Grace Gems

[nChrist]

The covenant of grace

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
 ordered in all things, and sure. Will He not bring to
 fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?"
     2 Samuel 23:5

All mankind would have been eternally lost--had God
not, of His own free grace and mercy, made a new
covenant with sinful man. The fountain from whence
His new covenant flows, is the sovereign grace and
mercy of God. There was nothing outside of God, nor
anything in God, but His mere mercy and grace--which
moved Him to enter into covenant with poor sinners,
who were miserable and loathsome and polluted; and
and were actually in arms against Him!

As there was nothing in fallen man to draw God's favor
or affection towards him; just so--there was everything
in fallen man which might justly provoke God's wrath and
indignation against him! Therefore it must be a very high
act of favor and grace--for the great, the glorious, the holy,
the wise, and the all-sufficient God--to enter into covenant
with such a forlorn creature as fallen man was!

Oh, the admirable counsel, wisdom, love, care and
tenderness of the blessed God--which sparkles and
shines in the well-ordering of the covenant of grace!
Oh, how lovely and beautiful, with what symmetry
and proportion, are all things in this covenant ordered
and prepared! Oh, what head can conceive, or what
tongue can express--that infinite wisdom which God
has manifested in ordering the covenant of grace--so
as it may most and best suit to all the needs, and
straits, and necessities, and miseries, and desires,
and longings of poor sinners' souls! Here are fit and
full supplies for all our spiritual needs! In the covenant
of grace, every poor sinner may find . . .
  a suitable help,
  a suitable remedy,
  a suitable support,
  a suitable supply!

The covenant of grace, is so well ordered by the
unsearchable wisdom of God, that you may find in it . . .
  remedies to cure all your spiritual diseases,
  cordials to comfort you under all your soul-faintings,
  and a spiritual armory to arm you against . . .
     all sorts of sins, and
     all sorts of snares, and
     all sorts of temptations, and
     all sorts of oppositions, and
     all sorts of enemies--whether inward
or outward, open or secret, subtle or silly.

Do you, O distressed sinner--need . . .
  a loving God,
  a compassionate God,
  a reconciled God,
  a sin-pardoning God,
  a tender-hearted God?
Here you may find Him in the covenant of grace!

Do you, O sinner--need a Christ . . .
  to counsel you by His wisdom,
  to clothe you with His righteousness,
  to enrich you with His grace,
  to enlighten you with His eye salve,
  to justify you from your sins,
  to reconcile you to God,
  to secure you from wrath to come,
  to bring you to heaven?
Here you may find Him in a covenant of grace!

Do you, O sinner! need the Holy Spirit . . .
  to awaken you,
  to convince you of sin, righteousness and judgment,
  to enlighten and teach you,
  to lead and guide you in the everlasting way,
  to cleanse you,
  to comfort you?
Here you may find Him in the covenant of grace!

O sinner! Do you need grace, all grace, great grace,
abundance of grace, multiplied grace? Here you may
find it in the covenant of grace!

O sinner! Do you need peace, or ease, or rest, or
quiet in your conscience? Here you may find it in
the covenant of grace!

O sinner! Do you need contentment, or comfort,
or joy, or satisfaction? Here you may have it in
the covenant of grace!

O sinner, sinner! whatever your soul needs are--they
may all be supplied out of the covenant of grace!
God, in His infinite wisdom and love, has laid into
the covenant of grace, as into a common storehouse,
all those good things, and all those great things, and
all those suitable things--that either sinners or saints
can either desire or need!

____________________

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[nChrist]

A man of new principles

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature;
 old things are passed away, behold all things
 are become new!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

A new creature has . . .
  a new judgment,
  a new will,
  new affections,
  new thoughts,
  new company,
  new choices,
  new laws,
  new ways,
  new works, etc.
A new creature is a changed creature throughout.

