From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
September 15 "Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be
wise in your latter end." Proverbs 19:20 What lessons we need day by day to teach us anything
aright, and how it is for the most part "line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, and there a little." O what slow learners, what dull,
forgetful scholars, what ignoramuses, what stupid blockheads, what
stubborn pupils! Surely no scholar at a school, old or young, could
learn so little of natural things as we seem to have learned of
spiritual things after so many years instruction, so many chapters read,
so many sermons heard, so many prayers put up, so much talking about
religion. How small, how weak is the amount of growth compared with all
we have read and heard and talked about. But it is a mercy that the Lord saves whom he will save,
and that we are saved by free grace, and free grace alone, through the blood
and righteousness of the Son of God. "He of God is made unto us wisdom and
righteousness and sanctification and redemption;" so that if we have him we
have everything, and if we have him not we have nothing. Where these things
are felt they will cause exercise of soul, with many prayers and
supplications to the God of all our mercies; and all this will strip and
empty us of that light, superficial, and flimsy profession which seems so
current in our day.