Before you get to church on Sunday morning....

I'm trying to take a fast from buying books. I have an ever growing pile of books to read, the tyranny of the new book has meant I've neglected older ones. So far I've managed two and a half months on my fast and I'm not sure how much longer I'll stay on the wagon but I've really enjoyed revisiting some older works. I'd forgotten just how good Thomas Watson is and have just gone through 'The Ten Commandments', the second of his three volumes on the Shorter Catechism.  I was particularly struck by his treatment of the Fourth commandment  and his reason that so many 'of us get no more good on a Sabbath by the Word preached is because they did not breakfast with God in the morning by reading his word.'

He then instructs us to meditate on four things (pages 75-78)

1.       Meditate on the Works of Creation

2.       Meditate on God's Holiness

3.       Meditate on Christ's Love in Redeeming us

-          That Christ who was God should die

-          That Christ should die for sinners

-          That Christ should not only die for sinners, but die as a sinner

-          That Christ should redeem us, when he could not expect to gain anything or to be advantaged at all by us

-          That Christ should die so willingly

-          That Christ should make salvation effectual to some, and not to others

-          That Christ should love us with such a transcendent love

-          That Christ's love in our redemption should be everlasting

4.       Meditate on the Glory of Heaven

Not a bad way to start a Sunday morning or any morning.