The new creature includes a new light, a new sight,
a new understanding. The new creature sees sin to
be the greatest evil, and Christ and holiness to be the
chief good. When a man is a new creature, he has a
new judgment and opinion--he looks upon God as his
only happiness, and Christ as his all in all, and upon
the ways of God as ways of pleasantness. The new
man has new cares, new requests, new desires, "Oh
that my heart may be adorned with grace!"

The new man is a man of new principles.
If you make a serious inspection into his soul,
you shall find a principle . . .
  of faith,
  of repentance,
  of holiness,
  of love,
  of contentment,
  of patience, etc.

The new man experiences a new combat and conflict
in his soul. "The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the
spirit lusts against the flesh." He combats with all sorts
of known sins--whether they are great or small, inward
or outward, whether they are the sins of the heart or the
sins of the life. This conflict in the new man is a daily
conflict, a constant conflict. The new creature can never,
the new creature will never, be at peace with sin; sin and
the new creature will fight it out to the death. The new
creature will never be brought into a league of friendship
with sin.

The new man is a man of a new life. A new life
always attends a new heart. You see it in Paul,
Mary Magdalene, Zaccheus, the jailor, and all
the others that are upon Scripture record.

The new man has new society, new company.
Holy society is the only society for people with
holy hearts, and in that society can no man
delight, until God renews his heart by grace.

The new man walks by a new rule, which is the
written Word of God. This rule he sets up for all
matters of faith, and for all matters of practice.

Well, friends, whatever you do forget, be sure that
forever you remember this--that none can or shall
be glorious creatures, but such as by grace are
made new creatures.

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[nChrist]

Fully, completely and perfectly

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"I will be their God, and they will be My people.
 For I will forgive their wickedness and will
 remember their sins no more." Heb. 8:10, 12

God will pardon the sins of His people fully,
completely and perfectly. Neither the . . .
  many kinds of sins,
  nor many degrees of sin,
  nor many aggravations of sin,
  nor even the multitude of sins,
can ever harm those souls who are in covenant
with God. God has mercy enough, and pardons
enough, for all His covenant-people's sins--
  whether original or actual,
  whether against the law or against the gospel,
  whether against the light of nature or the rule of grace,
  whether against mercies or judgments.

The covenant remedy against all kinds and degrees
of sin--infinitely transcends and surpasses . . .
  all our infirmities and enormities,
  all our weaknesses and wickednesses,
  all our follies and unworthinesses, etc.

What is . . .
  our unrighteousness--compared to Christ's righteousness;
  our debts--compared to Christ's pardons;
  our unholiness--compared to Christ's holiness;
  our emptiness--compared to Christ's fullness;
  our weakness--compared to Christ's strength;
  our poverty--compared to Christ's riches;
  our wounds--compared to Christ's healing balm?

"The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to
 anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining
 love to thousands; and forgiving wickedness, rebellion
 and sin." Exodus 34:6-7.

A merciful God, a gracious God--will pardon all kinds
of sinners, and all kinds and degrees of sin.

Oh, what astounding mercy, what rich grace is here!
that God will not only pardon our light, our small
offences; but our great and mighty sins! God will
never upbraid His people for . . .
  their follies,
  their miscarriages,
  their unkindness,
  their unfruitfulness,
  their unthankfulness,
  their vileness,
  their stubbornness,
  their wickedness.

____________________

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[nChrist]

His dreadful threatenings!

(Brooks, "The Golden Key to Open Hidden Treasures")

Sin and sorrow, iniquity and misery--always
go hand in hand.

"The wages of sin is death," Romans 6:23. Every
sinner is worthy of death. "Those who do such things
deserve death," Romans 1:32. If God is a just and
righteous God, then sin cannot absolutely escape
unpunished; for it is but "a just and righteous thing
with God"--to punish the sinner who is worthy of
punishment. As God must be just--so He must be
faithful. And if He must be faithful--then He must
carry out His threatenings against sin and sinners!

