Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Martin Luther's 95 Theses
"Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in
Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.
2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.
3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.
4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.
6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.
7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.
8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.
10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.
11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.
12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.
13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.
14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.
15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.
16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.
17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.
18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.
19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.
20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.
21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;
22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.
23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.
24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.
25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.
26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.
27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].
28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.
29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.
30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.
31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.
32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.
33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;
34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.
35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.
36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.
39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.
40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].
41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.
47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.
48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.
49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.
50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.
51. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.
52. It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.
53. They are the enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.
54. Injury is done to the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.
55. It is certainly the pope's sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56. The true treasures of the church, out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.
57. That indulgences are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many indulgence sellers do not distribute them freely but only gather them.
58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outer man.
59. St. Lawrence said that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.
60. Without want of consideration we say that the keys of the church, given by the merits of Christ, are that treasure.
61. For it is clear that the pope's power is of itself sufficient for the
remission of penalties and cases reserved by himself.
62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory
and grace of God.
63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be
last. Matthew 20:16.
64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.
65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.
66. The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.
67. The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.
68. They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.
69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.
70. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the pope has commissioned.
71. Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.
72. But let him who guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed.
73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.
74. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.
75. To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.
76. We say on the contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as far as guilt is concerned.
77. To say that even St. Peter if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.
78. We say on the contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces at his disposal, that is, the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written. 1 Corinthians 12:28.
79. To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.
80. The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.
81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the laity.
82. Such as: “Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial.
83. Again, “Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?”
84. Again, “What is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God and do not rather, because of the need of that pious and beloved soul, free it for pure love's sake?”
85. Again, “Why are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they were still alive and in force?”
86. Again, “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?”
87. Again, “What does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a right to full remission and blessings?”
88. Again, “What greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?”
89. “Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have equal efficacy?”
90. To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.
91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace! Jeremiah 6:14
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!
94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace. Acts 14:22"
With this Martin Luther started the protestant reformation. He did not mean to start a revolt against Rome. He wanted to stop the selling of indulgences.
Related Tags: Matin Luther, The 95 Theses, Protestant Reformation
Continue reading!
Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.
2. This word cannot be understood to mean sacramental penance, i.e., confession and satisfaction, which is administered by the priests.
3. Yet it means not inward repentance only; nay, there is no inward repentance which does not outwardly work divers mortifications of the flesh.
4. The penalty [of sin], therefore, continues so long as hatred of self continues; for this is the true inward repentance, and continues until our entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.
6. The pope cannot remit any guilt, except by declaring that it has been remitted by God and by assenting to God's remission; though, to be sure, he may grant remission in cases reserved to his judgment. If his right to grant remission in such cases were despised, the guilt would remain entirely unforgiven.
7. God remits guilt to no one whom He does not, at the same time, humble in all things and bring into subjection to His vicar, the priest.
8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.
9. Therefore the Holy Spirit in the pope is kind to us, because in his decrees he always makes exception of the article of death and of necessity.
10. Ignorant and wicked are the doings of those priests who, in the case of the dying, reserve canonical penances for purgatory.
11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.
12. In former times the canonical penalties were imposed not after, but before absolution, as tests of true contrition.
13. The dying are freed by death from all penalties; they are already dead to canonical rules, and have a right to be released from them.
14. The imperfect health [of soul], that is to say, the imperfect love, of the dying brings with it, of necessity, great fear; and the smaller the love, the greater is the fear.
15. This fear and horror is sufficient of itself alone (to say nothing of other things) to constitute the penalty of purgatory, since it is very near to the horror of despair.
16. Hell, purgatory, and heaven seem to differ as do despair, almost-despair, and the assurance of safety.
17. With souls in purgatory it seems necessary that horror should grow less and love increase.
18. It seems unproved, either by reason or Scripture, that they are outside the state of merit, that is to say, of increasing love.
19. Again, it seems unproved that they, or at least that all of them, are certain or assured of their own blessedness, though we may be quite certain of it.
20. Therefore by "full remission of all penalties" the pope means not actually "of all," but only of those imposed by himself.
21. Therefore those preachers of indulgences are in error, who say that by the pope's indulgences a man is freed from every penalty, and saved;
22. Whereas he remits to souls in purgatory no penalty which, according to the canons, they would have had to pay in this life.
23. If it is at all possible to grant to any one the remission of all penalties whatsoever, it is certain that this remission can be granted only to the most perfect, that is, to the very fewest.
24. It must needs be, therefore, that the greater part of the people are deceived by that indiscriminate and highsounding promise of release from penalty.
25. The power which the pope has, in a general way, over purgatory, is just like the power which any bishop or curate has, in a special way, within his own diocese or parish.
26. The pope does well when he grants remission to souls [in purgatory], not by the power of the keys (which he does not possess), but by way of intercession.
27. They preach man who say that so soon as the penny jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out [of purgatory].
28. It is certain that when the penny jingles into the money-box, gain and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the Church is in the power of God alone.
29. Who knows whether all the souls in purgatory wish to be bought out of it, as in the legend of Sts. Severinus and Paschal.
30. No one is sure that his own contrition is sincere; much less that he has attained full remission.
31. Rare as is the man that is truly penitent, so rare is also the man who truly buys indulgences, i.e., such men are most rare.
32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.
33. Men must be on their guard against those who say that the pope's pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is reconciled to Him;
34. For these "graces of pardon" concern only the penalties of sacramental satisfaction, and these are appointed by man.
35. They preach no Christian doctrine who teach that contrition is not necessary in those who intend to buy souls out of purgatory or to buy confessionalia.
36. Every truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt, even without letters of pardon.
37. Every true Christian, whether living or dead, has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church; and this is granted him by God, even without letters of pardon.
38. Nevertheless, the remission and participation [in the blessings of the Church] which are granted by the pope are in no way to be despised, for they are, as I have said, the declaration of divine remission.
39. It is most difficult, even for the very keenest theologians, at one and the same time to commend to the people the abundance of pardons and [the need of] true contrition.
40. True contrition seeks and loves penalties, but liberal pardons only relax penalties and cause them to be hated, or at least, furnish an occasion [for hating them].
41. Apostolic pardons are to be preached with caution, lest the people may falsely think them preferable to other good works of love.
42. Christians are to be taught that the pope does not intend the buying of pardons to be compared in any way to works of mercy.
43. Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better work than buying pardons;
44. Because love grows by works of love, and man becomes better; but by pardons man does not grow better, only more free from penalty.
45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.
46. Christians are to be taught that unless they have more than they need, they are bound to keep back what is necessary for their own families, and by no means to squander it on pardons.
47. Christians are to be taught that the buying of pardons is a matter of free will, and not of commandment.
48. Christians are to be taught that the pope, in granting pardons, needs, and therefore desires, their devout prayer for him more than the money they bring.
49. Christians are to be taught that the pope's pardons are useful, if they do not put their trust in them; but altogether harmful, if through them they lose their fear of God.
50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.
51. Christians are to be taught that the pope would and should wish to give of his own money, even though he had to sell the basilica of St. Peter, to many of those from whom certain hawkers of indulgences cajole money.
52. It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security.
53. They are the enemies of Christ and the pope who forbid altogether the preaching of the Word of God in some churches in order that indulgences may be preached in others.
54. Injury is done to the Word of God when, in the same sermon, an equal or larger amount of time is devoted to indulgences than to the Word.
