Category Archives: Book Review

Pious Sorrow

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The great Princeton theologian Charles Hodge wrote the following to his brother who had just lost a son:

“Pious sorrow, that is sorrow mingled with pious feeling, with resignation, confidence in God, hope in his mercy and love, is [in] every way healthful to the soul; while melancholy is irreligious, and is a cancer to true peace and spiritual health. The great means of having our sorrow kept pure is to keep near to God, to feel assured of his love, that he orders all things well, and will make even our afflictions work out for us a far more exceeding and an eternal weight of glory.”

This is cited in W. Andrew Hoffecker’s Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton (p. 220). All true believers can attest to the truth of Hodge’s statement. Our answer is always our God and in order to keep our sorrows pure we must be “near to God.” When we commune with our Savior, we find comfort and strength in the midst of heavy sorrow. Only His everlasting shoulders can bear our heavy burdens.

This book has been a rich blessing. It is well researched and bound to be one of the standard biographies on Charles Hodge. It is 460 pages long (with the index). However, the book only goes to 360 pages;  add about 70 pages of endnotes, 17 pages for the bibliography and additional pages  for the index. For those who may understand, this book confirms my conviction that true Presbyterians are always new side – old school!

Lessons from John Newton’s Letters

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Lessons from Newton’s Letters to John Ryland[1]

John Newton (1725-1807), Richard Cecil (1748-1810), and Henry Venn (1724-1797) of the late eighteenth century are some of the most judicious men I have read. Though I have read more on Newton than the other two, there is something common to all three. They all possessed good sound judgment on Christian experience and on religious duties. On this side of the Atlantic, we could add another person and that would be Archibald Alexander (1772-1851). To me, these all demonstrated similar wisdom. They were balanced, measured, mature, and lighted with good sound wisdom.

These extracts convey something of Newton’s sound advice to young John Ryland (1753-1825). These letters immensely helped Ryland and others to whom Newton wrote. Many of them ended up being published. In the product description of this book, it says that John Newton

has rightly been called ‘the letter-writer par excellence of the Evangelical Revival’. Newton himself seems to have come to the conclusion, albeit reluctantly, that letter-writing was his greatest gift. In a letter to a friend he confessed, ‘I rather reckoned upon doing more good by some of my other works than by my ‘Letters’, which I wrote without study, or any public design; but the Lord said, ‘You shall be most useful by them,’ and I learned to say, ‘Thy will be done! Use me as Thou pleasest, only make me useful.’

These were some of the things that did my soul much good this past week. Meditating on these thoughts from his letters should help us all.

 

A Believer’s Frame[2]

This letter answers a question raised by John Ryland about what a person is to do when he finds himself “always still, quiet, and stupid” in spiritual terms. That is, what is one to do when he lacks spiritual earnestness? These are some of Newton’s answers to Ryland’s query. Since the matter is universal, Newton published his answer for the benefit of a larger audience.

1. A warning is given. What would happen if a believer never found himself “occasionally poor, insufficient, and … stupid?” If someone was always spiritually enlarged, he would be in danger of being “puffed up with spiritual pride.” In turn, he would be less aware of his absolute dependence of or need for Christ. Ryland, as a preacher, could not experimentally address others about these spiritual struggles if he never underwent these difficulties.

2. Similarly, Newton points out that the angel who appeared to Cornelius did not preach to him. One of the reasons for this is quite interesting: “For though the glory and grace of the Saviour seems fitter subject for an angel’s powers than for the poor stammering tongues of sinful men, yet an angel could not preach experimentally, nor describe the warfare between grace and sin from his own feelings.” (34)

3. Furthermore, this concern about one spiritual frame is actually good. A conscious desire for a taste of God’s presence and grieving over our lack of spiritual ardor suggests that the foundation is good. “And the heart may be as really alive to God, and grace as truly in exercise, when we walk in comparative darkness and see little light, as when the frame of the spirits is more comfortable. Neither the reality nor the measure of grace can be properly estimated by the degree of our sensible comforts.” (35)

Isn’t this one of the sad conditions of our soul? We thirst so little; we are so easily satisfied with so many lesser things. That a believer is concerned about his apathy and coldness is a good thing.

