Welcome to The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink. This Reformation audio resource is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. There is no copyright on this material, and we encourage you to reproduce it and pass it on to your friends. Many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog containing classic and contemporary Puritan and Reformed books, CDs and much more at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can be reached by email at SWRB at SWRB.com, by phone at 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096, or by mail at 4710-37A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6L3T5. If you don't have a web connection, please request a free printed catalog. If you do have a web connection and would like to be added to our email list, please send an email to add at swrb.com with the word add in the subject line. And now to the reading of tape number 9 of the Attributes of God by A.W. Pink, which we pray you find to be a great blessing and which we hope draws you near to the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 22 The Blessings of God The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10.22 Temporal blessing, as well as spiritual, come from him. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich. 1 Samuel 2.7 God is the sovereign disposer of material wealth. If it is received by birth or inheritance, it is by his providence. If it comes by gift, he moved the donors to bestow. If it accumulates as the result of hard work, skill, or thrift, he bestowed the talent, directed its use, and granted the success. This is abundantly clear in the scriptures. The Lord hath blessed my master greatly. He hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold. Isaac sowed in that land, and received the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. Genesis 26.12 So it is with us. Then say not in your heart, The might of my hand or brains has gotten me this temporal prosperity. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. Deuteronomy 8.18 When riches are acquired by God's blessing by honest industry, There is no accusing conscience to sour the same. If sorrow attends the use or enjoyment of them, it is due entirely to our own folly. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. Psalm 65 4 There is no doubt that the primary reference there, though not the exclusive one, is to the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2 For as God-man, he is what he is by the grace of election, when his humanity was chosen and foreordained to union with one of the persons in the Godhead. None other than Jehovah proclaimed him mine elect, in whom my soul delighted. Isaiah 42.1 As such, he is the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 13.7 The heir of all things. Christ was not chosen for us, but for God, and we were chosen for Christ, but to be his bride. Christ is my first elect, he said, then chose our souls in Christ the head. The essence of all blessings is to be in Christ, and those who partake of it do so by the act of God, as the fruit of his everlasting love unto them. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1 3-4 In that initial blessing of election, all others are wrapped up, and in due course we are partakers of them. As the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the even life evermore, Psalm 133. It is both the duty and privilege of every sin-laden soul to come to Christ for rest. Nevertheless, it is equally true that no man can come to Him except the Father draw him, John 6.44. Likewise, it falls upon all who hear the gospel to respond to that call, Incline your ear and come unto me, here and your soul shall live, Isaiah 53. Yet how can those who are dead in trespasses and sin, Ephesians 2.1, do so? They cannot. They must first be divinely quickened into newness of life. A beautiful figure of that divine operation is here before us. In eastern lands the earth is hard, dry, barren. So are our natural hearts. The dew descends from above silently, mysteriously, imperceptibly, and moistens the ground imparting vitality to vegetation, making the mountainside fruitful. Such is the miracle of the new birth. Life is communicated by divine fiat, not a probationary or conditional one, not a fleeting or temporal one, but spiritual and endless, for the stream of regeneration can never dry up. When God commands, He communicates. Compare the following, Psalm 42.8, Psalm 48.28, Psalm 111 verse 9 As the blessing is a divine favor, so the manner of bestowing it is sovereign, that it is solely his prerogative, for man can do nothing but beg. Zion is the place of all spiritual blessings. Hebrews 12, 22-24 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound, they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. Psalm 89 verse 18 This is one of the blessed effects of divine quickening. When one has been born of the Spirit, the eyes and ears of the soul are open to recognize spiritual things. It is not merely that they hear the joyful sound, for many do that without any experiential knowledge of its charm, but know from its message, being brought home in power to their hearts, that joyful sound is the glad tidings of good things. that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Such souls as inwardly know that heavenly music are indeed blessed, as they are assured of free access unto God through the blood of Christ. The beneficent light of the divine countenance is now beheld by them. There is probably an illusion in Psalm 89-15. First, the sound made by Aaron as he went into the holy place and came out, Exodus 28-33-35, which was indeed a joyful sound unto the people of God. It gave evidence that their high priest was engaged before the Lord on their behalf. Second, a general reference to the sound of the sacred trumpet which called Israel to their solemn feast, Numbers 10-10. third, a more specific one to the trumpet of Jubilee, Leviticus 25 9-10, which proclaimed liberty to bondmen and restoration of their inheritance to them who had forfeited it. So the announcement of the gospel of liberty to sin's captives is music to those who have ears to hear. