Final, Chapter 7. Trees of Righteousness-excerpts

TREES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

...that they might be called trees of righteousness, 

the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

Isaiah 61:3a

[1]   The main end and object of the whole system of grace is that the Lord might be glorified.
This will be the ultimate result of all that God has planned and wrought for the salvation of men. 
Throughout the whole dispensation of love, His attributes shine forth in their meridian splendor: 
His mercy in forgiving the guilty, His justice in the death of their Substitute, His truth in fulfilling His threatening, and His faithfulness in keeping His promise--all will be made manifest to the admiring eyes of the intelligent universe. (page 133) 

 

[1]   If the Lord had chosen sages and philosophers, if it had been necessary to pass through various grades of scholarship in order to obtain the favor of God, then human learning would have been considered the cause of holiness, and the university would have monopolized the glory. 
This also shall not be. 
Neither can riches sway the choice of heaven, nor personal beauty, nor courage, nor favor among men.
Grace, and grace alone, must reign and lift the mourners from the dunghill, while the haughty sons of pride are passed by.

   

[2]  Moreover, the Lord has not made His selection according to natural character; for if He had in every case chosen those who have been excellent in morals from their youth up, then the honor would have been ascribed to good works, and grace would have been elbowed out of the throne. 
If the good Shepherd had come only to watch over the ninety and nine that did not stray, and not to seek lost sheep, then it would have been said, "After all, these saved ones owe but little to mercy, for their admirable character lies at the root of it all." 
 It is all very well to talk of grace, but what sort of grace is it that comes only to the most deserving? (page 135)

Thanks to Bing's free images for the image of the holly tree cutting gracing the little candle, at top of this blog post.
Mahalia Jackson is unparalleled as a singer of gospel songs. She  rejected offers to sing popular songs. You can hear her sing "Amazing Grace" via YouTube video embedded in right column.

Appreciation for Two Brothers at Thanksgiving

The Mourner's Comforter reached me when I most needed its words by a trust-worthy Christian. It was a gift from the older of my two older brothers, Gerald, who was 17 years old when I was born. He hitch-hiked, from the town where he was finishing high school to see me when he got the call about my birth.

The younger of my two older brothers celebrated his 13th birthday about seven weeks after I was born. At that point in his young life, having a baby sister at that was not his idea of something to celebrate. Yet, he became another older brother. I owe to him my early exposure to his love of classical music and also I owe him appreciation for wise words he gave me during the time I was also about to read The Mourner's Comforter. And for many other reasons, I appreciate my brothers for the kind of person each one is. 

The younger of my older brothers had a lovely tenor singing voice, I realized as I grew up, and like my other older brother he was handsome and loved good humor. He put up with a lot from me, including the time I scattered his 78 rpm records into little pieces, having toddled across them where they lay on the floor where he sat listening to music. From Bud, as he was called, as a toddler I heard music by Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Mozart, and others, not really knowing details of its beauty. 

My brothers and I have ties to each other that become ever stronger as we share faith, hope, and love.

Appreciation Revisited_My Brother

"...Mr. Primm completed more than 60 fighter-pilot combat missions in his P-38 Lightning and had his share of crash landings as well. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his combat aviation prowess."* Gerald C Primm, of Greensboro, NC, is my oldest brother. He was a college freshman when the USA was attacked at Pearl Harbor  on December 7, 1941. He left school, joined the army air force, and trained for single-fighter air combat. He served country, community, and family well for many years then and later. Today he is ill and unable to move about as he used to do when always on the go. After WWII, he became a husband, preacher, and father. From a young age, he began faithfully to study, then preach, lead churches, mentor young pastors and others, teach, and comfort sick or hurting ones, and wandering ones with whom he often shared a meal. When we had just finished The Mourner's Comforter new edition, based on his rare edition in his personal library, if I spoke of even minor discouragement he would say, his voice from the other end of the phone connection, "Well, just open the book!" And I could hear the smile in his voice. "It's true," I would tell him, "I can open to almost any page and feel better." He said that was what he would do. He knew of the "brooding darkness that spreads its jealous wings," which Spurgeon wrote about in The Comforter, and which comes at different times to everyone. Although he is now very ill, my brother is in the care of family and others, resting, waiting, and at peace. I am thankful for what his copy of one of his treasured books now means to many readers, through the editions he has published and helped.

*Source: "Ask Veterans to Share Their Stories," Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, Greensboro News & Record, Harry Thetford

The Mourner's Comforter and Dark Memory

After a nightmare in the midst of mononucleosis sickness, I opened The Mourner's Comforter, and my eyes fell on a beautiful distraction--trees. The words said: 

"Trees frequently become marvels of grandeur... What a history is embodied in those gnarls and knots and twisted branches... How they tell of stormy nights and days of heavy snow! All over the bark and the boughs time has with his pencil written records of sunshine and tempest. Now, such is a Christian when God makes him rich in grace: if you could but know him and read him he is a mass of history. His virtues are the results of severe trial, and the records of sublime joys. All the lines of his face mean something; there is not a scar upon his soul, or a dark memory upon his spirit, or a bright recollection in his mind but what it redounds to the glory of God." 

What a contrast to the Pit of my nightmare.

Quote from The Mourner's Comforter, C H Spurgeon, Opine Publishing, p. 220. In Not All Roads Lead Home (second ed., p. 106; first ed.,pp. 127, 128), Jane Bullard. Bold font emphasis added.

(c) Jean Purcell 2010