William Mason
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
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God Disciplines By Affliction For Our Profit And His Glory
Sin, though atoned for by the blood of Jesus, and through the faith of this the soul be made holy and happy, yet it still dwells in us. Hence all our griefs, our sufferings, our wretchedness. God’s judgments are sometimes secret, always just, ever in love to his own. Misery would never afflict us, if sin did not infect us. A good instrument may be out of tune; the hand of a skilful musician is necessary to set it, and display its harmony and sound. God disciplines by afflictions for our profit and his glory. The faith, patience, and valour of God’s soldiers are best known in times of exercise: then how animating to view the love, and trust to the faithfulness of a covenant…
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The Lord God Is My Strength
‘The righteous are as bold as a lion.’ The words of wisdom are not like the pithy sayings of the heathen, which merely describe states and things to which men never arrive nor enjoy; but they assure us, such and such has been, and still is the knowledge and experience of God’s saints. So children of wisdom are taught their privileges, and their souls are drawn out in prayer and diligence, that they may also partake of the fulness of the blessings described. Whence is the boldness and courage of the righteous derived? See the young stripling David, how boldly he advances to the mighty giant Goliath, with an insignificant weapon in his hand, yet assured of success. For the faith of Omnipotence was in…
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Wrong Petitions
Strange! What, James and John, two disciples of a despised and rejected Master, who had not where to lay his head, yet dreaming of earthly pomp and worldly grandeur, and petitioning for the highest pitch of worldly glory? Yes, nothing less than the right hand of pre-eminence, and the left hand of power, would suit them. Human nature, how earthly, carnal, and selfish! How low are we fallen, yet how lofty in pride! What are the best of men, when left to their own spirits? Truly, we know not what to pray for as we ought. Jesus, Master, instruct us what to do. Teach us what to pray for. Let thy word, ‘my kingdom is not of this world,’ be ever uppermost in our minds.
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Accepted In The Beloved
When Jacob was about to meet his offended brother Esau, he was greatly afraid and distressed. He sends a present to appease his wrath, before he durst venture into his presence. ‘Peradventure he will accept of me,’ says he. Gen. 32:20. Now his hope was not founded on the affection of his brother, but upon the favour which his present should procure. He was not influenced by love, but fear and terror; hence his expectation arose only to a peradventure. So it is natural for sinners to conceive of and act towards an offended God. Instead of believing his gospel of free grace, and confiding in his messages of rich mercy in Christ, we are prone to think of sending presents, of doing something to…
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Godliness Is Profitable Unto All Things
While under the law, we naturally think, for so much work, so much wages. God will be faithful to his word of promise, if we perform those terms and conditions he requires of us. Such are the notions of a legal spirit; they are the result of pride, they swell with a vain conceit of doing something to make God a debtor to our works; they are founded in ignorance, both of ourselves, and of the word of God’s rich grace and free promises; not one of which is made, absolutely, in respect to us, or to any thing we either believe or do; but only as we are in Christ Jesus, members of him, our blessed head. For ‘all the promises of God are…
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God’s Lovingkindness Is Better Than Life
Forsake all, and possess all; give up all, and enjoy all.This is the doctrine of Jesus, and the experience of faith. So we overcome the world, by preferring the love of Christ to everything besides. Most blessed enthusiasm! Really tasting that the Lord is gracious, truly feeling the comforts of his love, actually partaking of fellowship with Jesus, communion of the Holy Spirit, freely conversing with the Father of all consolations—how transporting, how ravishing to the soul! With what holy indifference does the enraptured heart look down upon the objects of sense. The gilded toys of time that so attract the views, the empty shadows of sense that so bewitch the heart; yea, life itself with all its comforts—what are all, compared to one moment’s…