55. It is certainly the pope's sentiment that if indulgences, which are a very insignificant thing, are celebrated with one bell, one procession, and one ceremony, then the gospel, which is the very greatest thing, should be preached with a hundred bells, a hundred processions, a hundred ceremonies.
56. The true treasures of the church, out of which the pope distributes indulgences, are not sufficiently discussed or known among the people of Christ.
57. That indulgences are not temporal treasures is certainly clear, for many indulgence sellers do not distribute them freely but only gather them.
58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, for, even without the pope, the latter always work grace for the inner man, and the cross, death, and hell for the outer man.
59. St. Lawrence said that the poor of the church were the treasures of the church, but he spoke according to the usage of the word in his own time.
60. Without want of consideration we say that the keys of the church, given by the merits of Christ, are that treasure.
61. For it is clear that the pope's power is of itself sufficient for the
remission of penalties and cases reserved by himself.
62. The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory
and grace of God.
63. But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first to be
last. Matthew 20:16.
64. On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most acceptable, for it makes the last to be first.
65. Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one formerly fished for men of wealth.
66. The treasures of indulgences are nets with which one now fishes for the wealth of men.
67. The indulgences which the demagogues acclaim as the greatest graces are actually understood to be such only insofar as they promote gain.
68. They are nevertheless in truth the most insignificant graces when compared with the grace of God and the piety of the cross.
69. Bishops and curates are bound to admit the commissaries of papal indulgences with all reverence.
70. But they are much more bound to strain their eyes and ears lest these men preach their own dreams instead of what the pope has commissioned.
71. Let him who speaks against the truth concerning papal indulgences be anathema and accursed.
72. But let him who guards against the lust and license of the indulgence preachers be blessed.
73. Just as the pope justly thunders against those who by any means whatever contrive harm to the sale of indulgences.
74. Much more does he intend to thunder against those who use indulgences as a pretext to contrive harm to holy love and truth.
75. To consider papal indulgences so great that they could absolve a man even if he had done the impossible and had violated the mother of God is madness.
76. We say on the contrary that papal indulgences cannot remove the very least of venial sins as far as guilt is concerned.
77. To say that even St. Peter if he were now pope, could not grant greater graces is blasphemy against St. Peter and the pope.
78. We say on the contrary that even the present pope, or any pope whatsoever, has greater graces at his disposal, that is, the gospel, spiritual powers, gifts of healing, etc., as it is written. 1 Corinthians 12:28.
79. To say that the cross emblazoned with the papal coat of arms, and set up by the indulgence preachers is equal in worth to the cross of Christ is blasphemy.
80. The bishops, curates, and theologians who permit such talk to be spread among the people will have to answer for this.
81. This unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the laity.
82. Such as: “Why does not the pope empty purgatory for the sake of holy love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church? The former reason would be most just; the latter is most trivial.
83. Again, “Why are funeral and anniversary masses for the dead continued and why does he not return or permit the withdrawal of the endowments founded for them, since it is wrong to pray for the redeemed?”
84. Again, “What is this new piety of God and the pope that for a consideration of money they permit a man who is impious and their enemy to buy out of purgatory the pious soul of a friend of God and do not rather, because of the need of that pious and beloved soul, free it for pure love's sake?”
85. Again, “Why are the penitential canons, long since abrogated and dead in actual fact and through disuse, now satisfied by the granting of indulgences as though they were still alive and in force?”
86. Again, “Why does not the pope, whose wealth is today greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build this one basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?”
87. Again, “What does the pope remit or grant to those who by perfect contrition already have a right to full remission and blessings?”
88. Again, “What greater blessing could come to the church than if the pope were to bestow these remissions and blessings on every believer a hundred times a day, as he now does but once?”
89. “Since the pope seeks the salvation of souls rather than money by his indulgences, why does he suspend the indulgences and pardons previously granted when they have equal efficacy?”
90. To repress these very sharp arguments of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies and to make Christians unhappy.
91. If, therefore, indulgences were preached according to the spirit and intention of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved. Indeed, they would not exist.
92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Peace, peace,” and there is no peace! Jeremiah 6:14
93. Blessed be all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, “Cross, cross,” and there is no cross!
94. Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, death and hell.
95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace. Acts 14:22"
With this Martin Luther started the protestant reformation. He did not mean to start a revolt against Rome. He wanted to stop the selling of indulgences.
Related Tags: Matin Luther, The 95 Theses, Protestant Reformation
Continue reading!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
"The arraignment of error" by Samuel Bolton
"Divine truth advances God; it sets up God and lays man low; it raises God upon the ruins of self and sin; it makes God great and man little, God all and man nothing; it empties man of himself and makes him seek his fullness in God. That which does this has good evidence that it is truth of God.
Error may advance the creature; it may advance a man's self, but it does not advance God. Nay, error may seek God in the creature, but cannot seek itself in God; it may give the creature tht which is God's but not give to God that which is the creature's; it may take from God to give to the creature, but does not take from the creature to give to God. And error may lessen itself to make the creature greater, but it cannot make itself nothing to make God great. You can see this in Colossians 2:18. Some, in a voluntary humility, worship angels. Here man lessens himself to make a creature great, but he does not make himself nothing to make God great. Here he takes from himself and from God to give to a creature, but he does not take from the creature or from himsself to give unto God. This is genuine property of truth: it advances God; it makes God all and itself nothing; it empties itself of its truth that does not draw the heart up to God, and does not bring the soul to live in Him as its upmost happiness. And that which does so must make all things little and God gret, and be content to lose itself in God and for God that it may find itself in God." p. 268-269
Today a lot of people want to raise man up at the expense of lowering God. They want God to fit in the image they want Him to fit. They do not realize this is idolatry. God is a jealous God and will not stand for this.
(Exodus 34:14) For you shall worship no other god. For Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God;
Related Tags: Samuel Bolton, The arraignment of error, God, self, worship, truth
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Error may advance the creature; it may advance a man's self, but it does not advance God. Nay, error may seek God in the creature, but cannot seek itself in God; it may give the creature tht which is God's but not give to God that which is the creature's; it may take from God to give to the creature, but does not take from the creature to give to God. And error may lessen itself to make the creature greater, but it cannot make itself nothing to make God great. You can see this in Colossians 2:18. Some, in a voluntary humility, worship angels. Here man lessens himself to make a creature great, but he does not make himself nothing to make God great. Here he takes from himself and from God to give to a creature, but he does not take from the creature or from himsself to give unto God. This is genuine property of truth: it advances God; it makes God all and itself nothing; it empties itself of its truth that does not draw the heart up to God, and does not bring the soul to live in Him as its upmost happiness. And that which does so must make all things little and God gret, and be content to lose itself in God and for God that it may find itself in God." p. 268-269
Today a lot of people want to raise man up at the expense of lowering God. They want God to fit in the image they want Him to fit. They do not realize this is idolatry. God is a jealous God and will not stand for this.
(Exodus 34:14) For you shall worship no other god. For Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God;
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Monday, August 28, 2006
"The Fountain of Life" by John Flavel
This is from the second sermon in the series.
