The Dark Night

It is 9:47 AM Thursday morning. It is the last day of April 2009. Tomorrow is May 1, 2009. Existence keeps flowing by. These days when I look at myself in the bathroom mirror I see an old man. My face is covered with age spots. Soon I will be the age my grandfather’s was when he died way back in 1968.

Carol came home from work this morning around 8:40 AM and has gone to bed for the day.

I have to take our dog to the Vet for his wellness check-up and to have his right leg looked at. Lately Rudy has been limping on his right leg. Strange. I hope Rudy is ok. I hate to put Rudy down, because he is a very close friend. It is painful living every day in a world of people who hate you. So please Rudy do not leave me alone to face rejection by the dead american mob.

Caleb called last night and thanked us for our wedding gift. Soon our first born son will be a married man. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25,26,27

Last night I watched television from 7 o’clock PM till 11 o’clock PM. I went to bed around 11 o’clock PM and read “Trinitarian Theology for the Church: Scripture, Community, Worship” Edited by Daniel J. Treier & David Lauber. I am reading in this book an essay by Kevin J. Vanhoozer ‘Theological Reflections on the Claim That God Speaks (1.)’.

Today it is a cold dark rainy day, no evidence of it being Spring. I am down in our basement writing on my lap top. It is now 10:08 AM Thursday morning. I read this book some more of The Book of Joshua in the Old Testament. I wrote in my personal diary this morning. There is nothing worth writing these days. I write beause I am a old man who has lost his marbles.

Well I will close to wander my cage.

music: Damien Jurado “Ghost of David”

All is ready, the Master, said,
All is ready, the feast is spread;
Sweet His message of love to all,
Yet how many will slight the call!

Refrain

Why, why, why will you die?
Ask, and the Savior will freely forgive;
Why, why, why will you die?
Only a look, and your soul shall live.

All is ready, He calleth still;
Come, and welcome, whoever will;
Bring your burdens of doubts and fears,
Bring your sorrow, your cares and tears.

Refrain

Though His mercy prolongs your day,
Time is precious, no more delay;
Now He listens to hear your prayer,
Haste the garment of praise to wear.

Refrain

Take the pardon His love bestows,
Take the water of life that flows;
Lo, He standeth beside the door:
Hear the Spirit your hearts implore.

Refrain

“1: And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3: And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4: Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5: But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7: But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8: Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9: Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10: So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11: And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13: Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14: For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:1-14 

The first day goes by normal I guess. At least no rockets are landing in our cozy working class neighborhood.

I was down in the basement messing with my lap top and when I came up I found Beth gone. Do not know where went this afternoon?

I have been reading blogs and reading St. John of the Cross. A quiet Sunday for me. I still feel restless, but maybe I have too much sugar in my blood stream?

I close with a quote from “The Ascent of Mount Carmel” by St. John of the Cross-

“8. We find another figure of this in the Book of Joshua. There we read that God commanded Joshua, who was about to enter into possession of the promised land, to destroy everything in the city of Jericho without leaving anything alive, neither men nor women, young nor old, nor any animals. God ordered him not to covet or seize any of the booty [Jos. 6:18-19,21].

The lesson here is that all objects living in the soul-whether they be many or few, large or small-must die in order that the soul enter divine union, and it must bear no desire for them but remain detached as though they were nonexistent to it, and it to them. St. Paul teaches this clearly in First Corinthians: What I tell you, brothers, is that the time is short; what remains and suits you is that those with wives should act as though they had none, and those who weep for the things of this world as though they were not weeping, and those who rejoice as though not rejoicing, and the buyers as though they did not possess, and the users of the world should behave as though they made no use of it [1 Cor. 7:29-31].

In this text the Apostle teaches us how detached our souls must be from all things in order to go to God.” pg. 145 St. John of the Cross

music: Ed Harcourt “Strangers”

3:35 p.m. - 2006-08-13

The morning has gone by in a normal fashion. Carol went to bed for day. All morning she kept telling me she felt empty inside. Nothing seems to change. I tell her all the time “All we can do is go from one day to the next. What else is there to do?” I want the will of God. We are living a normal Christian existence. We are not living in sin. We are seeking to live for Christ during the Last Days. Soon it will all be over.