Look! As there is not a promise of God but shall surely
take place; just so, there is not a threatening of God
but shall surely take place. The faithfulness of God, and
the honor of God, are as much concerned in making good
of His dreadful threatenings--as they are concerned
in making good of His precious promises. God has given
it from His own mouth, that:
  "He will by no means clear the guilty;"
  "the soul that sins, shall surely die;"
  "the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him;"
  "He will render to every man according to his deeds."

Will God abrogate His own laws--or will He dare men to
sport and play with His threatenings? Will not every wise
and prudent king look to the execution of their own laws?
And shall not that God, who is wonderful in wisdom, and
whose understanding is infinite--see all that all His laws
are put in execution against offenders? Surely yes!

"He will repay them for their sins and destroy them
 for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy
 them!" Psalm 94:23

"I will not look on you with pity or spare you; I will
 repay you in accordance with your conduct and the
 detestable practices among you. Then you will know
 that it is I the LORD who strikes the blow!" Ezek. 7:9

"When I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand grasps
 it in judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries
 and repay those who hate Me." Deuteronomy 32:41

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[nChrist]

Redeemed

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"For you know that it was not with perishable
 things such as silver or gold that you were
 redeemed from the empty way of life handed
 down to you from your forefathers." 1 Pet. 1:18

Christ redeems us from all sin--and from all the
consequences of sin. He endured the wrath of God
to the uttermost--for everyone who believes on Him.

By this redemption . . .
  justice is satisfied,
  wrath is pacified,
  grace is procured,
  all spiritual enemies are vanquished.

Each child of God is redeemed from . . .
  the love of sin,
  the guilt of sin,
  the dominion of sin,
  the damnatory power of sin,
  the power of Satan,
  the curse of the law,
  hell and wrath to come!

The work of redemption was a great work. The
greatness of the person employed in this work,
speaks out the work to be a great work.

The great and invaluable price which was paid
down for our redemption, speaks it out to be a
great redemption. The price that we are bought
with, is a price beyond all computation.

This redemption that we have in Christ, is a free
and gracious redemption. All the rounds in this
ladder of redemption, are made up of free, rich,
and sovereign grace! Though our redemption
cost Christ dearly--yet as to us it is most free!

Jesus Christ has completely done the work of our
redemption. He does not redeem us from some of
our sins, and leave us to grapple with the rest.
Oh, no! Christ makes a most complete work of it.
He redeems us from all our iniquities. He delivers
us out of the hands of all our enemies.
He pays all debts,
He delivers from all wrath,
He takes off the whole curse,
He saves to the uttermost,
and will settle us in a state of full and perfect
bliss--when grace shall be turned into glory.

The redemption which we have in Jesus Christ, is an
eternal, a permanent, a lasting, yes, an everlasting
redemption! "Having obtained eternal redemption
for us." Hebrews 9:12

There are many choice and rare spiritual
benefits which flow from redemption:
  reconciliation with God,
  remission of our sins,
  justification of our persons,
  adoption into God's family,
  sanctification,
  full glorification.
Redemption sweetens all the bitterest trials
and sharpest afflictions, which we meet with
in this world.

Redemption is a rich mine, containing a mass
of treasure which cannot be valued. Could we
dig into it, could we pry into it--we would find
that it contains unsearchable riches . . .
  riches of grace, of all grace,
  riches of justification,
  riches of sanctification,
  riches of consolation,
  riches of glorification,
  the best of riches,
  the most durable riches,
  soul riches,
  heavenly riches!

"They are Your servants and Your people, whom
 You redeemed by Your great strength and Your
 mighty hand!" Nehemiah 1:10

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[nChrist]

God's bag and bottle

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
 and You sew up my iniquity." Job 14:17

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have
 collected all my tears in your bottle. You have
 recorded each one in Your book." Psalm 56:8

God counted all those weary steps which David took
in passing through those great forests, when he fled
from Saul. While David was hunted up and down like
a partridge, and chased out of every bush, and was
driven from one country to another—God was all
this while, a-noting down and a-numbering of all
his sorrows, and a-bottling up all his tears, and
a-booking down all his sighs!

Not a single tear of mine is ever lost, but kept safe
in God's bottle—as so much sweet water.