"Then I was by him, [as] one brought up [with him]: and I was daily [his] delight, rejoicing always before him; — Proverbs 8:30
These words are a part of that excellent commendation of wisdom, by which in this book Solomon intends two things; first, Grace or holiness, Proverbs 4:7. “ Wisdom is the principal thing.” Secondly, Jesus Christ, the fountain of that grace: and look, as the former is renowned for its excellency, Job 28:14, 15, so the latter, in this context, wherein the Spirit of God describes the most blessed state of Jesus Christ, the wisdom of the Father, from those eternal delights he had with his Father, before his
assumption of our nature: “Then was I by him,” etc. that long Evum was wholly swallowed up, and spent in unspeakable delights and pleasures. Which delights were twofold,
(1.) The Father and Son delighted one in another (from which delights the Spirit is not here excluded) without communicating that their joy to any other, for no creature did then exist save in the mind of God, verse 30.
(2.) They delighted in the salvation of men, in the prospect of that work, though not yet extant, verse 31. My present business lies in the former, viz. the mutual delights of the Father and Son, one with and in another; the account whereof we have in the text; wherein consider,
1. The glorious condition of the non-incarnated Son of God, described by the person with whom his fellowship was, “Then was I by him,” or with him; so with him as never was any, in his very bosom, John 1:18, the only begotten Son was in the bosom of the Father, an expression of the greatest dearness and intimacy in the world; as if he should say, wrapt up in the very soul of his Father, embosomed in God."
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"Then I was by him, [as] one brought up [with him]: and I was daily [his] delight, rejoicing always before him; — Proverbs 8:30
These words are a part of that excellent commendation of wisdom, by which in this book Solomon intends two things; first, Grace or holiness, Proverbs 4:7. “ Wisdom is the principal thing.” Secondly, Jesus Christ, the fountain of that grace: and look, as the former is renowned for its excellency, Job 28:14, 15, so the latter, in this context, wherein the Spirit of God describes the most blessed state of Jesus Christ, the wisdom of the Father, from those eternal delights he had with his Father, before his
assumption of our nature: “Then was I by him,” etc. that long Evum was wholly swallowed up, and spent in unspeakable delights and pleasures. Which delights were twofold,
(1.) The Father and Son delighted one in another (from which delights the Spirit is not here excluded) without communicating that their joy to any other, for no creature did then exist save in the mind of God, verse 30.
(2.) They delighted in the salvation of men, in the prospect of that work, though not yet extant, verse 31. My present business lies in the former, viz. the mutual delights of the Father and Son, one with and in another; the account whereof we have in the text; wherein consider,
1. The glorious condition of the non-incarnated Son of God, described by the person with whom his fellowship was, “Then was I by him,” or with him; so with him as never was any, in his very bosom, John 1:18, the only begotten Son was in the bosom of the Father, an expression of the greatest dearness and intimacy in the world; as if he should say, wrapt up in the very soul of his Father, embosomed in God."
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Sunday, August 27, 2006
"The Fountain of Life" by John Flavel
"INFERENCE 1.
The sufficiency of the doctrine of Christ, to make men wise unto salvation. Paul desired to know nothing else; and, indeed, nothing else is of absolute necessity to be known. A little of this knowledge, if saving and effectual upon thy heart, will do thy soul more service, than all the vain speculation and profound parts that others so much glory in. Poor Christian, be not dejected, because thou sees thyself out-stript and excelled by so many in other parts of knowledge; if thou know Jesus Christ, thou knowest enough to comfort and save thy soul. Many learned philosophers are now in hell, and many illiterate Christians in heaven.
INFERENCE 2.
If there be such excellency in the knowledge of Christ, let it humble all, both saints and sinners, that we have no more of this clear and effectual knowledge in us, notwithstanding the excellent advantages we have had for it. Sinners, concerning you I may sigh and say with the apostle, 1 Corinthians 15:34. “Some have not the knowledge of Christ, I speak this to your shame”. This, O this is the condemnation. And even for you that are enlightened in this knowledge, how little do you know of Jesus Christ, in comparison of what you might have known of him? What a shame is it,
that you should need to be taught the very first truths, “when for the time you might have been teachers of others?” Hebrews 5:12, 13, 14.
“That your ministers cannot speak unto you as spiritual, but as unto
carnal, even as unto babes in Christ,” 1 Corinthians 3:1, 2.
O how much time is spent in other studies, in vain discourses, frivolous
pamphlets, worldly employments? How little is the search and study of
Jesus Christ."
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The sufficiency of the doctrine of Christ, to make men wise unto salvation. Paul desired to know nothing else; and, indeed, nothing else is of absolute necessity to be known. A little of this knowledge, if saving and effectual upon thy heart, will do thy soul more service, than all the vain speculation and profound parts that others so much glory in. Poor Christian, be not dejected, because thou sees thyself out-stript and excelled by so many in other parts of knowledge; if thou know Jesus Christ, thou knowest enough to comfort and save thy soul. Many learned philosophers are now in hell, and many illiterate Christians in heaven.
INFERENCE 2.
If there be such excellency in the knowledge of Christ, let it humble all, both saints and sinners, that we have no more of this clear and effectual knowledge in us, notwithstanding the excellent advantages we have had for it. Sinners, concerning you I may sigh and say with the apostle, 1 Corinthians 15:34. “Some have not the knowledge of Christ, I speak this to your shame”. This, O this is the condemnation. And even for you that are enlightened in this knowledge, how little do you know of Jesus Christ, in comparison of what you might have known of him? What a shame is it,
that you should need to be taught the very first truths, “when for the time you might have been teachers of others?” Hebrews 5:12, 13, 14.
“That your ministers cannot speak unto you as spiritual, but as unto
carnal, even as unto babes in Christ,” 1 Corinthians 3:1, 2.
O how much time is spent in other studies, in vain discourses, frivolous
pamphlets, worldly employments? How little is the search and study of
Jesus Christ."
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Saturday, August 26, 2006
"The Fountain of Life" by John Flavel
"DOCTRINE —THAT THERE IS NO DOCTRINE MORE EXCELLENT IN ITSELF OR MORE NECESSARY TO BE
PREACHED AND, STUDIED, THAN THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
ALL other knowledge, how much soever it be magnified in the world, is, and ought to be esteemed but dross, in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:8. “In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,”
Colossians 2:3.
FIRST, Let it be considered absolutely, and then these lovely properties with which it is naturally clothed, will render it superior to all other sciences and studies.
The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the very marrow and kernel of all the scriptures; the scope and center of all divine revelations: both Testaments meet in Christ. The ceremonial law is full of Christ, and all the gospel is full of Christ: the blessed lines of both Testaments meet in him; and how they both harmonise, and sweetly concentre in Jesus Christ, is the chief scope of that excellent epistle to the Hebrews, to discover; for we may call that epistle the sweet harmony of both Testaments. This argues the unspeakable excellency of this doctrine, the knowledge whereof must needs therefore be a key to unlock the greatest part of the sacred scriptures. For it is in the understanding of scripture, much as it is in the knowledge men have in logic and philosophy: if a scholar once come to understand the bottom-principle, upon which, as upon its hinge, the controversy turns the true
knowledge of that principle shall carry him through the whole controversy, and furnish him with a solution to every argument. Even so the right knowledge of Jesus Christ, like a clue, leads you through the whole labyrinth of the scriptures.
The knowledge of Jesus Christ is a fundamental knowledge; and foundations are most useful, though least seen. The knowledge of Christ is fundamental to all graces, duties, comforts, and happiness. (1.) It is fundamental to all graces; they all begin in knowledge; Colossians 3:10. “The new man is renewed in knowledge.”
