Tuesday, October 6, 2015


Word of God



Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God

Matthew 4:4



The Epistle of James 1:3-4



3 Knowing that the trying of your faith bringeth forth patience, 4 And let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.



Brethren:



There must be patience: The trial of faith worketh patience. The trying of one grace produces another; and the more the suffering graces of a Christian are exercised the stronger they grow. Tribulation worketh patience, (See Romans 5:3). Now, to exercise Christian patience aright, we must: Let it work. It is not a stupid, but an active thing. Stoical apathy and Christian patience are very different: by the one men become, in some measure, insensible of their afflictions; but by the other they become triumphant in and over them. Let us take care, in times of trial, that patience and not passion, be set at work in us; whatever is said or done, let patience have the saying and doing of it: let us not allow the indulging of our passions to hinder the operation and noble effects of patience; let us give it leave to work, and it will work wonders in a time of trouble.



We must let it have its perfect work. Do nothing to limit it nor to weaken it; but let it have its full scope: if one affliction come upon the heels of another, and a train of them are drawn upon us, yet let patience go on till its work is perfected. When we bear all that God appoints, and as long as he appoints, and with a humble obedient eye to him, and when we not only bear troubles, but rejoice in them, then patience hath its perfect work.



When the work of patience is complete, then the Christian is entire, and nothing will be wanting: it will furnish us with all that is necessary for our Christian race and warfare, and will enable us to persevere to the end, and then its work will be ended, and crowned with glory. After we have abounded in other graces, we have need of patience, (See Hebrews 10:36). But let patience have its perfect work, and we shall be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.


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