Fri.-Sabbath, 10/26-28/18 Devotion

Sunday IS coming! Praise God! Here is some brilliant genius from Thomas Watson, as it is found in his profound work, entitled, "The Art of Divine Con-tentment." Pastor Watson is dealing with Paul's assertion, as it is found in Php. 4:11:

"This word, 'I have learned,' is a word that imports difficulty. It shows how hard it was for the apostle to come to contentment of mind. It was not bred in nature. Paul did not come naturally by it; but he had learned it. It cost him many a prayer and tear. It was taught him by the Spirit.

"Whence our doctrine: GOOD THINGS ARE HARD TO COME BY. The busi-ness of [true] religion is not so easy as most imagine. 'I have learned,' says Paul. Indeed you need not teach a man to sin; this is natural, (Ps. 58:3)—and therefore facile [easy]. It comes as water out of a spring. It is an easy thing to be wicked. Hell will be taken without storm; but matters of religion [viz. true Christianity] must be learned. To cut the flesh is easy, but to prick a vein, and not to cut an artery, is hard. The trade of sin needs not to be learned; but the art of divine contentment is not achieved without holy industry: 'I have learn-ed.' "