As the old, so the new creation begins in light; the opening of the eyes is the first work of the Spirit; and as the beginnings of grace, so all the after-improvements thereof depend upon this increasing knowledge, 2 Peter 3:18.
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.”
See how these two, grace and knowledge, keep equal pace in the soul of a Christian in what degree the one increases, the other increases answerable.
The knowledge of Christ is fundamental to all duties; the duties, as well as the graces of all Christians, are all founded in the knowledge of Christ, Must a Christian believe?"
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PREACHED AND, STUDIED, THAN THE DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED.
ALL other knowledge, how much soever it be magnified in the world, is, and ought to be esteemed but dross, in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:8. “In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,”
Colossians 2:3.
FIRST, Let it be considered absolutely, and then these lovely properties with which it is naturally clothed, will render it superior to all other sciences and studies.
The knowledge of Jesus Christ is the very marrow and kernel of all the scriptures; the scope and center of all divine revelations: both Testaments meet in Christ. The ceremonial law is full of Christ, and all the gospel is full of Christ: the blessed lines of both Testaments meet in him; and how they both harmonise, and sweetly concentre in Jesus Christ, is the chief scope of that excellent epistle to the Hebrews, to discover; for we may call that epistle the sweet harmony of both Testaments. This argues the unspeakable excellency of this doctrine, the knowledge whereof must needs therefore be a key to unlock the greatest part of the sacred scriptures. For it is in the understanding of scripture, much as it is in the knowledge men have in logic and philosophy: if a scholar once come to understand the bottom-principle, upon which, as upon its hinge, the controversy turns the true
knowledge of that principle shall carry him through the whole controversy, and furnish him with a solution to every argument. Even so the right knowledge of Jesus Christ, like a clue, leads you through the whole labyrinth of the scriptures.
The knowledge of Jesus Christ is a fundamental knowledge; and foundations are most useful, though least seen. The knowledge of Christ is fundamental to all graces, duties, comforts, and happiness. (1.) It is fundamental to all graces; they all begin in knowledge; Colossians 3:10. “The new man is renewed in knowledge.”
As the old, so the new creation begins in light; the opening of the eyes is the first work of the Spirit; and as the beginnings of grace, so all the after-improvements thereof depend upon this increasing knowledge, 2 Peter 3:18.
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.”
See how these two, grace and knowledge, keep equal pace in the soul of a Christian in what degree the one increases, the other increases answerable.
The knowledge of Christ is fundamental to all duties; the duties, as well as the graces of all Christians, are all founded in the knowledge of Christ, Must a Christian believe?"
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"Institutes of the Christian Religion" by John Calvin
"For if we reflect how prone the human mind is to lapse into forgetfulness of God, how readily inclined to every kind of error, how bent every now and then on devising new and fictitious religions, it will be easy to understand how necessary it was to make such a depository of doctrine as would secure it from either perishing by the neglect, vanishing away amid the errors, or being corrupted by the presumptuous audacity of men. It being thus manifest that God, foreseeing the inefficiency of his image imprinted on the fair form of the universe, has given the assistance of his
Word to all whom he has ever been pleased to instruct effectually, we, too, must pursue this straight path, if we aspire in earnest to a genuine contemplation of God; — we must go, I say, to the Word, where the character of God, drawn from his works is described accurately and to the life; these works being estimated, not by our depraved judgment, but by the standard of eternal truth. If, as I lately said, we turn aside from it, how great soever the speed with which we move, we shall never reach the goal, because we are off the course. We should consider that the brightness of the Divine countenance, which even an apostle declares to be inaccessible,
(1 Timothy 6:16,) is a kind of labyrinth, — a labyrinth to us inextricable, if the Word do not serve us as a thread to guide our path; and that it is better to limp in the way, than run with the greatest swiftness out of it. Hence the Psalmist, after repeatedly declaring (Psalm 93, 96, 97, 99, etc.) that superstition should be banished from the world in order that pure religion may flourish, introduces God as reigning; meaning by the term, not
the power which he possesses and which he exerts in the government of universal nature, but the doctrine by which he maintains his due supremacy: because error never can be eradicated from the heart of man until the true knowledge of God has been implanted in it."
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Word to all whom he has ever been pleased to instruct effectually, we, too, must pursue this straight path, if we aspire in earnest to a genuine contemplation of God; — we must go, I say, to the Word, where the character of God, drawn from his works is described accurately and to the life; these works being estimated, not by our depraved judgment, but by the standard of eternal truth. If, as I lately said, we turn aside from it, how great soever the speed with which we move, we shall never reach the goal, because we are off the course. We should consider that the brightness of the Divine countenance, which even an apostle declares to be inaccessible,
(1 Timothy 6:16,) is a kind of labyrinth, — a labyrinth to us inextricable, if the Word do not serve us as a thread to guide our path; and that it is better to limp in the way, than run with the greatest swiftness out of it. Hence the Psalmist, after repeatedly declaring (Psalm 93, 96, 97, 99, etc.) that superstition should be banished from the world in order that pure religion may flourish, introduces God as reigning; meaning by the term, not
the power which he possesses and which he exerts in the government of universal nature, but the doctrine by which he maintains his due supremacy: because error never can be eradicated from the heart of man until the true knowledge of God has been implanted in it."
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Friday, August 25, 2006
"The acceptable sacrifice" by John Bunyan
"A broken heart is the handiwork of God; a heart of his own preparing, for his own service. It is a sacrifice of his own providing, of his providing for himself; as Abraham said in another case, “God will provide himself a lamb.” Hence it is said, “The preparation of the heart of man,” etc., “is from the Lord.” And again, “God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me.”
The heart, as it is by nature hard, stupid and impenetrable, so it remains, and so will remain, until God, as was said, bruise it with his hammer and melt it with his fire. The stony nature of it is therefore said to be taken away of God. “I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you,” saith he, “a
heart of flesh.” ‘I will take away the stony heart, or the hardness of your heart, and I will give you a heart of flesh;’ that is, ‘I will make your heart sensible, soft, yielding, governable, and penitent.’ Sometimes he bids men to rend their hearts, not because they can, but to convince them rather, that though it must be so, they cannot do it. So he bids them make themselves a new heart, and a new spirit, for the same purpose also. For if God doth not rend it, it remains unrent; if God makes it not new, it abides an old one still. This is that that is meant, by his bending men for himself, and his working in them that which is pleasing in his sight.
Zechariah 9:13.
The heart, (soul, or spirit,) as in itself, as it came from God’s fingers, is a precious thing, a thing in God’s account worth more than all the world. This heart, (soul or spirit,) sin has hardened, the devil has bewitched, the world has deceived. This heart, thus beguiled, God coveteth and desireth: “My son,” saith he, “give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Proverbs 23:26.
This man cannot do this thing: for his heart has the mastery of him, and will not but carry him after all manner of vanity. What now must be done? Why, God must take the heart, by storm, by power, and bring it to compliance with the word; but the heart of itself will not; it is deluded, carried away to another than God. Wherefore God now betakes him to his sword, and brings down the heart with labor; opens it, and drives out the strong man armed that did keep it; wounds it; and makes it smart for its
rebellion, that it may cry; so he rectifies it for himself. “He maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.” Job 5:18. Thus having wrought it for himself, it becomes his habitation, his dwelling-place: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” Ephesians 3."
