HeadTheology

Ch. 15 - The Righteous And The Wicked Discerned
From The Great Gain of Godliness, by Thomas Watson

“Christ said of his suffering on the cross, ‘It is finished’; but sinners shall never say of their sufferings in hell, they are finished.” -p.153

“Oh, that the eyes of sinners may be speedily opened, that they may in time see the difference of things, the beauty that is in holiness, and the astonishing madness that is sin.” -p.153

Ch. 16 - A Consolation In Affliction

“God’s people often fail to respond to his love; but though they deal badly with God, God deals well with them.” -p.155

“David does not say, ‘It is good for me that I have been in prosperity’, but ‘that I have been afflicted’.” -p.157

“When prosperity makes grace rust, God scours us with affliction.” -p.157

“Either he will make our yoke lighter, or our faith stronger.” -p.158

“Prosperity, like opium, is ready to make men fall asleep in sin.  God awakens them by the voice of the rod, and so prevents a spiritual lethargy.” -p.158

“The godly have Christ to pray for them, in their afflictions; but the impenitent when in torment, are shut out of Christ’s prayer, ‘I pray not for the world’ (John 17:9).” -p.162

“But this is our sin, we grieve more for one loss than we are for a hundred mercies.” -p.162

“God never promised us a charter of exemption from trouble, but he has promised to be with us in trouble.” -p.163

“When saints taste most of the wrath of men, they shall feel most of the love of God.” -p.164

“God will love forever, but not afflict forever; he will before long give his people a writ of ease.  A sinner’s best, and a saint’s worst, are but short.” -p.164

“Oh, let us take heed of having harsh thoughts of God.  The patient has no cause to think badly of the physician when he prescribes him a bitter potion, seeing it is in order to a cure.  God’s afflictive providences are the strokes of a father, not the wounds of an enemy.  Out of the bitterest drug God distills his glory, and our happiness.” -p.165