4. Newton says that the command to rejoice always means what it says. It is as if the Lord were saying, “I call upon you to rejoice, not at some times only, but at all times. Not only when upon the mount, but when in the valley. Not only when you conquer, but while you are fighting. Not only when the Lord shines upon you, but when he seems to hid his face.” (36)

5. There is also a requirement for us to submit to His will. That is we can earnestly call upon God to relieve us of this distress with “regulated by a due submission to his will” without the petition being “inordinate for want of such submission.” That is, God may have a purpose and sometimes our cries are simply our unwillingness to submit to him. “I have often detected the two vile abominations self-will and self-righteousness insinuating themselves into this concern.” (36) He unpacks these two “abominations” quite well.

6. Self-will. Some are unsuitably impatient and unwilling to yield themselves to God’s disposal. This is sin. God is the great physician, a wise infallible doctor to my soul. Too often we prescribe to him what the medicine ought to be. “How inconsistent to acknowledge that I am blind, to entreat him to lead me, and yet to want to choose my own way, in the same breath!”

Isn’t this all too often true? We say God is wise and our impatience and petition demands that He answer immediately in a prescribed manner. It is as if God can no good with me unless he lift this spiritual difficulty from me. Our sinful heart knows best though our lips may confess a differently theology.

7. Self-righteousness. “Again, self-righteousness has had a considerable hand in dictating many of my desires for an increase of comfort and spiritual strength. I have wanted some stock of my own. I have been wearied of being so perpetually behold to him, necessitated to come to him always in the same strain, as a poor miserable sinner. I could have liked to have done something for myself in common, and to have depended upon him chiefly upon extraordinary occasions.” (37)

Yet God would have us realize we can do absolutely nothing without him. We want our way so that we are no longer beholden to God for help. We want to be able to establish our own righteousness in one way or another. Our gracious Lord wants us to depend upon him for the most basic needs as well as the most spiritual.

 

Delusive Impressions[3]

It is not clear what it was Sally Luddington actually intimated from the impressions she received. She seems to have concluded that the Lord was leading her to do something by these spiritual impressions (or delusions). Newton’s comments on this are very instructive.

Texts of Scripture brought powerfully to the heart are very desirable and pleasant, if their tendency is to humble us, to give us more feeling sense of the preciousness of Christ, or of the doctrines of grace; if they make sin more hateful, enliven our regard to the means, or increase our confidence in the power and faithfulness of God. But if they are understood as intimating our path of duty in particular circumstances, or confirming us in purposes we may have already formed, not otherwise clearly warranted by the general strain of the word, or by the leadings of Providence, they are for the most part ensnaring, and always to be suspected. Nor does their coming to the mind at the time of prayer give them more authority in this respect. When the mind is intent upon any subject, the imagination is often watchful to catch at anything which may seem to countenance the favourite pursuit. It is too common to ask counsel of the Lord when we have already secretly determined for ourselves. And in this disposition we may easily be deceived by the sound of a text of Scripture, which, detached from the passage in which it stands, may seem remarkably to tally with our wishes. Many have been deceived this way. And sometimes, when the even has shown them they were mistaken, it has opened a door for great distress, and Satan has found occasion to make them doubt even of their most solid experiences. (55-56)

This is sound advice. Matters regarding marriage, job decisions, ministry opportunities, major financial purchases, new career paths, etc. have forced earnest Christians to seek the Lord’s counsel. In such circumstances, some professing believers have been “led” by strange means.

1. Whatever the impression, if they contribute to the above examples (love for Christ, etc.), then little or no harm can come from it and is most likely of God.

2. Newton recognizes that the heart is deceitful and if there is something upon which our hearts are really set, then “spiritual” or “scriptural” support can easily be found. He says they are “for the most part ensnaring, and always to be suspected.” Let us always doubt ourselves in these matters. Some look to the Word, read providence, seek counsel with a special bent to garner support for their precommitted decision.

3. Lastly, notice the dangerous result. If Satan misleads us or if we are simply misled by our foolish fancy, then Satan will cause us to “doubt even [our] most solid experiences.” There are some who are so gun shy after being duped by enthusiasm (“spiritual” emotionalism), they doubt all manner of solid Christian experience and thus fall into another error.