Man needs for God to give us a new heart. With our sinful nature we do not desire to do what God wants us to do.
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The heart, as it is by nature hard, stupid and impenetrable, so it remains, and so will remain, until God, as was said, bruise it with his hammer and melt it with his fire. The stony nature of it is therefore said to be taken away of God. “I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you,” saith he, “a
heart of flesh.” ‘I will take away the stony heart, or the hardness of your heart, and I will give you a heart of flesh;’ that is, ‘I will make your heart sensible, soft, yielding, governable, and penitent.’ Sometimes he bids men to rend their hearts, not because they can, but to convince them rather, that though it must be so, they cannot do it. So he bids them make themselves a new heart, and a new spirit, for the same purpose also. For if God doth not rend it, it remains unrent; if God makes it not new, it abides an old one still. This is that that is meant, by his bending men for himself, and his working in them that which is pleasing in his sight.
Zechariah 9:13.
The heart, (soul, or spirit,) as in itself, as it came from God’s fingers, is a precious thing, a thing in God’s account worth more than all the world. This heart, (soul or spirit,) sin has hardened, the devil has bewitched, the world has deceived. This heart, thus beguiled, God coveteth and desireth: “My son,” saith he, “give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Proverbs 23:26.
This man cannot do this thing: for his heart has the mastery of him, and will not but carry him after all manner of vanity. What now must be done? Why, God must take the heart, by storm, by power, and bring it to compliance with the word; but the heart of itself will not; it is deluded, carried away to another than God. Wherefore God now betakes him to his sword, and brings down the heart with labor; opens it, and drives out the strong man armed that did keep it; wounds it; and makes it smart for its
rebellion, that it may cry; so he rectifies it for himself. “He maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole.” Job 5:18. Thus having wrought it for himself, it becomes his habitation, his dwelling-place: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” Ephesians 3."
Man needs for God to give us a new heart. With our sinful nature we do not desire to do what God wants us to do.
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Wednesday, August 23, 2006
"The existence and attributes of God" by Stephen Charnock
"No desire for the remembrance of him. How delightful are other things in our minds! How burdensome the memorials of God, from which we have our being! With what pleasure do we contemplate the nature of creatures, even of flies and toads, while our minds tire in the search of him, who hath bestowed upon us our knowing and meditating faculties! Though God shows himself to us in every creature, in the meanest weed as well as the highest heavens, and is more apparent in them to our reasons than themselves can be to our sense; yet though we see them, we will not behold God in them: we will view them to please our sense, to improve our reason in their natural perfections; but pass by the consideration of God's perfections so visibly beaming from them. Thus we play the beasts and atheists in the very exercise of reason, and neglect our Creator to gratify our sense, as though the pleasure of that were more desirable than the knowledge of God. The desire of our souls is not towards his name and the rembrance of him, when we set not ourselves in a posture to feast our souls with deep and serious meditations of him; have a thought of him, only by the bye and away, as if we were afraid of too intimate acquaintance with him. Are not the thoughts of God rather our invaders than our guests; seldom invited to reside and take up our homes in our hearts? Have we not, when they have broke in upon us, bid them depart from us, and warned them to come no more upon our ground; sent them packing as soon as we could, and were glad when they were gone? And when they have departed, have we not often been afraid they should return again upon us, and therefore looked about for other inmates, things, not good, or if good, infinitely below God, to possess the room of our hearts before any thoughts of him should appear again? Have we not often been glad of excuses to shake off present thoughts of him, ane when we have wanted real ones, found our pretences to keep God and our hearts at a distance? Is not this a part of atheism, to be so unwilling to employ our faculties about the giver of them, to refuse to exercise them in a way of grateful remembrance of him; as though God that truly gave them had no right to them, and he that thinks on us every day in a way of providence, were not worthy to be thought on by us in a way of special rembrance? Do not the best, that love the remembrance of him, and abhor this natural averseness, find that when they would think of God, many things tempt them and turn them to think eleswhere? Do they not find their apprehensions too feeble, their motions too dull, and their impressions too slight? This natural atheism is spread over human nature." p. 159-160
I think Charnock would be surprised at how atheism has grown since his days. A lot of the big thinkers would be considered atheist. Man does not want to think about God. For to do so we show how far we have gone from Him.
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I think Charnock would be surprised at how atheism has grown since his days. A lot of the big thinkers would be considered atheist. Man does not want to think about God. For to do so we show how far we have gone from Him.
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Tuesday, August 22, 2006
"Institutes of the Christian Religion" by John Calvin
"But God, in vindicating his own right, first proclaims that he is a jealous God, and will be a stern avenger if he is confounded with any false god; and thereafter defines what due worship is, in order that the human race may be kept in obedience. Both of these he embraces in his Law when he first binds the faithful in allegiance to him as their only Lawgiver, and then prescribes a rule for worshipping him in accordance with his will. The Law, with its manifold uses and objects, I will consider in its own place; at present I only advert to this one, that it is designed as a bridle to curb men, and prevent them from turning aside to spurious worship. But it is necessary to attend to the observation with which I set out, viz., that unless everything peculiar to divinity is confined to God alone, he is robbed of his honour, and his worship is violated.
It may be proper here more particularly to attend to the subtleties which superstition employs. In revolting to strange gods, it avoids the appearance of abandoning the Supreme God, or reducing him to the same rank with others. It gives him the highest place, but at the same time surrounds him with a tribe of minor deities, among whom it portions out his peculiar offices. In this way, though in a dissembling and crafty manner, the glory of the Godhead is dissected, and not allowed to remain entire. In the same way the people of old, both Jews and Gentiles, placed an immense crowd in subordination to the father and ruler of the gods, and gave them, according to their rank, to share with the supreme God in the government of heaven and earth. In the same way, too, for some ages past, departed saints have been exalted to partnership with God, to be worshipped, invoked, and lauded in his stead. And yet we do not even think that the majesty of God is obscured by this abomination, whereas it is in a great measure suppressed and extinguished - all that we retain being a frigid opinion of his supreme power. At the same time, being deluded by these entanglements, we go astray after divers gods."
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It may be proper here more particularly to attend to the subtleties which superstition employs. In revolting to strange gods, it avoids the appearance of abandoning the Supreme God, or reducing him to the same rank with others. It gives him the highest place, but at the same time surrounds him with a tribe of minor deities, among whom it portions out his peculiar offices. In this way, though in a dissembling and crafty manner, the glory of the Godhead is dissected, and not allowed to remain entire. In the same way the people of old, both Jews and Gentiles, placed an immense crowd in subordination to the father and ruler of the gods, and gave them, according to their rank, to share with the supreme God in the government of heaven and earth. In the same way, too, for some ages past, departed saints have been exalted to partnership with God, to be worshipped, invoked, and lauded in his stead. And yet we do not even think that the majesty of God is obscured by this abomination, whereas it is in a great measure suppressed and extinguished - all that we retain being a frigid opinion of his supreme power. At the same time, being deluded by these entanglements, we go astray after divers gods."