God is said in Scripture to have a bag and a bottle:
a bag for our sins, and a bottle for our tears. And oh
that we would all labor to fill His bottle with our tears
of repentance, as we have filled His bag with our sins!

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[nChrist]

The book of life

(Thomas Brooks, "Paradise Opened" 1675)

"And another book was opened, which is
 the book of life." Revelation 20:12

The names of the elect are written in the book of life.
They do not obtain salvation by chance, but were
elected by God to eternal life and happiness before
the foundation of the world. Now their names being
once written in the book of life, they shall never,
never be blotted out of that book! In the book of
predestination there is not one blot to be found;
the salvation of the elect is most sure and certain!

"I will never blot out his name from the
 book of life." Revelation 3:5

The book of life is the book of all those who were
elected and redeemed to life, through Jesus Christ.
This book of life contains a register of such particular
persons in whose salvation, God from all eternity
determined to have His mercy glorified; and for whom
Christ merited faith, repentance, and perseverance--
that they should repent, believe, and be finally saved.

"The book of life shall be opened;" that is to say, the
decrees of God will be then published and made known,
which now are sealed up in His bosom and locked up
in His archives. Then it will be seen whom are appointed
to eternal life--for the glorifying of God's free, rich, and
sovereign grace; and whom He purposed to leave in
their sins, and to perish forever--for the exaltation of
His justice.

"Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who
 does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those
 whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."
     Revelation 21:27

The book of life shall be opened in the great day,
because then it shall be shown . . .
  who were elect--and who were reprobates;
  who truly believed in Christ--and who did not;
  who worshiped God in spirit and in truth--and who did not;
  who walked with God as Noah did--and who did not;
  who truly reverenced God--and who did not;
  who followed the Lamb wherever He went--and who did not;
  who were sincere--and who were not;
  who are sheep--and who are goats;
  who are sons of God--and who are slaves of Satan;
  who have mourned for their sins--and who have made a sport of sin;
  who preferred Christ above ten thousand worlds--and who did not;
  who preferred their farms, and their oxen, and their swine,
  yes, their very lusts--before a Savior, a Redeemer!

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
 he was thrown into the lake of fire!" Revelation 20:15

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[nChrist]

Look upon death

(Brooks, "Words of counsel to a dear dying friend")

Look upon death as that which is best.

"Better is the day of death, than the day of one's
 birth." Ecclesiastes 7:1

"I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is
 better by far." Philippians 1:23

The Greek is very significant--"far, far the better!"
A saint's dying day is the daybreak of eternal glory!
In respect of pleasure, peace, safety, company and
glory--a believer's dying day is his best day.

Look upon death as a remedy, as a cure. Death
will perfectly cure you of all bodily and spiritual diseases
at once: the infirm body and the defiled soul, the aching
head and the unbelieving heart. Death will cure you of
all your ailments, aches, diseases, and distempers.

In Queen Mary's days, there was a lame Christian,
and a blind Christian--both burned at one stake.
The lame man, after he was chained, casting away
his crutch, bade the blind man to be of good cheer;
"For death," says he, "will cure us both; you of
your blindness, and me of my lameness!"

As death will cure all your bodily diseases, so it will
cure all your soul distempers also. Death is not the
death of the man--but the death of his sin! Death
will at once free you fully, perfectly, and perpetually
from all sin; yes, from all possibility of ever sinning!
Sin was the midwife which brought death into the
world--and death shall be the grave to bury sin.

Why, then, should a Christian be afraid to die,
unwilling to die--seeing death gives him an
eternal separation . . .
  from infirmities and weaknesses,
  from all aches and pains,
  from griefs and gripings,
  from distempers and diseases,
both of body and soul?

When Samson died, the Philistines died together with
him. Just so, when a saint dies, his sins die with him.

Death came in by sin, and sin goes out by death!
Death kills sin which bred it.