 

A Great Stroke

In this letter, Newton writes of a “great stroke” on the church by taking an eminent saint home (he already wrote about other dear saints recently taken home). This is one of his comments regarding that as he spiritually reflects on it:  “Thus the Lord is pleased to take of some of his most eminent servants in the height of their usefulness, to caution those who are left not to presume upon their fancied importance. He can do without the best of us.” (63)

In the church, in our lives, etc. God would have us lean on Him and not on the flesh. Nothing or no one is more important than our God. God will take all good things away so that our hearts would be wrapped up in Him.

[1] From John Newton, Wise Counsel – John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr., ed. Grant Gordon (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2009).

[2] A very practical letter and one which addresses a common struggle of all believers. It can be found in his Works I:253-61.

[3] This letter is found on pp. 55-57; in Newton’s Works, 2:116-20.

 

[Adult Sunday School Lesson, Oct. 9, 2011]

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, A Study Guide, Lesson 2

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STUDY SESSION 2

Introduction (pp. 27-41)

Christian meets Goodwill and the Interpreter in this section. In addition, he will cast off his burdens. He has already been misled by Mr. Worldly-wise and will meet someone who will give him better counsel. In a sense, that is what this section is all about, namely, we should receive good instruction in our Christian walk. Bad counsel can lead to the “Slough of Despond” so we should heed godly warnings and instructions.

 

Readers

Goodwill (27)

Christian (27)

Interpreter (29)

Man in an Iron Cage (only 34-5)

Man rising out of Bed (35)

Simple, Sloth, & Presumption (39- very brief)

Formalist (39)

Hypocrisie (39)

 

Vocabulary

Dives (32) = rich man (Latin divitiae)

amity (32) = a friendly relationship (Latin amicus)

Professor (34) = one who professes to be a Christian. Puritans usually used the word negatively.

Garner (36) = granary or grain bin

Fatt (39) = this is apparently a proverb, “every tub”, ergo, “everyone must look after himself” (296)

tro (40) = trow (believe, think)

 

Questions (pp. 27-41)

Page #

27        What do you think the arrows represented? (cf. Eph. 6:16)[1]

28        Good Will’s words “…is the coelestial Glory of so small esteem with him, that he counteth it not worth running the hazards of a few difficulties to obtain it?” are important. Isn’t this way reasoning applicable to all who forsake the faith?

29        Note, he went through the wicket gate. Why was the burden not lifted? Good or bad? (see Observations & Notes on “Burden Loosed” or see question on p. 37 below)

30        Interpreter explains the picture. Who do you think the Interpreter represents? [see Observations & Notes]

30        Explain what Interpreter means when he says, “…is the only Man, whom the Lord of the Place…hath Authorized, to be thy Guide in all difficult places thou mayest meet with in the way…”[2]

30-1     Dust in the Parlor represents original sin. How does the “law” give strength to sin?

31-2     One room leads Christian to “two little Children” named Patience and Passion. What does “Passion” represent and is it an apt name?[3] Why do you think Passion “laughed Patience to scorn”? Why is Patience better off? (see Luke 16:19ff.)

32-3     “Fire burning against a Wall” — what role does the devil play in this picture? Who is the man behind the wall and explain the image? What is the point of the man behind the wall?[4]

33        The story of the “Palace” should be simple to understand. What does it mean?

34        “Man in an Iron Cage” How did he become a “Man of Despair”? Can this happen? Explain his answer to the question, “Is there no hope but you must be kept in this Iron Cage of Despair.”

35-6     A man rose from his bed and was frightened of what he saw. What did he see that made him afraid? Are Christians supposed to live in fear like this?

37        Christian came to the Cross and “his burden loosed from off his Shoulders.”  What is the meaning of this? (see margin) What does it mean when he says that the sight of the Cross “should thus ease him of his burden”? Does this happen once, often, daily, etc. to a believer? (see Observations & Notes on “Burden Loosed”)

39        Simple, Sloth, and Presumption resist Christian’s warnings. Do you know of anyone like one of these? Explain each one.