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"The Scriptures:: the only guide in matters of religion" by John Gill
"Nor are the traditions of men to be regarded; the Pharisees were very tenacious of the traditions of the elders, by which they transgressed the commandments of God, and made his word of no effect; and the apostle Paul, in his state of unregeneracy, was zealous of the same; but neither of them are to be imitated by us: it is right to observe the exhortation which the apostle gives, when a christian; (Colossians 2:8) beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Nor do the decrees of popes and councils demand our attention and regard; it matters not what such a pope has determined, or what canons such a council under his influence has made; what have we to do with the man of sin, that exalts himself above all that is called God; who sits in the temple of God, shewing himself as if he was God? we know what will be his fate, and that of his followers. (2 Thessalonians 2:4, 5, Revelation 20:30, Revelation 13:8, and Revelation 14:11.)
Nor are the examples of men, no not of the best of men, in all things to be copied after by us; we should indeed be followers of all good men as such, of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises; and especially of such, who are or have been spiritual guides and governors in the church; who have made the scriptures their study, and have labored in the word and doctrine; their faith we should follow, considering the end of their conversation; how that issues, and when it terminates in Christ, his person, truths and ordinances, the same to-day, yesterday and for ever:
(Hebrews 6:12, and 13:7)"
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Nor do the decrees of popes and councils demand our attention and regard; it matters not what such a pope has determined, or what canons such a council under his influence has made; what have we to do with the man of sin, that exalts himself above all that is called God; who sits in the temple of God, shewing himself as if he was God? we know what will be his fate, and that of his followers. (2 Thessalonians 2:4, 5, Revelation 20:30, Revelation 13:8, and Revelation 14:11.)
Nor are the examples of men, no not of the best of men, in all things to be copied after by us; we should indeed be followers of all good men as such, of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises; and especially of such, who are or have been spiritual guides and governors in the church; who have made the scriptures their study, and have labored in the word and doctrine; their faith we should follow, considering the end of their conversation; how that issues, and when it terminates in Christ, his person, truths and ordinances, the same to-day, yesterday and for ever:
(Hebrews 6:12, and 13:7)"
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Monday, August 21, 2006
"The Good Shepherd" by George Whitefield
"If you ask me why Christ’s people are called sheep, as God shall enable me, I will give you a short, and I hope it will be to you an answer of peace. Sheep, you know, generally love to be together; we say a flock of sheep, we do not say a herd of sheep; sheep are little creatures, and Christ’s people may be called sheep, because they are little in the eyes of the world, and they are yet less in their own eyes. O, some people think, if the great men were on our side, if we had king, lords, and commons on our side, I mean if they were all true believers, O if we had all the kings upon the earth on our side! Suppose you had: alas! alas! do you think the church would go on the better? Why, if it were fashionable to be a Methodist at court, if it were fashionable to be a Methodist abroad, they would go with
a Bible or a hymn-book, instead of a novel; but religion never thrives under
too much sun-shine. ‘Not many mighty, not many noble, are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.’ Dr. Watts says, Here and there I see a king, and here and there a great man, in heaven, but their number is but small.
Sheep are looked upon to be the most harmless, quiet creatures that God hath made: O may God, of his infinite mercy, give us to know that we are his sheep, by our having this blessed temper infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost. ‘Learn of me,’ saith our blessed Lord; what to do? To work miracles? No; ‘Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.’ A very good man, now living, said once, if there be any particular temper I desire more than another, it is the grace of MEEKNESS, quietly to bear bad
treatment, to forget and to forgive: and at the same time that I am sensible I am injured, not to be overcome of evil, but to have grace given me to overcome evil with good. To the honor of Moses, it is declared, that he was the meekest man upon earth. Meekness is necessary for people in power; a man that is passionate is dangerous. Every governor should have a warm temper, but a man of an unrelenting, unforgiving temper, is no more fit for government than Phaethon to drive the chariot of the sun; he only sets the world on fire."
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a Bible or a hymn-book, instead of a novel; but religion never thrives under
too much sun-shine. ‘Not many mighty, not many noble, are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.’ Dr. Watts says, Here and there I see a king, and here and there a great man, in heaven, but their number is but small.
Sheep are looked upon to be the most harmless, quiet creatures that God hath made: O may God, of his infinite mercy, give us to know that we are his sheep, by our having this blessed temper infused into our hearts by the Holy Ghost. ‘Learn of me,’ saith our blessed Lord; what to do? To work miracles? No; ‘Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.’ A very good man, now living, said once, if there be any particular temper I desire more than another, it is the grace of MEEKNESS, quietly to bear bad
treatment, to forget and to forgive: and at the same time that I am sensible I am injured, not to be overcome of evil, but to have grace given me to overcome evil with good. To the honor of Moses, it is declared, that he was the meekest man upon earth. Meekness is necessary for people in power; a man that is passionate is dangerous. Every governor should have a warm temper, but a man of an unrelenting, unforgiving temper, is no more fit for government than Phaethon to drive the chariot of the sun; he only sets the world on fire."
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"The Heavenly footman" by John Bunyan
"1. The saints of old, they being willing and resolved for heaven, what could stop them? Could fire and faggot, sword or halter, filthy dungeons, whips, bears, bulls, lions, cruel rackings, stoning, starving, nakedness, etc.? “And in all these things they were more than conquerors, through Him that loved them,” who had also made them “willing in the day of his power.”
2. See again, on the other side, the children of the devil, because they are not willing, how many shifts and starting-holes they will have: I have married a wife, I have a farm, I shall offend my landlord, I shall offend my master, I shall lose my trading, I shall lose my pride, my pleasures, I shall be mocked and scoffed; therefore I dare not come. I, saith another, will stay till I am older, till my children are out, till I am got a little aforehand in the world, till I have done this and that and the other business; but, alas! the thing is, they are not willing; for were they but soundly willing, these, and a thousand such as these, would hold them no faster than the cords held Samson when he broke them like burnt flax; I tell you the will is all: that is one of the chief things which turns the wheel either backwards or forwards; and God knoweth that full well, and so likewise doth the devil, and therefore they both endeavor very much to strengthen the will of their
servants. God, he is for making of his a willing people to serve him; and the devil, he doth what he can to possess the will and affection of those that are his with love to sin; and therefore when Christ comes close to the matter, indeed, saith he, “You will not come to me.” “How often would I have gathered you as a hen doth her chickens, but you would not!” The devil had possessed their wills, and so long he was sure enough of them. Oh therefore cry hard to God to inflame thy will for heaven and Christ — thy will, I say: if that be rightly set for heaven, thou wilt not be beat off with discouragements; and this was the reason that when Jacob wrestled with the angel, though he lost a limb as it were, and the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him, yet, saith he, “I will not” —mark, I will not — ”let thee go except thou bless me.” Get thy will tipped with the heavenly grace and resolution against all thy discouragements, and then thou goest full speed for leaven; but if thou falter in thy will and be not sound there, thou wilt run hobbling and halting all the way’ thou runnest, and ‘also to be sure thou wilt fall short at last. The Lord give thee a will and courage! Thus base I done with directing’ thee how to run to the kingdom; be sure thou keep in memory what I have said unto thee, lest thou lose thy way. But because I would have thee think of them, take all in short in this little bit of paper:
1. Get into the way.
2. Then study on it.
3. Then strip and lay aside everything that would hinder.
4. Beware of by-paths.
5. Do not gaze and stare too much about thee, but be sure to ponder
the path of thy feet.
6. Do not stop for any that call after thee, whether it be the world, the
flesh, or the devil, for all these will hinder thy journey if possible.
7. Be not daunted with any discouragements thou meet-est with as
thou goest.
8. Take heed of stumbling at the cross.
9. Cry hard to God for an enlightened heart and willing mind, and God
give thee a prosperous journey!"