The wall clock tells me the time is now 12:57 PM. I have been fooling around in the basement taking pictures of myself with some of my book collection. I feel restless, but that is normal for a hermit like me. We got to learn to stay in one place and not fool ourselves there is anything in the world worth seeking.

Well I will close to wander my cell.

music: Trail of Dead “The Century of Self”

It is 11:01 AM Tuesday late morning. It is another rainy gray day. Where is the Spring sunshine?

I got up this morning around 6:46 AM. I woke up to find Carol reading her devotional books in the living room. We went downtown for breakfast this morning. Before having breakfast Carol walked Rudy and I read my Bible. After breakfast we came home and then left to get birdseed and specials at a grocery store. We were home by 9:40 AM. So the morning goes by normal. I feel absolutely drained this morning. I went to bed last night around 11 o’clock PM. Before going to sleep I read “A Blue Hand: The Tragicomic, Mind-Altering Odyssey of Allen Ginsberg, a Holy Fool, a Rebel Muse, a Dharma Bum, and His Prickly Bride in India” by Deborah Baker.

During the evening hours before watching television I looked at a book titled “Minima Moralia: Reflections From Damaged Life” by Thedor Adorno. I watched TV from 7:30 PM till 10 o’clock PM last night.

All I have read this morning is The Book of Joshua found in the Old Testament. I have been carrying around these books in my exhausted condition this morning “Inhabiting the Cruciform God” by Gorman and “Apostle Paul” by Schinelle. I thought of going over to Western Theological Seminary and doing some indepth reading on justification by co-crucifixion. But why? No one cares to know such stuff in the american evangelical movement, especially the Dutch Reformed. I am a freak.

I have no plans for the day ahead of me. Carol has to review for a test that she takes tomorrow at the hospital. I am sure she will go to bed this afternoon. Why stay awake?

Last night as Carol and I laid in me she asked me if I ever get tired of staying home all the time? I answered her “What else is there to do?” There is nothing in this world I want to do. There is nothing that turns me on. Right now I am feeling drained. It is too wet to go anywhere. So I am down in our basement writing in my journals waiting for Spring sunshine. I have a heavenly hope. “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” 1 Thess. 5:8.

Check out sometime a 16th-17th Century Facsimile of a old 17th cent. English Puritan work titled “The Breast-plate of Faith and Love” by John Preston First Published in 1630.

“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Tim. 2:3

It is now 11:28 AM what to do to keep myself from falling asleep today? Well I will close to wander my cell.

music: Rogue Wave “Asleep At Heaven’s Gate”

It is 10:16 AM Monday morning in the flow of existence. I am down in the basement writing on my lap top. Now I got wireless I write all the time on my lap top. I use my main computer rarely these days.

Rudy and I just got back from a walk at the Upper Macatawa Natural Area. When we got home Carol was gone. She went to visit her mother.

I got out of bed this morning around 7 o’clock AM. Carol was already up when I got up. It is going to storm this afternoon. Driving out to the Upper Macatawa Natural Area all the creeks are flowing over their banks. At the Upper Macatawa Natural Area the wet lands were flooded and the Macatawa River was over it’s banks. We are under a flood warning here in West Michigan. Last night I heard on TV that all the water on the earth is connected. Everything is ONE. God is outside the One. The Lord is ruling the One. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1,2

Last night there was no music. I watched television and read “The Magic Mountain” a novel by Thomas Mann.

This morning I read for devotions “Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul’s Narrative Soteriology” by Michael J. Gorman.

I have nothing important to do today. Well I will close to wander my cell.

music: The Drones “Havilah”

It is 12:22 PM Sunday afternoon in the flow of existence. I have been up since 4:30 AM this morning. I woke up to go to the bathroom and when I came back to bed my mind was wide awake. Finally around 5 o’clock AM I decided to get up and face existence. It takes a lot of guts to face existence these days. We are coming to the end of the world.

Carol got home from work around 8:30 AM this morning. I was reading the last chapters of Deuteronomy when Carol got home from work.

I have done much today except wander my cell and watch television. Carol is off tonight and plans to get up this evening and go to Covenant PCA.

I have been carrying around with me today volume one of The Works of John Owen THE GLORY OF CHRIST. To be honest I am stuffed intellectually. Plus I need some shut eye.

It looks like nothing is going to happen the rest of April 2009. I wonder when my life will be over?

