He is extending His grace freely to poor downcast sinners in need. He’s not looking around for the A-team to give His mercy to. The authors prayer is that this book will bring its readers peace, comfort and strength through the Word of God and the words of His faithful people.9. He’s not only omnipotent, but He’s also merciful. He is certainly strong enough to encourage us to lift us up out of our being downcast. Theologians refer to this as the omnipotence of God. Yet be of good comfort, for says the Lord again, my name is Gracious I do not shew mercy because you are good, but because I am good I show mercy out of free love my name is Gracious.”ĭo you see what Bridge is doing here? He is helping us think about who God is, that God is the all-powerful One. But you say, though the Lord is willing to help me, yet I am a poor unworthy creature, and have nothing at all to move God to help me. Yet be of good comfort says the Lord, for my name is Merciful (that is next to the word) ‘the Lord, the Lord, the mighty God.’ As my name is the Mighty God, and therefore I am able to help thee so my name is Merciful, and therefore I am willing to help thee. But though God be strong, and able to help me, yet I fear that God is not willing to help me know God is able and strong enough, but I fear the Lord is not willing, and therefore I am discouraged. All of these bring joy and encouragement to our discouragement. All of these, Bridge tells us, bring hope. As he says in this book, the best answer, the lifting up for one who is downcast or discouraged, is sound doctrine: knowing and believing who God is, knowing and believing who Christ is, knowing and believing what the gospel is. But Scripture records many instances of men and women who glorified God while facing a season of discouragement and despair. In this book, Bridge explores those things that happen to cause one to be discouraged or downcast. These sermons were published as a book under the title A Lifting Up for the Downcast. That verse reads, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (KJV). In 1648, Bridge preached a three-sermon series on Psalm 42:11. Tell readers what you thought by rating and reviewing this book. Then, like the other Puritans we’ve been visiting, he too was ejected. Share your thoughts Complete your review. For twenty years, he pastored a Puritan independent church until 1662. He was a member of the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s. Then during the English Civil War, and as Parliament gained control of London, Bridge returned. In 1636, under Charles I, he was exiled to Rotterdam in Holland. It seems as if all of these folks on Five Minutes in Church History lately have gone to Emmanuel College, Cambridge-because they did.Īfter getting his bachelor’s and his master’s degrees, Bridge was ordained in 1627. Can you guess where William Bridge went to college? Emmanuel College, Cambridge. William Bridge was born in 1600, and he died in 1670. We have one more book from the ten-volume box set by Banner of Truth, and it is by William Bridge. Downcast Christians of the twenty-first century can find help here as surely as did past generations.We are almost finished with Puritans at the beach. The general causes of spiritual depression are the same in every age. For example in dealing with 'great sins' he says, "If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not be discouraged and yet be humbled then beat and drive up all your sin to your unbelief, and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that sin."? He gives directions for applying the remedy. In dealing with believers' suffering from spiritual depression, Bridge manifests great insight into the causes of the saints' discouragements such as great sins, weak grace, failure in duties, lack of assurance, temptation, desertion and affliction.Ī correct diagnosis is more than half the cure, but Bridge does not leave his readers there. These thirteen sermons on Psalm 42:11, preached in 1648, are the work of a true physician of souls.
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