John Willison's Forty Scripture Directions:
1. Never let the world come into God's room.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [I Jn 2:15]
2. Keep up the same opinion now of things of the world, that you will have when you come to die.
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? [Mt 16:26]
3. Be not strangers to yourselves, but often commune with your own hearts.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. [Ps 4:4]
4. Begin early in the service of God, and give Him the days of your youth.
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them [Ecc 12:1]
5. Shun the company that shuns God, and keep the company that God keeps.
I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. [Ps 119:63]
6. Put a high value upon precious time, and lose none of it by sloth.
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. [Eph 5:16]
7. Allow a little time every day to think upon eternity.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. [Mt 25:46]
8. Throughout your whole life be mindful of the chief business of life.
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [Ph'p 2:12]
9. Let the rational soul govern, and the body be subservient to it.
But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. [I Co 9:27]
10. Study both to live and die in the exercise of repentance and godly mourning for sin.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. [Mt 5:4]
11. While you mind the necessary study of holiness, or inherent righteousness, let it never take the place of imputed righteousness.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. [Ro 10:3]
12. Employ Christ as your surety in all cases, and in every strait go to Him for relief.
Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me. [Ps 119:122]
13. As you expect to live with Christ in heaven, study to live to Christ on earth.
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [2 Co 5:15]
14. Cleave fast to Christ, and the way of holiness, whatever it may cost you.
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. [Acts 11:23]
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. [2 Ti 3:12]
15. Seek the approval of God, above that of men.
For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. [2 Co 10:18]
16. Be much employed in admiring God's redeeming love, and Christ's suretyship for us.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not . . . . Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [I Jn 3:1, 16]
17. Delight much in thinking and speaking of Christ, and particularly of His death and sufferings for us.
Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. [Lk 9:31]
18. Treat objections raised against your closing with Christ, as suggestions of the enemy, that is seeking the ruin of your souls.
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. [Mt 16:23]
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. [Lam 3:25]
19. Study much these great Gospel lessons of denying yourselves, and exalting God's free grace.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. [Mt 16:24]
That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. [I Co 1:31]
20. Draw all your strength for work and warfare from Christ and present all your duties to God in Christ's name.
Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. [Is 45:24]
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. [Col 3:17]
21. In all the actions of your life, set the Lord still before you.
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. [Ps 16:8]
Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. [Ps 25:15]
22. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. [I Co 10:31]
23. Spend as much time as possible in secret prayer and converse with God.
Pray without ceasing. [I The 5:17]
24. Make conscience of family religion, as well as of closet duties.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. [Jos 24:15]
Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncoverth himself! [2 Sa 6:20]
25. Begin and end every day with God.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. [Ps 4:8]
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. [Ps 5:3]
26. Seeing none knoweth what a day may bring forth, spend every day as if it were to be your last.
Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. [Pro 27:1]
27.Sojourn in this world as travellers, keeping so loose from the world as to be able to pack up and be gone from it upon short warning.
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: [I Pe 1:17]
But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. [I Co 7:29-31]
28. Keep up a lively sense of sacramental vows and engagements and walk answerably thereto.
Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? [Ps 56:12-13]
29. Improve the talents God gives you for His service and glory.
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. [Lk 19:13]
30. Let all believers be thankful to God for His distinguishing favours and mercies to them.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling . . . . What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? [Ps 116:8, 12]
31. Since God distinguishes you from others, in His mercies to you see that you distinguish yourselves from others, in your service to Him.
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? [Mt 5:47]
32. Be not content with a fair profession of religion, or with a form of godliness, and a name to live among men.
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: [Ti 1:16]
33. Keep always a watch upon the door of your lips.
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. [Ps 141:3]
34. Walk cheerfully and contentedly in every condition.
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [Ph'p 4:11]
35. Keep always the first and second table of the law joined together and make conscience of both.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [Mt 22:37]
36. Carefully guard against apostasy and backsliding from God and His ways.
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. [Heb 10:38-39]
37. Be watchful against all sin, and particularly your darling or constitutional sin, the sin that most easily besets you.
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. [Ps 18:23]
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us [Heb 12:1]
38. Be heartily concerned for the coming and enlarging of Christ's kingdom in the world.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [Mt 6:10]
And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. [Ps 72:19]
39. Be busy laying up a stock for a sick-bed or death-bed, when all the comforts of life shall be tasteless to you.
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. [I Ti 6:19]
40. Be looking and longing for the eternal supper of the Lord.
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: [Ph'p 1:23]
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. [Rev 19:9]
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