The will of God is eternal because He does not begin to will what He did not will before, nor cease to will what He willed before. William Ames More Quotes by William Ames More Quotes From William Ames In contentment and joy are found the height and perfection of all love towards our neighbor. William Ames contentment perfection joy Faith is the virtue by which, clinging-to the faithfulness of God, we lean upon him, so that we may obtain what he gives to us. William Ames faithfulness may giving The starting point of sanctification is the filthiness, corruption, or stain of sin. William Ames starting-over corruption sin The good pleasure of God is an act of the divine will freely and effectively determining all things. William Ames divine-will pleasure divine The virtue of contentment is the acquiescence of the mind in the lot God has given William Ames acquiescence contentment mind The will of God is single and totally one in Him. William Ames gods-will Sanctification is the real change in man from the sordidness of sin to the purity of God's image. William Ames sin real men Hence the end of the world should be awaited with all longing by all believers. William Ames end-of-the-world longing ends Therefore, the church is not absolutely necessary as an object of faith, not even for us today, for then Abraham and the other prophets would not have given assent to those things which were revealed to them from God without any intervening help of the church. William Ames church helping today Hearing the word is the devout receiving of the will of God. William Ames gods-will receiving hearing From faith, hope, and love, the virtues of religion referring to God, there arises a double act which bears on the spiritual communion exercised between God and us; the hearing of the word and prayer. William Ames hearing prayer spiritual Although the whole man partakes of this grace, it is first and most appropriately in the soul and later progresses to the body, inasmuch as the body of the man is capable of the same obedience to the will of God as the soul. William Ames soul grace men The attributes of God tell us what He is and who He is. William Ames attributes-of-god attributes The first act of religion, therefore, concerns those things which are communicated to us from God. The other concerns those things which we yield to God. William Ames concern yield firsts Sanctification is not to be understood here as a separation from ordinary use or consecration to some special use, although this meaning is often present in Scripture, sometimes referring to outward and sometimes to inward or effectual separation. William Ames inward special ordinary The efficiency of God may be understood as either creation or providence. William Ames efficiency creation may Participation in the blessings of the union with Christ comes when the faithful have all the things needed to live well and blessedly to God. William Ames faithful unions blessing The relative property of the Son is to be begotten, that is, so to proceed from the Father as to be a participant of the same essence and perfectly carry on the Father's nature. William Ames essence father son Theology is the doctrine or teaching of living to God. William Ames theology doctrine teaching In the exercise of God's efficiency, the decree of God comes first. This manner of working is the most perfect of all and notably agrees with the divine nature. William Ames perfect exercise firsts