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2. See again, on the other side, the children of the devil, because they are not willing, how many shifts and starting-holes they will have: I have married a wife, I have a farm, I shall offend my landlord, I shall offend my master, I shall lose my trading, I shall lose my pride, my pleasures, I shall be mocked and scoffed; therefore I dare not come. I, saith another, will stay till I am older, till my children are out, till I am got a little aforehand in the world, till I have done this and that and the other business; but, alas! the thing is, they are not willing; for were they but soundly willing, these, and a thousand such as these, would hold them no faster than the cords held Samson when he broke them like burnt flax; I tell you the will is all: that is one of the chief things which turns the wheel either backwards or forwards; and God knoweth that full well, and so likewise doth the devil, and therefore they both endeavor very much to strengthen the will of their
servants. God, he is for making of his a willing people to serve him; and the devil, he doth what he can to possess the will and affection of those that are his with love to sin; and therefore when Christ comes close to the matter, indeed, saith he, “You will not come to me.” “How often would I have gathered you as a hen doth her chickens, but you would not!” The devil had possessed their wills, and so long he was sure enough of them. Oh therefore cry hard to God to inflame thy will for heaven and Christ — thy will, I say: if that be rightly set for heaven, thou wilt not be beat off with discouragements; and this was the reason that when Jacob wrestled with the angel, though he lost a limb as it were, and the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled with him, yet, saith he, “I will not” —mark, I will not — ”let thee go except thou bless me.” Get thy will tipped with the heavenly grace and resolution against all thy discouragements, and then thou goest full speed for leaven; but if thou falter in thy will and be not sound there, thou wilt run hobbling and halting all the way’ thou runnest, and ‘also to be sure thou wilt fall short at last. The Lord give thee a will and courage! Thus base I done with directing’ thee how to run to the kingdom; be sure thou keep in memory what I have said unto thee, lest thou lose thy way. But because I would have thee think of them, take all in short in this little bit of paper:
1. Get into the way.
2. Then study on it.
3. Then strip and lay aside everything that would hinder.
4. Beware of by-paths.
5. Do not gaze and stare too much about thee, but be sure to ponder
the path of thy feet.
6. Do not stop for any that call after thee, whether it be the world, the
flesh, or the devil, for all these will hinder thy journey if possible.
7. Be not daunted with any discouragements thou meet-est with as
thou goest.
8. Take heed of stumbling at the cross.
9. Cry hard to God for an enlightened heart and willing mind, and God
give thee a prosperous journey!"
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Friday, August 18, 2006
"All of Grace" by Charles H. Spurgeon
"In the first place, nobody else but God would ever have thought of justifying those who are guilty. They have lived in open rebellion; they have done evil with both hands; they have gone from bad to worse; they have turned back to sin even after they have smarted for it, and have therefore for a while been forced to leave it. They have broken the law, and trampled on the gospel. They have refused proclamations of mercy, and have persisted in ungodliness. How can they be forgiven and justified? Their fellowmen, despairing of them, say, “They are hopeless cases.” Even Christians look upon them with sorrow rather than with hope. But not so their God. He, in the splendor of his electing grace having chosen some of them before the foundation of the world, will not rest till He has justified them, and made them to be accepted in the Beloved. Is it not written, “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified”? Thus you see there are some whom the Lord resolves to justify: why should not you and I be of the number?
None but God would ever have thought of justifying me. I am a wonder to myself. I doubt not that grace is equally seen in others. Look at Saul of Tarsus, who foamed at the mouth, against God’s servants. Like a hungry wolf, he worried the lambs and the sheep right and left; and yet God struck him down on the road to Damascus, and changed his heart, and so fully justified him that ere long, this man became the greatest preacher of justification by faith that ever lived. He must often have marveled that he was justified by faith in Christ Jesus; for he was once a determined stickler for salvation by the works of the law. None but God would have ever thought of justifying such a man as Saul the persecutor; but the Lord God is glorious in grace.
But, even if anybody had thought of justifying the ungodly, none but God could have done it. It is quite impossible for any person to forgive offenses which have not been committed against himself. A person has greatly injured you; you can forgive him, and I hope you will; but no third person can forgive him apart from you. If the wrong is done to you, the pardon must come from you. If we have sinned against God, it is in God’s power to forgive; for the sin is against Himself. That is why David says, in the fifty-first Psalm: “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight”; for then God, against whom the offense is committed, can put the offense away. That which we owe to God, our great Creator can remit, if so it pleases Him; and if He remits it, it is remitted. None but the great God, against whom we have committed the sin, can blot out that sin; let us, therefore, see that we go to Him and seek mercy at His hands. Do not let us be led aside by those who would have us confess to them; they have no warrant in the Word of God for their pretensions. But even if they were ordained to pronounce absolution in God’s name, it must still be better to go ourselves to the great Lord through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, and seek and find pardon at His hand; since we are sure that this is the right way. Proxy religion involves too great a risk: you had better see to your soul’s matters yourself, and leave them in no man’s hands."
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None but God would ever have thought of justifying me. I am a wonder to myself. I doubt not that grace is equally seen in others. Look at Saul of Tarsus, who foamed at the mouth, against God’s servants. Like a hungry wolf, he worried the lambs and the sheep right and left; and yet God struck him down on the road to Damascus, and changed his heart, and so fully justified him that ere long, this man became the greatest preacher of justification by faith that ever lived. He must often have marveled that he was justified by faith in Christ Jesus; for he was once a determined stickler for salvation by the works of the law. None but God would have ever thought of justifying such a man as Saul the persecutor; but the Lord God is glorious in grace.
But, even if anybody had thought of justifying the ungodly, none but God could have done it. It is quite impossible for any person to forgive offenses which have not been committed against himself. A person has greatly injured you; you can forgive him, and I hope you will; but no third person can forgive him apart from you. If the wrong is done to you, the pardon must come from you. If we have sinned against God, it is in God’s power to forgive; for the sin is against Himself. That is why David says, in the fifty-first Psalm: “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight”; for then God, against whom the offense is committed, can put the offense away. That which we owe to God, our great Creator can remit, if so it pleases Him; and if He remits it, it is remitted. None but the great God, against whom we have committed the sin, can blot out that sin; let us, therefore, see that we go to Him and seek mercy at His hands. Do not let us be led aside by those who would have us confess to them; they have no warrant in the Word of God for their pretensions. But even if they were ordained to pronounce absolution in God’s name, it must still be better to go ourselves to the great Lord through Jesus Christ, the Mediator, and seek and find pardon at His hand; since we are sure that this is the right way. Proxy religion involves too great a risk: you had better see to your soul’s matters yourself, and leave them in no man’s hands."
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Friday, August 11, 2006
C.H. Spurgeon
"Man is utterly and entirely averse to everything that is good and right. “The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8, 7). Turn you all Scripture through, and you will find continually the will of man described as being contrary to the things of God. What said Christ in that text so often quoted by the Arminian to disprove the very doctrine which it clearly states? What did Christ say to those who imagined that men would come without Divine influence? He said, first, “No man can come unto Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him”; but He said something more strong-“Ye will not come unto Me that ye might have life.” Herein lies the deadly mischief: not only that he is powerless to do good, but that he is powerful enough to do that which is wrong, and that his will is
desperately set against everything that is right. Men will not come; you cannot force them to by all your invitations. Until the Spirit draw them, come they neither will, nor can."
