Cut Off Goliath's Head

Our Eternal Hope

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him." Psalm 62:5

The hope here meant, is a sure looking for good things promised, through those promises, with love, desire, and valuing of them. Hope has its degrees, as faith also. The promise of blessedness God has made to believers is from God's eternal purpose, settled between the eternal Father, Son, and Spirit. These promises of God may safely be depended upon; for here we have two things which cannot change, the counsel and the oath of God, in which it is not possible for God to lie; the destruction of the unbeliever, and the salvation of the believer, are alike certain. Here observe, those to whom God has given full security of happiness, have a title to the promises by inheritance. The consolations of God are strong enough to support his people under their heaviest trials. Here is a refuge for all sinners who flee to the mercy of God, through the redemption of Christ, according to the covenant of grace, laying aside all other confidences. We are in this world as a ship at sea, tossed up and down, and in danger of being cast away. We need an anchor to keep us sure and steady. Gospel hope is our anchor in the storms of this world. It is sure and steadfast, or it could not keep us so. The free grace of God, the merits and mediation of Christ, and the powerful influences of his Spirit, are the grounds of this hope, and so it is a steadfast hope. Christ is the object and ground of the believer's hope. Let us therefore set our affections on things above, and wait patiently for his appearance, when we shall certainly appear with him in glory.

~Matthew Henry's Daily Readings, September 19th

Increasing

Does Jesus Care?

William Carey, Part 4

Quotes from the first converts of William Carey's ministry in India:

• "I have been the greatest of sinners, but I wish only to think of the death of Christ. I rejoice that I can no longer despise the Gospel." ~Gokool
• "I have this week been thinking of the power of God, that he can do all things; and of the necessity of minding all his commands. I have thought also of my mother a great deal, who is now become old, and who is constantly crying about me, thinking that I have dishonored the family and am lost. Oh that I could but once go and tell her of the good news, as well as my brothers and sisters, and open their eyes to the way of salvation!" ~Krishna
• "In my mind there is this: I see that all the idols are nothing, and that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. If I can believe in him, and walk in his commandments, it may be well with me." ~Ram
• "I am a great sinner; yet I wish continually to think of the death of Christ." ~Rasoo
• "In this country there are many ways; the ways of idols. Yet all these are in vain. Jesus Christ's death, and Jesus Christ's commands--this is the way of life! I long to see Christ's kingdom grow. Yet the blessing does not come from us: God can bless the weakest of our words." ~Jeymooni

Under Trial

"Let us then, when ready to faint under trials, look unto Jesus, and by faith and prayer cast ourselves upon the mercy of God." ~Matthew Henry

William Carey Part 3

For seven years Carey had daily preached Christ in Bengali without a convert. He had produced the first edition of the New Testament. He had reduced the language to literary form. He had laid the foundations in the darkness of the pit of Hinduism, while the Northamptonshire pastors, by prayer and self sacrifice, held the ropes. It was on the last Sunday of the year 1800 when Krishna Pal, Carey's first Hindu convert, was baptized, and his whole family soon followed him. He was thirty-five years of age. Not only was he the first native Christian of North India of whom we have a reliable account, but he was the first missionary to Calcutta and Assam, and the first Bengali hymn-writer.

Sore sickness and a sense of sin had led him to join Brahmanism. For sixteen years Krishna Pal was himself a faithful follower. He recovered from sickness, but could not shake off the sense of the burden of sin, when this message came to him, and, to his surprise, through the Europeans--"Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." At the same time he happened to dislocate his right arm by falling down the slippery side of his tank when about to bathe. He sent two of the children to the Mission House for Dr Thomas, who immediately left the breakfast table and reduced the injury, while the sufferer again heard the good news that Christ was waiting to heal his soul, and he and his neighbor Gokool received a Bengali tract. Krishna later told the story: "In this paper I read that he who confesseth and forsaketh his sins, and trusteth in the righteousness of Christ, obtains salvation. The next morning Mr Carey came to see me, and after inquiring how I was, told me to come to his house, that he would give me some medicine, by which, through the blessing of God, the pain in my arm would be removed. I went and obtained the medicine, and through the mercy of God my arm was cured. From this time I made a practice of calling at the mission house where Mr Carey would read and expound the Bible to me. I said I understood that the Lord Jesus Christ gave his life up for the salvation of sinners, and that I believed it, and so did my friend Gokool." Krishna and his wife, their four daughters, and his sister-in-law; Gokool, his wife, and a widow of forty who lived beside them, formed the first group of caste Christians in India north of Madras.