Look upon death as a rest, a full rest.
A believer's dying day is his resting day . . .
  from sin,
  from sorrow,
  from afflictions,
  from temptations,
  from desertions,
  from dissensions,
  from vexations,
  from oppositions,
  from persecutions.

This world was never made to be the saints' rest.
Arise and depart, for this is not your resting place,
because it is polluted! (Micah 2:10)

Death brings the saints . . .
  to a full rest,
  to a pleasant rest,
  to a matchless rest,
  to an eternal rest!

____________________

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[nChrist]

The dirty lane

(Brooks, "Words of counsel to a dear dying friend")

"For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil. 1:21

Look upon your dying day as a gainful day. There is
no gain compared to that which comes in by death.
A Christian gets more by death, than he does by life.
To be in Christ is very good--but to be with Christ
is best of all, "I desire to depart and be with Christ,
which is better by far!" Phil. 1:23. It was a mighty
blessing for Christ to be with Paul on earth--but it
was the top of blessings for Paul to be with Christ
in heaven! Seriously consider these things--

By death you shall gain incomparable crowns!
   A crown of life, Rev. 2:10; James 1:12;
   A crown of righteousness, 2 Tim. 4:8;
   An incorruptible crown, 1 Cor. 9:24-25;
   A crown of glory, 1 Pet. 5:4.
There are no crowns compared to these crowns!

By death you  shall gain a glorious kingdom!
"It is your Father's pleasure to give you a kingdom!"
We must put off their rags of mortality--that we may
put on our robes of glory. There is no entering into
paradise--but under the flaming sword of this angel,
death--who stands at the gate. Death is the dirty
lane through which the saint passes . . .
  to a kingdom,
  to a great kingdom,
  to a glorious kingdom,
  to a peaceful kingdom,
  to an unshaken kingdom,
  to a durable kingdom,
  to a lasting kingdom, yes,
  to an everlasting kingdom!

Death is the dark, short way, through which the
saints pass to the marriage-supper of the Lamb!

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[nChrist]

The funeral of all your sorrows!

(Brooks, "Words of counsel to a dear dying friend")

At death, you shall gain full freedom and liberty
from all your enemies within and without--namely,
sin, Satan, and the world!

Death will free you from the indwelling power of
sin. In this present world, sin plays the tyrant; but
in heaven there is no tyranny--but perfect felicity.
As in hell there is nothing but wickedness, so in
heaven there is nothing but holiness.

Death will free you from all provocations, temptations,
and suggestions to sin. You shall be above all Satan's
assaults. The old serpent is cast out, and shall be
forever kept out of the new Jerusalem above!

Death will free you from all the effects and consequences
of sin--namely, losses, crosses, sicknesses, diseases,
disgraces, sufferings, etc. When the cause is taken away,
the effect ceases. When the fountain of sin is dried up,
the streams of afflictions, of sufferings, must be dried up.
Sin and sorrow were born together, live together, and
shall die together. Death will free you from all bodily
infirmities and diseases.

Death will free you from all your sorrows, whether inward
or outward, whether for your own sins or the sins of others,
whether for your own sufferings or the sufferings of others.
Now, it may be, you are seldom without tears in your eyes,
or sorrow in your heart. Oh, but death will be the funeral
of all your sorrows! Death will wipe all tears from your
eyes, "and sorrow and mourning shall flee away!"

Dear friend, death shall do that for you, which all your
physicians could never do for you. It shall both instantly
and perfectly cure you of all sorts of weaknesses and
maladies, both inward and outward, of both your body
and your soul! O my dear friend, is it not better to die,
    and be rid of all sin;
    and be rid of all temptations;
    and be rid of all sorts of miseries;
than to live, and still carry about with us our sins,
our sorrows, our burdens, and our constant ailments?

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[nChrist]

You have afflicted me

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

"I know, O Lord, that Your laws are righteous,
 and in faithfulness You have afflicted me."
     Psalm 119:75

"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now
 I obey Your word." Psalm 119:67

God's corrections are our instructions,
His lashes are our lessons,
His scourges are our schoolmasters,
His chastisements are our admonishments.

