God is Our Refuge and Our Strength

George Gipps (n.d.) was a member of the Westminster Assembly, is noted as a strong Christian of personal piety, and was a faithful minister of the Gospel in Aylstone, Leicester-shire England. In this work, Gipps deals particularly with the first verse of Psalm 46, which is his main text. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."Christians often tend to rely on God more in times of trouble than they do in times of ease. But there are many poignant Scriptures which bear out the "neediness" of the Christian to Jesus Christ in all things and at all times regardless of God's providence. As they make their "calling and election sure" in their sanctification by walking in the Spirit under God's gracious providence, they are to turn to God to trust him in all things, but this is most especially seen in times of affliction and distress. Gipps presses the reader to ruminate in the non-negotiable requirement of being submissive to God in his providence ... no matter what that providence brings. He shows, first, that it is the portion of God's church and children to find in this life very great and abundant troubles. What do they do when they find such trouble? Second, it is then the wisdom of God's church and children to make God their hope, refuge, and shelter in all their troubles. And what will the outcome of this "making God their help and refuge"? Third, it will be the comfort of God's church and children who trust in him that they shall find God a very present, strong, and abundant help in all their troubles no matter what they are. This work is a blessed help in considering glorifying Christ in times of difficulty, and directing one's steps in the righteous and godly regardless of the providence that God ordains. This work is not a scan or facsimile, has been carefully transcribed by hand being made easy to read in modern English, and has an active table of contents for electronic versions.