Well I suppose I will close to put some plastic food in the oven for a meal.

It is 5:10 AM Sunday morning in the stream of life. I was born in 1952 and now it is April 26, 2009. My life keeps speeding by. I woke up around 4:30 AM this morning. I have a lot of stuff on my mind. I can hear it raining outside. I can also hear thunder crashing outside this morning.

Yesterday I had a normal quiet day. Carol got up to go to work around 11 o’clock PM. I went to bed around 10:30 PM to read before falling asleep. I got out to read last night Volume 1 THE WORKS OF JOHN OWEN titled THE GLORY OF CHRIST. It is interesting comparing the Christian spirituality of Roman Catholics and 17th century English Puritans like John Owen. What I mean is reading St. John of the Cross (a 16th century Spanish mystic) and John Owen (1616-1683) the prince of the 17th cent. English Puritan divines. I noticed in reading St. John of the Cross that he rarely speaks of the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ as the focus of Christian Spirituality. For St. John of the Cross God is supremely unknowable. Whereas for John Owen the focus of Christian Spirituality is the glory of Christ revealed in holy Scripture. For Owen to know God is to know the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Saviour of sinners.

But maybe Christian spirituality can be approached from many different sides? Why pit one Christian Spirituality against another? St. John of the Cross was a Christian as much as John Owen. Did they both have a perfect knowledge of the Scriptures? Who is the best spiritual guide for a modern day Christian? Why not learn from both Owen and John of the Cross? In the end we need to read the Bible and pray.

I got out a book this morning titled “The Character of Theology: An Introduction To Its Nature, Task, And Purpose” by John R. Franke. Read this book for more light on the above statements.

So here I sit at 5:26 AM. I woke up at 4:30 AM this morning thinking about the glory of Christ. It is easy to read a lot and not sit down and have a talk with Jesus, I mean pray to Him. I should spend time each day talking to the Lord about stuff. It is easy to get lost in my head as the days flow by. I need to have personal communication with the Lord Jesus. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

So last night I got out John Owen’s treatise “Meditations And Discourses On The Glory Of Christ”. Over the years I have read this treatise by Owen several times. You can not go wrong reading John Owen. Owen’s Works have been published in 16 volumes by the Banner of Truth Trust. If you are going to read something before the end comes, read your Bible and John Owen. Why not? It can’t hurt you.

I think I have mentioned many years ago when I was deep in sin the Lord used Owen’s treatise “An Exposition Upon Psalm CXXX” found in volume 6 Temptation And Sin in THE WORKS OF JOHN OWEN to show me that the Lord could forgive me of my horrible sins. I have been reading Owen off and on for many years.

I quote in my blogs the Epistle to the Hebrews a lot. I have in my hermit cell John Owen’s seven volume set AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. You should read Owen on Hebrews 4:14-16 sometime/found in Volume IV 3:7-5:14.

It is going on 5:50 AM Sunday morning. Next Sunday we will be in the month of May 2009.

Well what else is on my mind at this early hour of the day? I should go upstairs and eat something. I am sure the Sunday morning newspapers have come by now. Carol works this morning till 8 o’clock AM. The days are flying by so fast!

I keep remembering a book in my cell titled “The True Christian’s Love To The Unseen Christ” by Thomas Vincent (1634-1678) reprinted by Soli Deo Gloria. I will quote from this slim volume before going off—

SECTION XVI
Having given directions how you may attain the truth of love to Christ where you are without it, I come now to give directions how you may attain much of this love to Christ where you have it but in a low degree and weak measure. Would you attain much love to Christ?

DIRECTION 1. Be much in contemplation of Christ. Consider often what motives there are of love in Him; press them upon your spirits, and labor to awaken and rouse up your hearts unto the vigorous exercise of this love. Spend time in secret retirement, and there think and think again of the superlative excellencies and perfections which are in Christ’s person; how wonderful and matchless His love is, what heights that cannot be reached, what depths in it that cannot be fathomed, what other dimensions which cannot be comprehended. Meditate often on His benefits, how incomparable His love-token is; and, while you are looking, you may feel your hearts leaping. While you are taking a view of Him, before you are aware, your hearts, like the chariots of Aminadab, may run unto Him, O the ravishments of love! The transports of soul which some believers have found in their retired thoughts and views of Christ!

