Flavel: the chemistry of heaven

Wednesday, April 28, 2021
    Commemoration of Peter Chanel, Religious, Missionary in the South Pacific, Martyr, 1841
Meditation:
    For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
    —1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The Lord makes excellent uses even of your infirmities and failings to do you good, and makes them turn to your unexpected advantage: for, by these defects he hides pride from your eyes; he [goads] from self-dependence; he makes you to admire the riches of free grace: he makes you to long more ardently for heaven, and entertain the sweeter thoughts of death: and doth not the Lord then make blessed fruits to spring up to you from such a bitter root? O the blessed chemistry of heaven, to extract such mercies out of such miseries!
    ... John Flavel (1628-1691), Serm. XXX from The Method of Grace, in The Whole Works of the Reverend Mr. John Flavel, v. II, London: J. Mathews, 1799, p. 420 (see the book)
    See also 1 Cor. 15:9-10; Isa. 43:1-3; Deut. 8:11-14; 2 Cor. 12:7-9; Gal. 4:13-14
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, my deficiencies are Your strength. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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