40        Formality and Hypocrisie were convinced that the way they came in was tolerable. They argued, “[W]hat’s matter which way we get in? if we are in, we are in…” Is there another way of saying this same thing (as said in our generation)? Explain their discussion over the “Coat” (40).

 

Observations & Notes

Goodwill (27)

Goodwill represents the grace of God and/or the Lord Himself. On p. 27 we read: “So when Christian was stepping in, the other gave him a pull…” “The pull given by Goodwill makes it clear: it is God—not man—who opens the gate and pulls the sinner in. Just as Goodwill was the only one who could open the gate, so God alone can bring the sinner into the covenant of grace. It is true that the sinner must knock and must step in, but the faith and repentance that are required of the sinner are the gifts of God.” (Calhoun, 51)

However, Goodwill could simply be the growing conviction of the Lord’s goodness to him. A believer must be persuaded of the Lord’s goodwill towards him or he will despair. This encounter may be the growing conviction of Christian that God is merciful and gracious to the broken hearted. Nonetheless, Goodwill is most likely a reference to Christ (“I am willing with all my heart, said he” 27).

 

Interpreter (30)

Some “interpreters” of Bunyan’s work are divided. Some take him to be the Holy Spirit (Maureen Bradley, 21; Calhoun, 54) while other believers take him to be a faithful preacher of the Word of God (the editor of the edition of the book we’re studying takes it to be Bunyan’s faithful preacher, see p. 295). Alexander Whyte says that “every minister of the gospel is an interpreter, and every evangelical church is an interpreter’s house…” (Whyte, Bunyan Characters, First Series, 76) On the other hand, Bunyan does talk about the need for “illumination” (p. 29) as allegorized by the “Candle.” The Interpreter seems to illumine, just like the Holy Spirit. As he explains the various scenes, he gives illumination. We cannot be absolutely certain.

 

The Man in the Iron Cage (34-35)

This episode is considered by some to be Bunyan’s darkest picture. What exactly is the point? Most take this to be someone like Francis Spira (lived in the 1500s).[5] He was a lawyer in Italy who became one of the Protestants. However, later on he recanted and went back to the Catholic church. This apostasy is recounted in A Relation of the Fearful Estate of Francis Spira. He was remorseful but found no hope. There is another example with which Bunyan was very familiar. One of his own friend in Bedford (John Child) also died hopeless like Spira. John Child was a Baptist minister who in great fear of persecution conformed to the Church of England. John Child ended up taking his own life on Oct. 15, 1684.

Each reference to Spira is used as an example of someone who was in an irrecoverable condition. In Pilgrim’s Progress he says, “I am now a Man of Despair, and am shut up in it, as in this Iron Cage. I cannot get out; O now I cannot.” In his Grace Abounding, Bunyan himself believed that he had come to this same predicament. On reading of Spira, he feared greatly and almost despaired.

Here is the Poem that comes with the Spira story. It introduces the frightening story.

Here see a soul that’s all despair; a man

All hell; a spirit all wounds; who can

A wound spirit bear?

Reader, would’st see, what may you never feel

Despair, racks, torments, whips of burning steel!

Behold, the man’s the furnace, in whose heart

Sin hath created hell; O in each part

What flames appear:

His thoughts all stings; words, swords;

Brimstone his breath;

His eyes flames; wishes curses, life a death;

A thousand deaths live in him, he not dead;

A breathing corpse in living, scalding lead.[6]

What this man in the cage represents are those men and women who have been sealed in their unbelief. In recounting this, Christian described this man in the cage to Piety as “the Man [who] had sinned himself quite out of hopes of Gods mercy” (p. 49). Bunyan says in another place, “The day of grace ends with some men before God takes them out of this world.”[7] See Ex. 9:12, 14; Deut. 29:18-19; 1 Sam. 28:4-6; Is. 66:4; Rom. 1:28-31; 2:3-5; Eph. 4:18-19; 2 Th. 2:10-12; 1 Tim. 4:2; Heb. 6:4-6 and Jude 5, 6, 13. Thomas Scott says, “But we should leave the doom of apparent apostates to God; and improve [i.e. make use of] their example, as a warning to ourselves and others, not to venture one step in so dangerous a path.”[8]