Get often into the mount of divine contemplation, and there look upwards unto heaven and think with yourselves, “Yonder, yonder, above the shining sun, is the more glorious Son of righteousness. There, at the right hand of the throne of God, is my beloved Jesus, the Son of God, seated and, though He is so high above me, both in place and dignity, yet He thinks upon me, and pleads for me, and many a gift has He sent and, by His Spirit, conveyed unto me; and I can ask nothing of the Father in His name but, if it is really for my good, I have it by His means.”

O dear Jesus, how lovely art Thou in Thyself! The darling of heaven! The delight of the Father! The admiration of angels! O what brightness of glory, what shining luster art Thou arrayed with! Thou art clothed with most excellent majesty and honor! Thou art girded with infinite might and power! The beauty of Thy face is most wonderful! The smiles of Thy countenance are most sweet and delightful! And does this lovely fair one, this fairest of ten thousand, this most excellent and altogether lovely person bear a particular love to me? To such a vile worm as me? To such a dead dog as me? To such an undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinner as me? O what marvelous kindness in this! What infinite riches of free grace! Does he know me by name? Has He given Himself for me, and given Himself to me, and shall not I give Him my heart? Am I written in His book, redeemed with His blood, clothed with His righteousness, beautified with His image? Has He put the dignity of a child of God upon me, and prepared a place in the Father’s house for me? O wonderful! O admirable! What shall I render? What returns shall I make?

Had I a thousand tongues, should I not employ them all in speaking His praise? Had I a thousand hearts, should I not present them all as too mean for a thank-offering unto Him? And yet am I slow, slow of heart to love this dear and sweet Jesus? Awake, O my soul! Awake from your dullness and stupidity! Shake off the sleep which glues your eyelids so close together, shake out the dust of the earth which has gotten into your eyes, and keeps you from the view of your beloved. Arise, O my soul, and lift up yourself; unfetter the feet, unclog yourself, take the wing, and mount up above the sky and visible heavens, even to the place where the lovely and dear Jesus is! Take your leave of the world and all things therein. Bid farewell to the flattering honors, the deceitful riches, the glancing pleasures that are here below; bid adieu to them, and leave them to those who place their chief happiness in them.

If earth had your body for awhile, yet let it have your heart and chief affections no more. Come, O my soul! Ascend, and soar aloft unto the heaven of heavens. The way unto the Holy of Holies is accessible. The veil is rent, the Forerunner is entered, and you may also have entrance, too, with your thoughts, and desires, and loves, and hopes, and joys. There you may see, and view, and admire, and embrace your dearest Lord. There your heart may find a fit object for its love, even your dearest Lord Jesus, who will not reject and despise you, but give kind entertainment unto your love, and withal give the fullest and sweetest returns. There your heart may find a room to dispose of itself, and not only a lodging like that of a wayfaring man for a night, but a habitation wherein to dwell and to take up its eternal abode. Let your heart be your forerunner so that, when your body drops off from you, you may know where to take yourself, and find ready entertainment there where your heart has been long before. . .” pg. 75-77 Thomas Vincent

It is 4:33 PM Saturday evening. Carol has gone to bed for day. She has to be at work at Midnight tonight. I have been reading “The Magic Mountain” this afternoon. Now I am down in the basement thinking I might take a nap. It has been storming all afternoon here by Lake Michigan. I have been looking at a sermon titled THE SAVING SIGHT; OR, A VIEW OF GOD IN CHRIST in volume 5 of “The Works of Ralph Erskine.” I quoted earlier from this volume on the gradual conquest of the heavenly Canaan. I can not remember the last time I read the sermons of Ralph Erskine? It must have been a very long ago. I use to be really into the Scottlish Marrow Men like Thomas Boston and Ralph Erskine. In seminary I did a paper on the Marrow Controversy or did I do that term paper while in Bible college? I do not remember right now. I have in my library “The Complete Works of Thomas Boston” 12 Volumes. I was really into Thomas Boston when I was a student at Reformed Bible College over 30 years ago. How many Christians today read Thomas Boston or Ralph Erskine? How many Christians read St. John of the Cross? Years ago I use to attend the Free Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Mich. where the minister Rev. Pronk preached the Gospel like Erskine and Boston. Maybe I should listen to a sermon by Pronk tomorrow? Here some old gospel preaching instead of my own inner voice. Anyway I will once again quote some Erskine from his sermon THE SAVING SIGHT—

