glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- there is a danger of being a Pharisee when you cease being a publican It is 12:23 PM Thursday afternoon in the flow of the history of the planet earth. How old is the planet earth? I got up this morning around 5:35 AM. I got up because my mind would not shut down. Carol had gotten up this morning around 5:15 AM. So I got up and checked the internet to see if there was any good News. After messing with our main computer I made a pot of oatmeal for breakfast. After breakfast I wrote in my paper diary and read Anthony Burgess Sermons on The Gospel of John Chapter 17 Christ's High Priestly Prayer. After reading Anthony Burgess for awhile I dozed and then read a couple of chapters of The First Book of Samuel/Bible/Old Testament. Late this morning Carol and I raked leaves till 12:02 PM from our back yard. We came in and ate lunch after yard work. Now I am writing in my online diaries about my life during a world-wide COVID-19 plague. The world is under siege. Last night I read from a used book I bought yesterday titled, 'Nothing To Be Frightened Of' A Memoir by Julian Barnes. Carol and I watched a BBC show on our Amazon Prime channel. Carol went to bed around 10 o'clock PM and I went to bed around 11 o'clock PM. Existence keeps flowing by. I am not sure what I will read this afternoon. I might doze since I got up early this morning. I will close to wait it out. Maybe at the end of this day there will be some good News. "Lastly, Here is the glorious visibility of Christs perfect working in his resurrection, ascension, and now sitting at the right hand of God in glory, which could not have been had not Christ perfected his work, for what is the reason the devils and damned in hell are detained to Eternity in those prisons of darkness; Is it not because of their insufficiency to perfect their sufferings, to make them adequate to Gods justice, to bring as great glory to God as ever sin did evil or dishonor; In that therefore Christ hath overcome the grave and the bonds of death, we have an infallible evidence of his perfect working. *Ʋse of Instruction, how dangerous all those doctrines are which proclaim free-will, merit, under any notion whatsoever; As they give that to man which belongs not to him, so they take that from Christ which is due, yet this is a most natural sin in all, either in whole or in part to take off from Christ, not to be beholding to him only, God hath commanded us to come out of our sins by repentance, and our own works by faith, and the Apostle doth not only exclude sins, but even working also from Abrahams Justification, Rom. 4. There is a danger of being a Pharisee when thou ceases being a Publican. Ʋse 2. of great Consolation to the broken-hearted sinner; This is the glad tidings of the Gospel to those who sit under the sentence of eternal death; Christs works will abundantly answer all the temptations about thy own works; Two things lie like two Mountains upon the godly, The weakness of their graces, and the strength of their corruptions: If neither of these were to bow their souls down, with what joy and gladness could they live and die: Now Christs works have a two fold remedy to this twofold grievance; His works have a satisfaction in them, and therefore whatsoever failings and corruptions there are if humbled for and endeavoring to be reformed, they are sufficiently conquered, and his works have a meriting nature in them, and therefore though thy work be weak his work was perfect and complete, say not then who shall go up to heaven? this is to bring Christ back; It is an excellent place, Rom. 10.7. where the believer is forbid to doubt or say in his heart, Is Christ ascended? or was he made a curse for us? or how shall we be able to ascend to heaven, or to be delivered from hell. Ʋse 3. Did Christ perfect and finish his work? Do thou imitate and follow him, Christs working excludes ours for justification, but not for a duty and way to heaven; None but doers and workers shall have heaven, though not for their works: Now thy work is first as a Christian, so the Law of God in the purity and exactness of it is a rule of all thy works, What the Law bids thee do, doe, though not to have life by it, 2. The work of thy relation as a Magistrate, Minister, Husband or Wife, finish this work; It's not enough to be good in the general, unless good in relation. 3. The work of thy condition as a rich man, as a poor man, when the Master gave talents to all, this was his command, Work ye, trade ye, be in constant improvement." Anthony Burgess Sermon 22 12:41 p.m. - 2020-11-05 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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