By afflictions, troubles, distresses and dangers--the
Lord teaches His people to look upon sin as the most
loathsome thing in the world; and to look upon holiness
as the most lovely thing in the world. Sin is never so
bitter, and holiness is never so sweet--as when our
troubles are greatest and our dangers highest.

By affliction, the Lord teaches His people to sit loose
from this world, and to be prepared for eternity.

By affliction, God shows His people the vanity, vexation,
emptiness, weakness, and nothingness of all created
things; and the choiceness, preciousness and sweetness
of communion with Himself.

It has been the lot and portion of God's dearest
children, to be exercised with very great and
grievous afflictions; in order . . .
  to the discovery of sin,
  to the embittering of sin,
  to the preventing of sin,
  to the purging away of sin; and
  to the discovery of grace,
  to the trial of grace,
  to the exercise of grace,
  to the increase of grace; and
  to the weaning of them from this world; and
  to the ripening of them for heaven; and
  to the completing of their conformity to Christ,
the captain of their salvation, "who was made
perfect through sufferings," Hebrews 2:10; and
to work in them more pity and compassion to
those who are in misery, and who sigh and
groan under their Egyptian taskmasters.

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[nChrist]

They poured out a prayer

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

The greatest antidote against all the troubles of
this life, is fervent prayer.

"Lord, in trouble have they visited you; they
 poured out a prayer when Your chastening
 was upon them." Isaiah 26:16

"They poured out a prayer." Before, they would
say a prayer--but now, they poured out a prayer.

Saints never visit God more with their prayers
--than when He visits them most with His rod.
Saints never pray with . . .
  that seriousness,
  that spiritualness,
  that heavenliness,
  that humbleness,
  that brokenness,
  that fervency,
  that frequency--as they do, when they are
under the mighty chastening hand of God!

A sincere Christian never prays so sweetly--as
when under God's rod. When a Christian is in
trouble--then prayer is his food and drink.

Oh, what a spirit of prayer was . . .
  upon Jonah--when he was in the whale's belly; and
  upon Daniel--when he was among the lions; and
  upon David--when fleeing in the wilderness; and
  upon the dying thief--when he was on the cross; and
  upon Jacob--when his brother Esau came to meet him
with four hundred bloody cut-throats at his heels!

When a Christian is under great troubles, deep distresses,
and most extreme dangers; he should pray . . .
 more for the sanctification of affliction--than its removal;
 more to get off his sins--than to get off his chains;
 more to get good by the rod--than to get free from the rod;
 that his afflictions may be a purifying and refining fire,
 that his heart may be low and his graces high,
 that he may be more weaned from this world,
 that he be more ripe for eternal glory.

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[nChrist]

Neither Christ nor heaven can be hyperbolized!

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

What are all . . .
  the silks of Persia,
  the spices of Egypt,
  the gold of Ophir, and
  the treasures of both Indies--
compared to the glory of heaven?

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind
 has conceived what God has prepared for
 those who love Him!" 1 Corinthians 2:9

One of the ancients says, "Our conception
of heaven, is as a little drop from the sea.
For those glorious things of heaven are . . .
  so many that they exceed number,
  so great that they exceed measure,
  so precious that they are above all estimation!"

Says another, "Do you ask me what heaven is?
When I meet you there, I will tell you!"

Says Jerome, "Are you able to put the whole earth,
and all the waters of the sea--into a little pot? Can
you hold the oceans in your hand? Can you measure
the heavens with your fingers--or weight the hills
and mountains with a scale? Just so, it is impossible
that you can comprehend the least of the joys of
heaven! Certainly, the least of the joys of heaven
are inconceivable and inexpressible!"

Neither Christ nor heaven can be hyperbolized!

"You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with
 eternal pleasures at Your right hand!" Psalm 16:11

"They feast on the abundance of Your house; You give
 them drink from Your river of delights!" Psalm 36:8

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[nChrist]

The Land of Cabul

(Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

"An incorruptible inheritance." 1 Peter 1:4

All earthly inheritances are liable to corruption; they
are true gardens of Adonis--where we can gather
nothing but trivial flowers, surrounded with many
briars, thorns and thistles.