“2. Hence we may infer, both the greatness of the glory of God, that is represented to us by such an one as Christ, and the greatness of the grace of God, in providing such a representative, in whom we might see his glorious perfections, as his eternal Son, in our nature. To see the natural sun shining in its strength, would spoil the sight of the strongest eye; but to look on it through a vail is not offensive. If God should manifest himself in his naked glory, we would be dazzled and confounded; but to look to God in our nature, bringing down his glory to our eye, it invites us to behold it. “God manifested in the flesh;” O sirs, wonder and be amazed, that God will, in a manner, be no more God, but take another nature, rather than that the brightness of his own glory should undo us! O how willing is he to reveal and make himself known to poor sinners that had lost sight of him, in that he exhibits Christ, the brightness of his glory to us, that in him we may see all his glory?

3. Do they who see Christ, see the Father? Hence learn the preciousness of Christ. As in his oneness, with the Father, we may see his infinite glorious excellency in himself; so in his representing the Father to us we may see the infinite preciousness of Christ, and the excellency of the knowledge of him; and the necessity of this knowledge unto us; as he is the notable mirror, and looking-glass, wherein God is to be seen; such a living mirror as can discover itself, and bring men to look unto it. O wonderful mirror! God in our nature representing God in his nature and perfections, and saying, “Look to me, and be saved; for I am God, and there is none else!” O the preciousness of Christ, in whom all the beams of divine glory are contracted, that we may see and look upon them through the vail of his flesh, because we could not endure one glance of the immediate rays of the divine glory!

O precious Christ, as he is thus the only way to the Father! God could get glory to his justice in our destruction; but behold his wonderful love, in laying his Son as a bridge betwixt him and us, that we might return to God upon him. And, O the wonderful love of Christ, that he was content to stoop so low! May not all the creation of God wonder at this? Angels are wondering; and what are we doing that are more concerned than they?

O precious Christ, as he is the only meeting-place where God meets with us; and we with him! In him we see God, and God sees us; we cannot see God savingly, but in him; and God cannot look on us favourably but in him: for, he is the temple where God dwells, and manifests his glory. Where can we meet with God, but in a place where alone we can see God? O precious Christ, in respect of the glory and honour that the Father hath given him as Mediator! As he is the Son of God, “The Father, who hath life in himself, have given him to have life in himself,” John v. 26. As he is the Sent of God, “All power in heaven and earth is given unto him;” and particularly he is crowned with this glory and honour, of being the visible image of the invisible God, and if all the divine glory. O the preciousness of Christ, when such beauty is in him? It is a promise of the New Testament days, “Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty.” What is this beauty of king JESUS, but that God is in him, and all his glory to be seen in him? God is said, under the law, to have dwelt in thick darkness; but now, when the Son of God hath appeared in the flesh, in the discharge of his office, the Son of righteousness hath arisen in his strength and beauty. . .” pg. 328,329 Ralph Erskine Vol. 5 THE WORKS OF RALPH ERSKINE

Many years ago I read Thomas Boston (1676-1732) [read about Boston, Erskine brothers Ralph and Ebenezer and the Marrow Controversy in the "Dictionary of Scottish Church History & Theology"] when I was just getting into Calvinism/Reformed theology. I had way back in the late 1970’s I read Boston’s famous treatise “Human Nature in its Four Fold State” (found in Volume 8 COMPLETE WORKS OF THOMAS BOSTON). I had a Banner of Truth Trust edition paperback of “Human Nature in its Four Fold State” Now I have Boston’s Complete Works in hardback. I bought this set of Boston’s Works when I was in Bible college in the 80’s. In Bible college I remember a group of guys meeting together once a week to read Boston’s Works or was it Calvin’s Commentaries? My memory is failing in my old age. It has been years since I have read Boston. But one can not go wrong reading the old 17th century Scottish divines like Thomas Boston, Ralph Erskine and Ebenezer Erskine. In my book collection I have one old volume of sermons by Ebenezer Erskine (I wish I had his all his writings. But I am thankful I have his brother Ralph’s Works in my hermit hut).

