'Voices From The Past' Vol. 1 — July 4

There are rocks and quicksands that faith must take the utmost care to avoid. (1.) Watch for distracting cares (Phil. 4:6). God who feeds the sparrow will provide. (2.) Watch carnal counsel, and do not trust in man or fleshly help. To pursue deliverance by unlawful means is to fish with a gold hook only to catch a gudgeon; it might preserve the body, but destroy the soul. (3.) Do not limit the Holy One of Israel to only one manner of deliverance. Naaman wanted the prophet to wave a hand over the leper to heal him. (4.) Watch impatient fretting, murmuring, and quarrelling against God's dispensation. This was poor Jonah's great stumble: his anger, unto death for the withering of the gourd. (5.) Don't doubt God's love under sufferings. God's heart cannot be understood infallibly from his action. Faith many times discovers love in God's heart when it sees nothing but frowns on his forehead. The ballast of faith runs in a different current than these. It runs in the current of contentment (Phil. 4:11) and of humility. Humility steadies the soul and makes it ride out the storm. Pride swells the heart and makes it unable to bear any burden laid upon it. Faith also runs in the current of heavenly mindedness. It savours, and sets its affection on things above. A faith infected with heavenly mindedness flies high and looks beyond the stars. It only needs a little of the dregs of earth to pass its worldly pilgrimage. Faith looks for the hand of heaven in the events of life. It looks beyond to the heart of God. 'The Lord took away' said Job. God always acts from love, and the saints' good is always the end of his dispensations. Faith's heart is upon future glory. Christ went from a cross to paradise; so do Christians. The cross today, the crown of life tomorrow (James 1:12).

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Devotional Readings 'Voices From The Past Vol.1.'
Thomas Lye, Puritan Sermons 1659-1689, I:392-400
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