Heaven Taken by Storm — 3

Thomas Watson

Offering Violence by the Hearing of the Word

We may bring our bodies to the Word with ease, but not our hearts without offering violence to ourselves.  When we come to the Word preached, we come to a matter of the highest importance; therefore we should stir up ourselves and hear with the greatest devotion.

How far are they from offering violence to themselves in hearing who scarcely mind what is said, as if they were not concerned with it.  The come to church more for custom than conscience, "They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will nt do them" (Ezek. 33:31).

The Word is to feed.  The Word judges men.

That we may, when we come to the Word, offer violence to ourselves and stir up ourselves to hear with devotion, consider:

• It is God that speaks to us.
• The weightiness of the matters delivered to us
• If the Word is not regarded, it will not be remembered
• It may be the last time that God will ever speak to us in His Word; it may be the last sermon that we shall ever hear.

— Heaven Taken by Storm

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Heaven Taken by Storm — 2

Thomas Watson

 Offering Violence by the Reading of the Word

We must provoke ourselves to reading of the Word.



Read the Word as:

•  a book made by God Himself
• a perfect rule of faith; it contains all things essential to salvation
• a book of evidences
• the last will and testament of Christ
• a book by which you must be judged

Look upon the Word as:

• a spiritual glass to dress yourselves by (In mirrors you may see your face; in this glass you may see your heart.)
• a sovereign elixir to comfort you in distress

There are two books God will go by - the book of conscience and the book of Scripture; the one shall be the witness and the other the judge.  How should every Christian then provoke himself to read this book of God with care and devotion! This is that book which God will judge by at the end. They who fly from the Word as a guide shall be forced to submit to it as a judge.

— Heaven Taken by Storm

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Heaven Taken by Storm — 1

Thomas Watson

   "The best mirror is not that which is most gilded,

   but that which shows the truest face.  That preaching

   is to be preferred which makes the truest discovery

   of men's sins and shows them their hearts."

 — Heaven Taken by Storm

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Free download from Internet Archive

Quote for the Day

"Knowledge is the eye that must direct the foot of obedience."

-- Thomas Watson