While we were at Reformed Theological Seminary I took a class titled Scottish Theology with Dr. Douglas Kelly. We had to read Ebenezer Erskine’s sermon which I think was titled “The assurance of faith, opened and applied” which is found in the volume of sermons I personally have right before me “The Whole Works Of The Rev. Ebenezer Erskine, Minister Of The Gospel At Stirling. Consisting Of Sermons And Discourses” In Three Volumes Volume 1 published in 1836. All I have is volume 1 and not volumes 2 & 3, how sad!

One of my favorite old books is titled “Gospel Truth Accurately Stated And Illustrated” by The Reverend Messrs. James Hog, Thomas Boston, Ebenezer And Ralph Erskine, And Others; Occasioned By The Republication Of The Marrow Of Modern Divinity. Collected by John Brown Minister of The Gospel, Whitburn published in 1827. Here is a quote from this old book Extracts from Boston Report of the Gospel, &c.

FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
1. The gospel is a report from heaven of salvation for poor sinners, from sin and from the wrath of God; however dear bought, yet freely made over to you in the word of promise, so as that ye may freely take possession of it. This report being brought to the sinner, faith trusts it as a true report, believing that God has said it; and trusts to it as good, laying our salvation upon it. So the soul greedily embraceth the Saviour, and the salvation brought to it in that report, as ever a drowning man would take hold of a rope let down to bring him out of the waters.

2. The gospel is the report of a crucified Christ made over to sinners, as the device of Heaven for their salvation. It is a proclaimed by the authority of Heaven, that Christ has died, and by his death purchased life and salvation for lost children of Adam; and that they and every one of them may have free and full access to him. Faith trusting this report as true and good, the soul concludes the Saviour is mine, and leans to him for all the purchase of his death, for life and salvation to itself in particular.

3. The gospel is the report of a righteousness, wherein guilty ones may stand before an holy God. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; and by faith one believes there is such a righteousness, that is sufficient to cover him, and that it is held out to be trusted on for righteousness, and so the believer trusts it as his righteousness in the sight of God, disclaiming all other, and betaking himself to it alone.

4. The gospel is the report of pardon, under the great seal of heaven, in Christ, to all who will take it in him. “Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things.” This pardon is proclaimed openly by the authority of Heaven, full and free, without exception of any of lost Adam’s race, to whom the report comes The soul by faith believes this to be true, and applies it to itself, saying, ‘This pardon is for me, it is good and suitable to my case. I will therefore lean to this word of God that cannot lie.”

5. The gospel is the report of a physician, that cures all the diseases of the soul infallibly and freely, and respect no patients. The soul believes it, and applies it to his own case, and says, ‘Then I will trust him for removing the stony heart out of my flesh, for curing me of the falling evil of backsliding, the fever of raging corruption, the running issue of the predominant lust, and the universal corruption of my nature.’

6. The gospel is the report of a feast for hungry souls, to which all are bid welcome, Christ himself being the matter and maker of it too. The soul, weary of the husks of created things, and believing this report, accordingly falls a-feeding on Christ, his flesh which is meat indeed, and his blood which is drink indeed, believing and applying to itself all that Christ was, did, and suffered, as that whereof the soul shall reap the benefit, which is the feeding by faith on a slain Saviour.

7. The gospel is the report of a treasure. In it are the precious promises, within them precious Christ, with his merit, like the gold mentioned in Rev. iii.10, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich.” The field it is hid in may be yours, (in possession,) the gospel offers you the covenant as that field. Faith believes this report, and the soul lays hold on the covenant and trusts entirely to the treasure hid there, for the payment of all its debts, for its through-bearing during life and through death, and for procuring it eternal happiness.

8. The gospel is the report of a victory won by Jesus Christ over sin, Satan, death, and the world, and that in favour of all that will join the glorious Conqueror. Faith believes this report, and trusts to it for its victory over all these, as already foiled enemies. To name no more, the gospel is the report of peace, purchased by the blood of Christ for poor sinners, and offered to them. Faith believes it, and trusting to it, the soul comes before God as a reconciled Father in Christ, brings in its supplications for supply before the throne, believing the communication to be opened between heaven and them, which during the war was blocked up. Sermons on Isa. liii. 1 Thomas Boston

Well it is now 6:08 PM time to rest.