Let us remember Esau who “found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears” (Heb. 12:17). Though we cannot determine who has fallen into this sad condition, we should take it to heart and not provoke God by our hard-heartedness. Heed Interpreter’s warning: “Let this mans misery be remembered by thee, and be an everlasting caution to thee.” (35)

 

Burden Loosed (37)

Remember, he was told “As to the burden, be content to bear it, until thou comest to the place of Deliverance; for there it will fall form thy back it self.” (29) Why did he bear it up to this time? Horner’s explanation is helpful here:

Having been directed by Good-will (Jesus Christ), burdened Christian arrives at the House of Interpreter (the Holy Spirit) for edification, in parallel with John 15:26. Here this new believer portrays Bunyan who, though still burdened, was likewise edified for his journey through the profitable instruction of Pastor John Gifford. So in Grace Abounding we are told, ‘At this time, also, I sat under the ministry of holy Mr. Gifford, whose doctrine, by God’s grace, was much for my stability.’ It is significant that the first room in Interpreter’s house displays a portrait of the godly pastor, as epitomized by Gifford, thus following very closely…the sequence of events described in Grace Abounding. For Christian, the burden remains while the balm of instruction is applied; and so he continues to struggle with temptation, troubling questions and fluctuations between hope and fear; and so it was the case with Bunyan until the cross came into clear view.

…Here Christian, like Bunyan as a believer who has at last come into a state of enlightenment, stability  and assurance, gains a much clearer understanding of the atonement, with all its attendant benefits, and especially that of the saving substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ. Thus the burden of doubt falls away…Hence it would appear that Bunyan incorporates his own testimony into the narrative of The Pilgrim’s Progress as a help to those who, like himself, have needlessly floundered. …” (Horner, 137-138)

Remember, Christian passed through the Wicket Gate, the Interpreter’s House, and then the Place of Deliverance. Not all Christians experience it that way and one need not necessarily go through the same sequence. One writer says, “Bunyan symbolically intimated that in his opinion a longer or shorter period of time will elapse between coming to Christ and possessing the comfort and assurance that one’s sins are forgiven.” (Pieter de Vries cited in Horner, 140)

[1] Spurgeon says, “Bunyan alludes to the fact that, when souls are just upon the verge of salvation, they are usually assailed by the most violent temptations. …They are seeking the Saviour; they have begun to pray; they are anxious to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; yet they are meeting with difficulties such as they never knew before, and they are almost at their wits’ end.” (Pictures from Pilgrim’s Progress, 67)

[2] Note, Christian has already met him, Evangelist.

[3] “…they must have all their good things now, they cannot stay till next Year; that is, until the next World, for their Portion of good.” (31)

[4] Note, “…that it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of Grace is maintained in the soul” (33).

[5] The dagger notation to this Oxford edition indicates this (p. 296). Bunyan refers to Spira at least five times in the course of his writings. For a superb overview of Spira and Bunyan, see Barry Horner, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress: Themes and Issues (Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press, 2003), 223-235.

[6] Cited in Horner, Themes and Issues, 230.

[7] Bunynan, Works (Offor ed.), 3:579.

[8] Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress…, with original notes by Thomas Scott (Hartford: Silas Andrus, 1830), 53.

Concerning Wild Parties, a Tavern, a Tornado, and Prayer

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This short paragraph from a book I just started reading recently contains a wonderful little anecdote about prayer. The paragraph is taken from Joel Beeke’s new book entitled, Taking Hold of God: Reformed and Puritan Perspectives on Prayer:

“A man once set up a tavern next door to a church. The wild parties, late-night hours, sinful indulgence, and morning refuse from the bar so distressed the church that people prayed God would intervene. He did. A tornado took out the tavern and left the church untouched. The tavern owner took the church to court, claiming his loss was due to the congregation’s prayers. Church members claimed innocence, saying that they had no responsibility in the tavern’s destruction. The judge marveled that an unbeliever seemed to believe in the power of prayer more than the church folk did!” (p. 238)

This little book contains twelve chapters. I read the last one first since it is a compilation of various authors on prayer. The authors deal with Calvin, Knox, Perkins, Burgess, Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Thomas Boston, and Jonathan Edwards on prayer along with a few other chapters related to prayer. The last chapter is written by Beeke entitled, “Prayerful Praying Today.” Hopefully (DV), I will be able to put up a book review sometime in the future.