Jeymooni, Krishna's sister-in-law, was the first Bengali woman to be baptized. Rasoo, Krishna's wife, soon followed; both were thirty five years old. The former said she had found a treasure in Christ greater than anything in the world. The latter, when she first heard the good news from her husband, said "there was no such sinner as I, and I felt my heart immediately unite to Him. I wish to keep all His commands so far as I know them."

Following the baptism of Krishna, Gokool, and their families, Carey writes: "Thus, you see, God is making way for us, and giving success to the word of his grace! We have toiled long, and have met with many discouragements; but at last, the Lord has appeared for us.

Meeting God

Let us acknowledge God's power and goodness in what he did for Israel, applying it to that much greater work of wonder, our redemption by Christ; and encourage ourselves and others to trust in God in the greatest straits. When Christ comes for the salvation of his people, he redeems them from the power of sin and Satan, separates them from an ungodly world, forms them to be his people, and becomes their King. There is no sea, no Jordan, so deep, so broad, but when God's time is come, it shall be divided and driven back. Apply this to planting the Christian church in the world. What ailed Satan and his idolaters that they trembled as they did? But especially apply it to the work of grace in the heart. What turns the stream in a regenerate soul? What affects the lusts and corruptions that they fly back; that prejudices are removed, and the whole man becomes new? It is at the presence of God's Spirit. At the presence of the Lord, not only mountains, but the earth itself may well tremble, since it has lain under a curse for man's sin. As the Israelites were protected, so they were provided for by miracles; such was that fountain of waters into which the flinty rock was turned, and that rock was Christ. The Son of God, the Rock of Ages, gave himself to death, to open a fountain to wash away sins and to supply believers with waters of life and consolation; and they need not fear that any blessing is too great to expect from his love...Let us now prepare to meet our God, that we may have boldness before him at his coming.

~Matthew Henry's Daily Thoughts, September 3rd

William Carey, Part 2

It has been a while since I posted Part 1 of William Carey, the missionary to India, but I've finally gathered more material from his biography. Here is a an excerpt from his writings:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Let us often look at Brainerd in the woods of America, pouring out his very soul before God for the perishing heathen, without whose salvation nothing could make him happy. Prayer, secret, fervent believing prayer, lies at the root of all personal godliness. A competent knowledge of the languages current where a missionary lives, a mild and winning temper, and a heart given up to God in closet religion; these, these are the attainments which, more than all knowledge or all other gifts, will fit us to become the instruments of God in the great work of human redemption. Finally, let us give ourselves unreservedly to this glorious cause. Let us never think that our time, our gifts, our strength, our families, or even the clothes we wear are our own. Let us sanctify them all to God and his cause. Oh that He may sanctify us for His work! Let us forever shut out the idea of laying up a cowry for ourselves or our children. Let us continually watch against a worldly spirit, and cultivate a Christian indifference towards every indulgence. Rather let us bear hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.....No private family ever enjoyed a greater portion of happiness, even in the most prosperous gale of worldly prosperity, than we have done since we resolved to have all things in common. If we are enabled to persevere in the same principles, we may hope that multitudes of converted souls will have reason to bless God to all eternity for sending His Gospel into this country."

Consider Jesus

Today in my reading I spent time in Hebrews chapter 3 and was in awe of one particular verse. I've read it many times but for some reason the Lord especially impressed it on my heart today. It says: "...Consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to him who appointed him..." Hebrews 3:1 & 2 This got me thinking about how much better off we would be if we would only consider Jesus more often. Consider Jesus when you are tempted; consider Jesus when you are looking to self; consider Jesus when in deep trial; consider Jesus when being accused by the devil; consider Jesus when the world allures you; consider Jesus when your thoughts would be consumed by some other thing; consider Jesus when an idol competes for attention; consider Jesus when in need of rest and peace; consider Jesus when thinking on your soul; consider Jesus when desiring to be more holy; consider Jesus when repenting of sin; consider Jesus when giving thanks for his many graces. Why? Because he is the apostle and high priest of our confession. Everything should center around him who is able to cleanse from sin, able to keep you from falling, able to cause grace to abound, able to shine his marvelous light into the darkest of hearts. And because he was faithful to Him who appointed him. Have you ever thought about what would have happened if Jesus had not been found faithful? There would be no perfect substitute, no atonement, no risen savior, no justification, no regenerate hearts, no redemption for sinners, no one to remove the deep stain, no communion with God, no remnant set apart for glory. When thinking of all that has been done for your soul, your redemption from a life of sin, your cleansing of filthy garments, your heart of stone replaced with flesh, your communion with the living God, don't forget to consider Jesus, who through death on a cross and resurrection into glory made all these miraculous things possible.