19:28

"Their souls delight in their abominations." Isaiah 66:3

"They love to indulge in evil pleasures." 2 Peter 2:13

"The wicked freely strut about, when what is vile is honored among men." Psalm 12:8

It is a sign of prodigious folly for a man to take pleasure in sin, which . . .
  gives mortal wounds to the soul,
  provokes the wrath of the Almighty God, and
  could not be expiated, but in the groans and blood of a Redeemer.
And yet all wicked men take pleasure in sin. It is with the utmost propriety, that Solomon gives the name of fool to the wicked--and allows the character of wisdom to none but the godly.

The godly are not wise in every instance of their conduct, for weakness and temptation too often betray them into sin--yet they hate sin, and long to be rid of their indwelling corruption.

This is the difference between the disposition of godly and wicked men, with relation to sin. Wicked men may for many reasons abstain from the outward commission of sin--but godly men hate sin, and everything that leads to it.

Sin is not only practiced by the wicked--but it is loved by them. Folly is their joy, and therefore they sin even without a temptation. It is their food and drink to sin, and they roll iniquity under their tongue as if it were a sweet morsel. They do not hate those sins that are condemned by God's Word--but the Word that condemns them. They dislike salvation itself--because it is a deliverance from sin.

But the wise man's employment is to walk uprightly. He hates the sin that dwells in him, and loathes himself for his impurities. He takes pleasure in holiness, and loves the law of God, because it testifies against his iniquities. He joins earnestly with the Psalmist in that prayer, "O that my ways were directed to keep your statutes!" And instead of being satisfied with such a degree of holiness as may amount to the lowest evidence of true grace--he will not count himself completely happy, until his grace is completed in the glory of the heavenly state!

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It would be a pitiful compensation!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

If men could obtain what they seek by sin--it would be a pitiful compensation for eternal misery in Hell!

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Matthew 16:26

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The greatest plagues of mankind!

(George Lawson, "A Practical Exposition of the Book of Proverbs" 1821)

"A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a harmful path." Proverbs 16:29

The devil never did any good to any of his servants--and yet some of them seem to have more zeal for their master's interest, than many of the servants of Christ. These evil men compass sea and land to make others as much the children of Hell as themselves.

Such tempters to wickedness are to be abhorred as the greatest plagues of mankind! Thieves deprive us of our money, and murderers deprive us only of a short life--but these emissaries of Hell who would seduce us to sin, attempt to rob us of heavenly treasures, and to destroy our immortal souls!

Whenever any man would seduce us into a way that is harmful, let us remember what the end of that way is, and hear his words with the same indignation as if he were persuading us to cast ourselves into a burning fiery furnace!

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The best Physician!

(Thomas Watson)

Christ is the best Physician.

Christ  is the most skillful Physician. There is no disease too hard for Him. "Who heals all your diseases." Psalm 103:3. He can cure the gangrene of sin--even when it comes to the heart. He can melt a heart of stone, and wash away black sins in His crimson blood! There are no desperate cases with Christ. He has those salves, oils, and balsams which can cure the worst diseases.

Christ is the cheapest Physician. Sickness is not only a consumption to the body--but the purse! (Luke 8:43). Physicians charge fees--but Jesus Christ gives us our cures freely. He takes no fee. "Come without money and without price!" Isaiah 55:1. He desires us to bring nothing to Him but broken hearts. And when He has cured us, He desires us to bestow nothing upon Him but our love--and one would think that was very reasonable.

Christ heals with more ease than any other. Other physicians apply pills, potions, or remedies. Christ cures with more ease. Christ made the devil go out with a word (Mark 9:25). So when the soul is spiritually possessed, Christ can heal with a word, nay, He can cure with a look. When Peter had fallen into a relapse, Christ looked on Peter--and he wept. Christ's look melted Peter into repentance--it was a healing look.

Other physicians can only cure those who are sick--but Christ cures those who are dead. "You has He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Ephesians 2:1

Christ cures not only our diseases--but our deformities! The physician can make the sick man well; but if he is deformed, he cannot make him lovely. Christ gives not only health--but beauty. Sin has made us ugly and misshapen. Christ's medicines do not only take away our sickness--but our blemishes. He not only makes us whole--but lovely. Christ not only heals--but adorns.

Last, Christ is the most bountiful Physician. Other patients enrich their physicians--but here the Physician enriches the patient! Christ advances all His patients. He not only cures them--but crowns them! (Revelation 2:10). Christ not only raises from the sick-bed--but to the throne! He gives the sick man not only health--but Heaven!

Oh, the love of this heavenly Physician! Christ Himself drank that bitter cup which we should have drunk, and by His taking the bitter potion--we are healed and saved! Thus Christ has shown more love than any physician ever did to the patient.

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The most precious thing in Heaven or earth!

(John Flavel, "The Fountain of Life" 1671)

"Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:16

In giving Christ to die for poor sinners, God gave the richest jewel in His cabinet! This is a mercy of the greatest worth, and most inestimable value.

Heaven itself is not so valuable and precious as Christ is! Ten thousand thousand worlds, as many worlds as angels can number--would not outweigh Christ's love, excellency and sweetness! O what a lovely One! What an excellent, beautiful, ravishing One--is Christ!

Put the beauty of ten thousand paradises, like the garden of Eden, into one; put all flowers, all pleasing fragrances, all colors, all delicious tastes, all joys, all sweetness, all loveliness into one--O what a lovely and excellent thing would that be! And yet it would be less compared to that loveliest and dearest well-beloved Christ--than one drop of rain compared to all the seas, rivers, lakes, and fountains of ten thousand earths!

Now, for God to bestow this mercy of mercies, the most precious thing in Heaven or earth, upon poor sinners; and, as great, as lovely, as excellent as His Son was--what kind of love is this!

"Yes, He is altogether lovely! This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend!" Song of Songs 5:16