All Things for Good: An Explanation and Defense of Thomas Watson’s Book

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This small book of 127 pages is packed full of good spiritual insights. The nine chapters bring out the meaning and usefulness of Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” In typical Puritan fashion, Thomas Watson divides the verse into its separate clauses. This allows him to explain the meaning and implications of each nugget of truth found in the verse.

I wanted to “explain” what the book is about and defend the general thrust of his argument. The reader can easily forget where Watson is going as he slowly works through the book. Why does he spend so much time explaining what it means to love God (ch. 4-6)? In reading the title of the book, the reader may naturally assume that the book is about how everything works for the good of believers. Watson explains what that means and how that actually happens. But what do loving God and the meaning of effectual calling have to do with this book? If we don’t keep the “big picture” before us, we’ll blunt the force of the whole argument.

I was forced to reckon with this difficulty when I could not really remember why he was dealing with loving God. I relished what I had read in the beginning but could not help myself wondering if Watson had in fact wandered from his point. After spending some time trying to unravel this “mystery,” I came to realize that I (and not he) had in fact wandered from the big picture.

We went to this book to help us understand how even the difficult things in our lives work for our good. He does that admirably. The first three chapters are the most engaging and beneficial on account of its immediate connection to our present struggles. Many of us have profited immensely from these first three chapters (pp. 9-65). But curiously, he deals with the love to God in chapters 4-6 (pp. 66-103). Why? There are two reasons for it. First and foremost is the text itself. All things work together for good to them that love God! Many people have a gut level feeling that everything will work out for good — there is no rational and theological reason for such a conviction. God never promised this to everyone without exception. God promised this to those who love Him. It is for that reason Watson spends so much time on the theme of “love to God.” If all that he had said is true about how everything works for our good, then we must first be lovers of God. The second reason this is so helpful is because of the overall objective of book. Too often we can be preoccupied with out particular plight and struggles. Our fixation on our difficulties can often draw our eyes away from God. It is good for the soul to ponder God’s love to us and our response to that love. If we do not love God, then can the things we love help and save us? Can those things or persons make all things to work for good in our lives? No. This duty of loving God is not a legalistic law — it is to our benefit that we love God. “Love to God is the best self-love. It is self-love to get the soul saved; by loving God, we forward our own salvation.” (91) Again, to turn our eyes away from self-pity and towards our relationship to God can only help us.

The Content of the Book

As I already mentioned, the first three chapters (almost half of the book) explain how all things works for good. The introduction exposits the verse while the next three chapters enlarge the truth. The first chapter explains how the “best things work for good to the godly.” God’s attributes, promises, mercies, along with the Spirit’s graces, God’s angels, communion with saints, Christ’s intercession, and the prayers of the saints all work for good. Good things will do good to believers. Watson explains how these eight things are marvelously used by God to work for our good. Most of these listed are easy to understand since we can quickly see how they work for our good. Just to give one example, when dealing with the “promises of God work for good to the godly,” he offers an example of the Lord being merciful. He says, “God is more willing to pardon than to punish. Mercy does more multiply in Him than sin in us.” (15) If we are in great trouble, there is the truth of Ps. 91:15, “I will be with him in trouble.” “God does not bring His people into troubles, and leave them there. He will stand by them; He will hold their heads and heart when they are fainting.” (16) But how do God’s promises work for our good? “They are food for faith; and that which strengthens faith works for good. The promises are the milk of faith; faith sucks nourishment from them, as the child from the breast.” (17)

The seventh example of the best things that work for good is Christ’s intercession. “Christ is not content till the saints are in His arms… when Satan is tempting, Christ is praying!” Then he uses the oft quote passage from Ambrose.

