glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- the patience of the saints It is 12:08 PM Wednesday afternoon here in West Michigan. It is a cold damp gray day. The trees have mostly lost their leaves by now. I got up this morning around 6 o'clock AM. I got up and warmed up coffee I made yesterday. Next I messed with our main computer and then wrote in my paper diary. For breakfast I ate cereal and an English muffin. I read all morning from a volume titled, 'Christ's Prayer Before His Passion-Expository Sermons on John 17' by Anthony Burgess. I filmed a video this morning showing folks commentaries on The Book of Judges. Carol called me this morning around 9 o'clock AM. The landscapers arrived this morning early and finished by 9 o'clock AM. I plan to take pictures of our property after being landscaped when it is sunny. I did leave the house this morning and got coffee beans. I did check out local thrift stores in search of used books but found nothing new. Last night I looked at my books and went to bed around 11 o'clock PM. The last book I attempted to read last night was a new book titled, 'Writing Politics: An Anthology' Edited By David Bromwich. I will close to read The Book of Judges and wait for it. "2. Christ is an head in respect of his spiritual influence and powerful commu∣nication of his grace and strength to those that are his members, Col. 2.19. The Apostle there and in other places doth much dwell on this; That as the head is the Fountain of all life and motion (for the Scripture seemeth to go with them that make the head, not the heart, the Fountain of all life and motion,) From that every part hath its proper nourishment, so it is with the Church of God, so that this similitude affordeth many precious Meditations: for is the godly man fearfull his sins will overcome, this lust or that lust will be too strong for him, he shall not have grace enough to conquer it? Let him consi∣der the Fulnesse of his head; is there such a sin that Christ himself is not able to subdue? Again, do the godly complain they cannot grow, they con∣tinue dwarfs, They do not find any progress, Oh let them consider, that Christ is the head, and he will have his members grow up to their due pro∣portion. Further, Is there any one sin, any passion, or lust that is apt to pre∣vail over them, to captivate them? here also they may have strong confidence in prayer, saying, O Lord, how unseemly is such a member to so glorious a head, such an ulcerous noisome part to such an eminent head, if not out of love to me, yet for thy own honour cure me; What head is there that would suffer a leprous, noisome part in the body, if it could help it? Again, Do the godly say, they cannot perform their relative graces, their general calling they are able to discharge comfortably, but as a Minister, as a Husband, as a Wife, herein they fail; O the weaknesse and imperfections there, Consider this head gives nourishment to every part sutably; The hand hath a nourishment of the hand, the eye of the eye, and thus there is in Christ a particular sutable ability for thy proper wants; And if you are not enabled in these things, it's not because there is not fulnesse enough in Christ, but thy faith is weak; There is Oil enough but thou hast no cruse. Lastly, If the meannesse and lownesse of thy condition trouble thee, saying, though Christ the head may communicate to such worthy and eminent Chri∣stians, they are enabled to doe him great service, yet will he look on such a dead dog as I am? If thou art but the foot, the lowest part in the body, yet the head mindes that, and procureth its welfare as well as other parts, so that this very consideration is a Catholicon, It's a Remedy against every Di∣sease." Anthony Burgess 12:31 p.m. - 2020-10-21 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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