Oh, the hands, the hearts, the thoughts, the lives--
which have been corrupted by earthly inheritances!
Oh, the impure love, the carnal confidence, the vain
boastings, the sensual joys--which have been the
products of earthly inheritances!

If a man's estate lies in money--that may rust, or
thieves may break in and steal it. If a man's estate
lies in cattle--they may die, or fall into the hands of
the Sabeans and Chaldeans. If a man's estate lies
in houses--they may be burnt. Witness the recent
dreadful fire that turned London into a ruinous heap!
If a man's estate lies in lands--a foreign enemy may
invade them and conquer them.

All earthly inheritances are no better than the cities
which Solomon gave to Hiram, which he called Cabul,
that is, 'worthless, good-for-nothing, displeasing, dirty.'

"But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that
 Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them.
 'What kind of towns are these you have given me, my
 brother?' he asked. And he called them the Land of
 Cabul, a name they have to this day." 1 Kings 9:12-13

Earthly inheritances do but dirt, daub, and dust people.
It is only the heavenly inheritance which is incorruptible.

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[nChrist]

They chained and nailed their god Apollo to a post

(Thomas Brooks, "A Word in Season to Suffering Saints")

"Moses said unto God--If Your presence does not go
 with us, do not send us up from here!" Exodus 33:15

Nothing would satisfy Moses, below the presence of God,
because he knew that it would be better that they should
never move a foot farther--as to go on without God's
favorable presence.

God promised that His angel would drive all their
enemies out of the land. "Oh, but if Your presence
does not go with us--do not send us up from here!"

"Yes, but I will bring the necks of all your proud, stout,
strong, and subtle enemies under your feet!" "Oh, but if
Your presence does not go with us--do not send us up
from here!"

"Yes, but I will bring you to a land flowing with milk and
honey. I will make you to suck honey out of the rock, and
oil out of the flinty rock; and you shall drink the finest
wine!" "Oh, but if Your presence does not go with us--do
not send us up from here!"

"Yes, but I will bring you to the paradise of the world--to a
place of pleasure and delight, to Canaan, a type of heaven!"
"Oh, but if Your presence does not go with us--do not send
us up from here! O Lord, if I might have my wish, my desire,
my choice--I had infinitely rather to live in a barren, howling
wilderness with Your presence--than in Canaan without it!
It is a mercy to have an angel to guard us, it is a mercy to
have our enemies sprawling under our feet, it is a mercy to
be brought into a pleasant land. Oh, but if Your presence
does not go with us, do not send us up from here! Lord,
nothing will please us, nothing will profit us, nothing will
secure us, nothing will satisfy us--without Your presence!"

I have read of the Tyrians, that they bound their gods with
chains--that they might secure them, and not be conquered
by their enemies. And among the rest, they chained and
nailed their god Apollo to a post--that they might be sure
to keep their idol, because they thought their safety was in it.

I am sure of this--that our safety, our comfort, our all--lies
in the special presence of God with us! Therefore let us, by
faith and prayer--chain God to our self! If we let Him go,
a thousand worlds cannot make up His absence!

The heathens in Troy imagined that so long as their idol
was kept safe, they were unconquerable; all the strength
and power of Greece would never be able to prevail against
them. Therefore the Grecians sought by all the means they
could--to get this idol from them.

O my friends, so long as you keep the presence of God with
you--I am sure you are unconquerable! But if God withdraws
His special presence--the weakest enemy will be too hard for
you; yes, wounded men will prevail over you!

The burning bush, which was a type of the church, was not
consumed--because God was in the midst of it. Oh, do but
keep God's special presence with you--and nothing shall hurt
you, nothing shall burn you! But if God's special presence
departs--nothing can secure you!

"Moses said unto God--If Your presence does not go
with us, do not send us up from here!" Exodus 33:15

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