Christ’s prayer takes away the sins of our prayers. As a child, says Ambrose, that is willing to present his father with a posy [a small bunch of flowers], goes into the garden, and there gathers some flowers and some weeds together, but coming to his mother, she picks out the weeds and binds the flowers, and so it is presented to the father: thus when we have put up our prayers, Christ comes, and picks away the weeds, the sin of our prayer, and presents nothing but flowers to His Father, which are a sweet-smelling savour. (23)

The second chapter takes on the more difficult issue. What about the bad things that happen to us? Do they ALL work for good? His answer (as the theme verse indicates) is an emphatic YES! “Do not mistake me; I do not say that of their own nature the worst things are good, for they are a fruit of the curse; but though they are naturally evil, yet the wise overruling hand of God disposing and sanctifying them, they are morally good.” (25) This is an important point. Christians do not minimize the evil of some things but God is not constrained by them — He overrules them in the life of believers for their good. The evils of affliction, temptation, desertion, and of sin all work for good to the godly. We have all been instructed on how afflictions work for our good. I’ll quote just a few choice sentences.

—“As the hard frosts in winter bring on the flowers in the spring, and as the night ushers in the morning-star, so the evils of affliction produce much good to those that love God.” (27)
—“A sick-bed often teaches more than a sermon.” (27)
—“When you dig away the earth from the root of a tree, it is to loosen the tree from the earth; so God digs away our earthly comforts to loosen our hearts from the earth.” (29)

The fourth one deals with the sins of other people and our own particular sins.

The sense of their own sinfulness will be overruled for the good of the godly. Thus our own sins shall work for good. This must be understood warily, when I say the sins of the godly work for good — not that there is the least good in sin. Sin is like poison, which corrupts the blood, infects the heart, and, without a sovereign antidote, brings death. Such is the venomous nature of sin, it is deadly and damning. Sin is worse than hell, but yet God, by His mighty overruling power, makes sin in the issue turn to the good of His people.…The feeling of sinfulness in the saints works for good several ways. (48)

He gives three general points. One, sin makes us weary of this life; he longs for the day of release. Two, his sense of corruption makes the poor saint prize Christ more. “He that feels his sin, as a sick man feels his sickness, how welcome is Christ the physician to him!” (49) Three, it makes him apply himself to “six especial duties.” It makes him search himself. “It is good to know our sins, that we may not flatter ourselves, or take our condition to be better than it is. It is good to find out our sins, lest they find us out.” (49) It makes the believer abase himself — “Better is that sin which humbles me, than that duty which makes me proud.” (50) He lists four more (50-51). Lest we seek to misunderstand this, Watson also warns us at the end.

But let none ABUSE this doctrine. I do not say that sin works for good to an impenitent person. No, it works for his damnation, but it works for good to them that love God; and for you that are godly, I know you will NOT draw a wrong conclusion from this, either to make light of sin, or to make bold with sin. If you should do so, God will make it cost you dear… If any of God’s people should be tampering with sin, because God can turn it to good, though the Lord does not damn them, He may send them to hell in this life. He may put them into such bitter agonies and soul-convulsions, as may fill them full of horror, and make them draw night to despair. Let this be a flaming sword to keep them from coming near the forbidden tree. …Again, I say, THINK NOT LIGHTLY OF SIN. (51)

The third chapter answers the question “why all things work for good.” “The grand reason why all things work for good, is the near and dear interest which God has in His people.” (52) God entered into a covenant with us through Christ. Because we are His people and He our God, He will make it work for good. “If God does not give you that which you like, He will give you that which you need.” (52) He is a physician to us and knows what is best for us and “knows what will work most effectually.” “Some are of a more sweet disposition, and are drawn by mercy. Others are more rugged and knotty pieces; these God deals with in a more forcible way… God does not deal alike with all; He has trials for the strong and cordials [pleasant tasting medicine] for the weak.” (52) He is our Father and as a husband to us. Therefore, we can be sure that our God will cause everything to work for good. “Things do not work of themselves, but God sets them working for good. God is the great Disposer of all events and issues.…Things in the world are not governed by second causes, by the counsels of men, by the stars and planets, but by divine providence.” (55-6) Watson exhorts the reader to adore God’s providence.
“What a blessed condition is a true believer in! When he dies, he goes to God; and while he lives, everything shall do him good.… A believer’s dying day is his ascension day of glory.” (56-7)

Conversely, “to them that are evil, good things work for hurt.” (58) “The common mercies wicked men have, are not lodestones [magnets] to draw them nearer to God, but millstones to sink them deeper in hell (1 Tim. 6.9).” (58) Remember, God is not their God and He is not in a covenant with them.