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. The critical reader observes that we follow a strictly logical order. First, election is the foundation blessing being unto salvation and including all the means thereof, 2 Thessalonians 2.13. Second, the bestowal of eternal life which capacitates the favored recipient to welcome experientially the joyful sound of the gospel. Now there is a personal and saving embracing thereof Note that the words of our present text are preceded by kiss the sun, which signifies bow in submission before his scepter, yield to his kingly rule, render allegiance to him, 1 Samuel 10 1 1 Kings 19 18. It is most important to note that order, and still more so to put it into practice. Christ must be received as Lord, Colossians 2 6, before he can be received as Savior. Note the order in 2 Peter 1.11, 2 Peter 2.20, and 2 Peter 3.18. To put their trust in Him signifies to take refuge in Him. They repudiate their own righteousness and evince their confidence in Him by committing themselves to His keeping for time and eternity. His gospel is their warrant for doing so, His veracity their security. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. This is an intrinsic part of the blessedness of putting our trust in Him. The joyful sound has assured them that Christ died for the ungodly, and that He will by no means cast out anyone who comes unto Him. Do they express their faith in Christ by fleeing to Him for refuge? Blessed indeed are such, for, having surrendered to His Lordship and placed their reliance in His atoning blood, they now enter into the benefits of His righteous and benevolent government. More specifically, their iniquities are forgiven and their sins are covered, covered by God, as the ark was covered with the mercy seed. as Noah was covered from the flood, as the Egyptians were covered by the depths of the sea. What a cover that must be which hides sins forever from the sight of the all-seeing God of the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit." Paul quotes those precious words of Psalm 32.1 in Romans 4.7 as proof of the grand truth of justification by faith. While the sins of believers are all atoned for at the cross and an everlasting righteousness procured for them, they do not become actual participants until they believe. Acts 13.39 and Galatians 2.16 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, and whose heart are the ways of them. Psalm 84.5 This is another accompaniment of the new birth, the regenerate receives the spirit of a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1.7, so that he now sees himself to be not only without any righteousness of his own, but also is conscious of his weakness and insufficiency. He has made the name of the Lord his strong tower, having run into it for safety. Proverbs 18.10 Now he declares, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Isaiah 45.24 Strength to fight the good fight of faith, to resist temptations, to endure persecution, to perform duty. While he keeps in his right hand, he will continue to go forth, not in his own strength, but in complete dependence upon the strength in Christ Jesus. Those ways of God's strength are the divinely appointed means of grace to maintain communion, feeding on the Word, living on Christ, adhering to the path of His precepts. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in His ways. Psalm 128.1 Here is another mark of those under divine benediction to have such a deep reverence of the Spirit as results in regular obedience to Him. The fear of the Lord is the holy awe of His majesty, a filial dread of displeasing Him. It is not so much an emotional thing as practical, for it is idle to talk about fearing God if we have no deep concern for His will. It is the fear of love which shrinks from dishonoring Him, a dread of forgetting His goodness and abusing His mercy. Where such fear is, all other graces are found. Chapter 23 The Cursings of God It is solemn to learn that these blessings and cursings proceed from the same mouth. Yet a little reflection will convince the reader that such must be the case. God is light as well as love, holy as well as gracious, righteous as well as merciful. Therefore he expresses his abhorrence of and visits his judgments upon the wicked as truly as he blesses and manifests his approval on those who are pleasing in his sight. An eternal heaven and an eternal hell are the inevitable and ultimate pair of opposites. This awesome duality is displayed in the natural world. On one hand, our senses are charmed by the golden sunsets, the flowering gardens, the gentle showers, and the fertile fields. On the other, we are shocked and terrified by the fearful tornado, the devouring blights, the devastating floods, and the destructive earthquake. Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God." Romans 11, 22. From Mount Ebal were announced the divine curses through Deuteronomy 27, and from Mount and from Matthew, Gerizim, the divine blessings, Deuteronomy 28. The one could not be without the other. Thus, too, it will be in the last day, or while Christ will say unto his brethren, Come ye, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Yet to those who despised and rejected him shall he say, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, Matthew 25, 34, and 41. Cursed is the ground for thy sake, and sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Genesis 3.17 This is one of the consequences which attended Adam's apostasy from God, a part of the divine vengeance which fell upon him. Because the first man stood as the covenant head and legal representative of his race, the judgment which came upon him is shared by all his descendants. Adam was the vice-regent of God in this scene. He was given dominion over all things mundane, and when he fell, the effects of his awful sin were evident on every hand. His fair inheritance was blasted. The very ground on which he trod was cursed, so that henceforth it brought forth thorns and thistles, compelling him to toil for his daily bread in the sweat of his face. Every time we cultivate a plot of land, The numerous weeds that produces hinder our efforts and supply very real proof of the divine sentence pronounced in Genesis 3 in events that we belong to a fallen race. Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, that maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Jeremiah 17.5 A thorough acquaintance with ourselves ought to render the warning of this solemn passage unnecessary, yet sad experience proves otherwise. Have we not sufficient knowledge of ourselves, our changeableness, and utter unreliability to discover that he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool? Then why should we suppose that any of our fellows are more stable and dependable? The best of Adam's race, when left to themselves, are spectacles of fickleness and frailty. Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie. To be laid in the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity. To seek either the patronage or protection of man is an affront to the Most High, for it puts that confidence in the creature to which the Creator alone is entitled. The folly of such wickedness is emphasized in and making flesh, his arm, leaning upon that which is frail and helpless." Second Chronicles 32.8 and Matthew 26.41 Romans 8 verse 3. The Christian needs to turn this awful malediction into prayer for deliverance from the temptation to look to man for help or relief. Indirectly yet powerfully this verse proves that Christ is far more than man for if it calls down a divine curse for one to put his trust in man for any temporal advantage, how much more so if he should trust in a mere creature for eternal salvation? If you will not hear, and you will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yea, I have cursed them already, because you do not lay it to heart, Malachi 2.2. The Lord is very tender of His honor and will not share His glory with another. And those who do not take that fact to heart are certain to call down divine wrath upon themselves. Those words in Malachi 2.2 were addressed in the first instance to the priest of Israel. The prophet had reproved them for their sins. Now he declared that if they would not seriously attend to his warnings and glorify God by repentance and reformation of conduct, then he would blight their temporal mercies. It is a signal favor for man to be called to minister publicly in the name of the Lord. But infidelity entails the most dreadful consequences. Often they are given up to blindness of mind, hardness of heart, and seared consciences. The principle of this malediction has a much wider bearing and applies both to those who hear the gospel and a nation blessed with its light. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1.8 God is very jealous of his gospel, and this verse should also convince his servants and make servants and people of the solemn responsibility resting upon them to preserve it in its purity. The gospel of God makes known the only true way of salvation, and therefore any corrupting of it is not only dishonoring to its author, but also most dangerous and disastrous to the soul of men. The apostle was censoring those who were repeating an impossible mixture of law and gospel, insisting that circumcision and compliance with the ceremonial rights of Judaism were as necessary as faith in Christ for justification. His was not the language of intemperate zeal, for he repeats the same in the next verse, but a holy fidelity which expressed his detestation of an error which not only insulted the Savior, but also would prove fatal to those who embraced it. the single foundation of a sinner's hope is the merits of Christ, his finished work of redemption. Those who would add to the same by any doings of their own are headed for eternal destruction. Therefore any who teach men to do so are cursed of God and should be abhorred by his people. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Galatians 3.10 The first part of this verse means all who count on being saved by their own performances or rely upon their own obedience for acceptance by God are under the curse of his law and exposed to his wrath. Justification by keeping the law is an utter impossibility for any fallen creature. Why so? Because God's law requires flawless and perpetual conformity, sinless perfection in thought and word and deed, and because it makes no provision for failure to comply with its holy and righteous terms, it is not sufficient to hear about or know the requirements of God's law. They must be met. Thus it is obvious that a law which already condemns cannot justify, that any who hope to merit God's favor by their faulty attempts to obey it are badly deceived. To expect to be warmed by the keen northern blast, or have our thirst quenched by a drought of liquid fire, were not more, were not so incongruous." This statement, Galatians 3.10, was made by the apostle to show that every man is under divine condemnation until he flees to Christ for refuge. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, Galatians 3.13. Here is the glorious gospel summed up in a brief sentence. The curse has been born for all those who believe, visited upon the Savior. A way has been opened where guilty sinners may not only escape from the curse of the law but actually be received into the favor of God. Amazing grace, matchless mercy, all who would put their trust in Christ are delivered from the lost sentence of doom so that they shall never fall under it. We are righteously delivered because, as the surety of his people, Christ was born under the law, stood in their law place, had all their sins imputed to him, and made himself answerable for them the law, so finding him, charged him with the same, cursed him, and demanded satisfaction. Accordingly he was dealt with by the supreme judge, for God spared not his own son, but called upon the sword of justice to smite the shepherd. Zechariah 13.7. By his own consent, the Lord Jesus was made accursed by God Himself. Because He paid the ransom price, all believers are redeemed, delivered from God's wrath, and inducted into His blessing. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. Hebrews 6.8. This is in sharp contrast with the previous verse. The good ground here bringeth forth, the Greek signifying a production of what is normal in due season. The graceless professor beareth thorns, the Greek word connoting an unnatural and monstrous production. There herbs meet for him by whom it is dressed. Here worthless thorns and briars. The one receiveth blessings from God. The other is hot, nigh, undecursing, about to be visited with divine judgment. This ends tape number 9 of The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink. Please go to the next tape in this series. Thank you. This Reformation Audio resource is a production of Stillwaters Revival Books. Many free resources as well as SWRB's complete mail-order catalog is on the web at www.swrb.com. They can be reached by mail at swrb.com, by phone 780-450-3730, by fax at 780-468-1096, or by mail at 4710-37A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. If you would like to be Please don't forget to look over the 62 CDs that make up our Reformation and Puritan bookshelves set. These CDs are a great way to build a major reform library at a fraction of the cost of the printed books.