'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — February 3

The ways of God are righteous ways, blessed ways, and they bring in temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings upon all who walk in them. His ways lead to righteousness, to the love and delight of righteousness, and to the practice of righteousness. As for the ways of profaneness, pride, hypocrisy, formality, and apostasy, these are not the ways of God. They are unrighteous ways, cursed ways, and they bring nothing but curses and crosses upon all who walk in them. Those that walk in these ways are in no way secure, but always liable to the thunderbolts of divine displeasure. But the ways of God are soul-refreshing ways. O they yield the soul an abundance of refreshment and sweetness! If a man's soul is tired and weary, the ways of the Lord will refresh it; if it is dead and dull, the ways of the Lord will quicken it; if it is fainting, the ways of the Lord will be comforting to it. The ways of the Lord are transcendent ways. They excel all others. What is darkness to light? What are pebbles to pearls? What is dross to gold? ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways...For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways' (Isa. 55:8-9). The ways of the Lord are afflicted, perplexed, and persecuted ways. ‘For the gate is narrow' (Matt. 7:14)—the word means afflicted—the way is made narrow by afflictions, troubles and persecutions. The ways of God are soul-strengthening ways. They confirm the upright in heart, and make the upright strong: strong to withstand temptations, strong to conquer corruptions, strong to rejoice under afflictions, strong to perform the most heavenly duties, and strong to improve the most spiritual mercies.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
Thomas Brooks, Works, VI:342-343
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