God’s wonderful wisdom is displayed in the way He can take the “worse things imaginable” and turn them to be good for the godly. “When a creature goes further from us, it is that Christ may come nearer to us.” (60) Things and persons may often be taken away from us so that Christ may become dearer and nearer to us. He can take the fury of the wicked and convert it for good. “Either the wicked shall not do the hurt that they intend, or they shall do the good which they do not intend.” (60)

As a result, we ought not to be discontent on account of “outward trials and emergencies.” “There is no sins God’s people are more subject to than unbelief and impatience.… Discontent is an ungrateful sin, because we have more mercies than afflictions; and it is an irrational sin, because afflictions work for good. Discontent is a sin which puts us upon sin. ‘Fret not thyself to do evil’ (Psalm 37.8).” (61) Therefore, “If God seek our good, let us seek His glory. If He make all things tend to our edification, let us make all things tend to His exaltation.” (65)

The next three chapters, as already mentioned, develop the duty of loving God. “Despisers and haters of God have no lot or part in this privilege. It is children’s bread, it belongs only to them that love God.” (66) For that reason, he explains what that love to God means. He wants our entire love! “God will not be an inmate to have only one room in the heart, and all the other rooms let out to sin. It must be an entire love.” (68)

“There is nothing on earth that I desire beside thee” (Ps. 73:25) He must be our sole and entire love. We must love him more than those dear to us, more than our estate. For that reason, he has “tests” to see if we love God in chapter five. First thing he asks is where does our mind go to when alone? “A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts. He never thinks of God, unless with horror, as the prisoner thinks of the judge.” (74) But those who love God are delighted in knowing God and naturally tend to think longingly upon Him. He also wants to have fellowship with him. The believer will desire to be with Him, to fellowship with Him as lovers always wish to be together. “Sinners shun acquaintance with God, they count His presence a burden…” (75).

Several other tests are given. One of them is to love what God loves and that includes His laws. But many “pretend to love Christ as a Savior, but hate Him as a King.” (81) Another one is that the saint will have “good thoughts of God.” (83) Why he lists this in this book becomes evident when he notes how a believer responds to very severe and painful circumstances. What kind of thoughts does he or she have of God? The believer should say, “This severe dispensation is either to mortify some corruption, or to exercise some grace. How good is God, that will not let me alone in my sins, but smites my body to save my soul!” (83) Remember, “It is Satan that makes us have good thoughts of ourselves, and hard thoughts of God.” (83)

Chapter six is an exhortation to love God. He says “to love God is a better sign of sincerity than to fear Him.” (91) Many do fear God but only the Spirit can enable a person to truly love God. The last three chapters are about effectual calling (following the theme verse) and about God’s purpose (a chapter of a few pages). It is a mini treatise on effectual calling.

So, only those who love God and are genuinely called by God will have everything work for good. That is why he spends so much careful time on these topics. We might have wanted Watson to present more examples of how everything works for good but that would be improper when the truth of that statement also includes the qualifications of loving God and of being effectually called.

Afflictions reveal our character, our spiritual nature. Those who love God and are called by Him through the preaching of the gospel (as they responded to His Word) may be assured that everything will work for good. Men may mean it for evil but God will always turn it for good. He is absolutely sovereign and is also our good heavenly father.

This little book will be beneficial to those who are struggling. The reader should keep in mind the big picture. It is not enough to believe that everything will work for good; we must love God who effectually called us according to His purpose. “God did not choose us because we were worthy, but by choosing us He makes us worthy.” (124) The benefit of this book will take time — our experiences will begin to prove the truth of Rom. 8:28 and as we set aside time to reflect, we will take heart because our gracious heavenly father is orchestrating everything to work for good.