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desperately set against everything that is right. Men will not come; you cannot force them to by all your invitations. Until the Spirit draw them, come they neither will, nor can."
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Thursday, August 10, 2006
"The Attributes of God" by A. W. Pink
"“O give thanks unto the Lord: for He is good, for His mercy
endureth forever” (Psalm 136:1).
For this perfection of the Divine character God is greatly to be praised. Three times over in as many verses does the Psalmist here call upon the saints to give thanks unto the Lord for this adorable attribute. And surely this is the least that can be asked for from those who have been such bounteous gainers by it. When we contemplate the characteristics of this Divine excellency, we cannot do otherwise than bless God for it. His mercy is “great” (1 Kings 3:6), “plenteous” (Psalm 86:5), “tender” (Luke 1:78), “abundant” (1 Peter 1:3); it is “from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear Him” (Psalm 103:17). Well may we say with the Psalmist, “I will sing aloud of Thy mercy” (Psalm 59:16).
Wherein differs the “mercy of God from His grace”? The mercy of God has
its spring in the Divine goodness. The first issue of God’s goodness is His
benignity or bounty, by which He gives liberally to His creatures as
creatures; thus has He given being and life to all things. The second issue
of God’s goodness is His mercy, which denotes the ready inclination of
God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Thus, “mercy” presupposes
sin.
Though it may not be easy at the first consideration to perceive a real difference between the grace and the mercy of God, it helps us thereto if we carefully ponder His dealings with the unfallen angels. He has never exercised mercy toward them, for they have never stood in any need thereof, not having sinned or come beneath the effects of the curse. Yet, they certainly are the objects of God’s free and sovereign grace. First, because of His election of them from out of the whole angelic race
(1 Timothy 5:21). Second, and in consequence of their election, because of His preservation of them from apostasy, when Satan rebelled and dragged down with him one-third of the celestial hosts (Revelation 12:4)."
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endureth forever” (Psalm 136:1).
For this perfection of the Divine character God is greatly to be praised. Three times over in as many verses does the Psalmist here call upon the saints to give thanks unto the Lord for this adorable attribute. And surely this is the least that can be asked for from those who have been such bounteous gainers by it. When we contemplate the characteristics of this Divine excellency, we cannot do otherwise than bless God for it. His mercy is “great” (1 Kings 3:6), “plenteous” (Psalm 86:5), “tender” (Luke 1:78), “abundant” (1 Peter 1:3); it is “from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear Him” (Psalm 103:17). Well may we say with the Psalmist, “I will sing aloud of Thy mercy” (Psalm 59:16).
Wherein differs the “mercy of God from His grace”? The mercy of God has
its spring in the Divine goodness. The first issue of God’s goodness is His
benignity or bounty, by which He gives liberally to His creatures as
creatures; thus has He given being and life to all things. The second issue
of God’s goodness is His mercy, which denotes the ready inclination of
God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Thus, “mercy” presupposes
sin.
Though it may not be easy at the first consideration to perceive a real difference between the grace and the mercy of God, it helps us thereto if we carefully ponder His dealings with the unfallen angels. He has never exercised mercy toward them, for they have never stood in any need thereof, not having sinned or come beneath the effects of the curse. Yet, they certainly are the objects of God’s free and sovereign grace. First, because of His election of them from out of the whole angelic race
(1 Timothy 5:21). Second, and in consequence of their election, because of His preservation of them from apostasy, when Satan rebelled and dragged down with him one-third of the celestial hosts (Revelation 12:4)."
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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
"Man’s Total Depravity" by A. W. Pink
"The depravity of mankind makes evident the infinite patience of God. “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power” (Nahum 1:3). How significant is the conjunction of those divine perfections! It is not because God is indifferent to men’s wickedness that He does not speedily take vengeance on them; still less because He lacks the ability to do so God is not at the command of His passions as men are. He can restrain His anger when under great and just provocation to exercise it. His power over Himself is the cause of His slowness to execute wrath; nevertheless, His might to punish is as great as His patience to spare. What fearful provocations, insults and injuries God meets with daily from mankind. Charnock well states:
How many millions of practical atheists breathe every day in God’s air and live upon His bounty, who deserve to be inhabitants of hell rather than possessors of earth! An infinite holiness is opposed, and infinite justice provoked, yet an infinite patience forbears the punishment, and infinite goodness relieves our wants.
What a wonder it is that God has protracted human history until now, and that He still “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust.” Patience is as truly a divine attribute as are holiness, wisdom and faithfulness.
What a mercy that God does not strike dead those who brazenly defy Him and take His holy name in vain! Why does He not suddenly cut off every blatant infidel, as He did Ananias and Sapphira? Why does He not cause the earth to open her mouth and swallow the persecutors of His people, as He did when Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses and Aaron? ‘Why does He tolerate the countless abominations in Christendom which are being perpetrated under the holy name of Christ? Only one answer is
possible: Because He endures “with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Romans 9:22)."
What Pink wrote is good. We should be thankful God has mercy on us when we sin. God is more patient with us than we would be towards others.
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How many millions of practical atheists breathe every day in God’s air and live upon His bounty, who deserve to be inhabitants of hell rather than possessors of earth! An infinite holiness is opposed, and infinite justice provoked, yet an infinite patience forbears the punishment, and infinite goodness relieves our wants.
What a wonder it is that God has protracted human history until now, and that He still “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust.” Patience is as truly a divine attribute as are holiness, wisdom and faithfulness.
What a mercy that God does not strike dead those who brazenly defy Him and take His holy name in vain! Why does He not suddenly cut off every blatant infidel, as He did Ananias and Sapphira? Why does He not cause the earth to open her mouth and swallow the persecutors of His people, as He did when Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses and Aaron? ‘Why does He tolerate the countless abominations in Christendom which are being perpetrated under the holy name of Christ? Only one answer is
possible: Because He endures “with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction” (Romans 9:22)."
What Pink wrote is good. We should be thankful God has mercy on us when we sin. God is more patient with us than we would be towards others.
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Tuesday, August 08, 2006
"Saved by Grace" by John Bunyan
"QUESTION. I. — WHAT IS IT TO BE SAVED?
This question supposeth that there is such a thing as damnation due to man for sin; for to save supposeth the person to be saved to be at present in a sad condition; saving, to him that is not lost, signifies nothing, neither is it anything in itself. “To save, to redeem, to deliver,” are in the general terms equivalent, and they do all of them suppose us to be in a state of thraldom and misery; therefore this word “saved,” in the sense that the apostle here doth use it, is a word of great worth, forasmuch as the miseries from which we are saved is the misery of all most dreadful.
The miseries from which they that shall be saved shall by their salvation be delivered, are dreadful; they are no less than sin, the curse of God, and flames of hell for ever. What more abominable than sin? What more insupportable than the dreadful wrath of an angry God? And what more fearful than the bottomless pit of hell? I say, what more fearful than to be tormented there for ever with the devil and his angels? Now, to “save,” according to my text, is to deliver the sinner from these, with all things else that attend them. And although sinners may think that it is no hard matter to answer this question, yet I must tell you there is no man, that can feelingly know what it is to be saved, that knoweth not experimentally
something of the dread of these three things, as is evident, because all others do even by their practice count it a thing of no great concern, when yet it is of all other of the highest concern among men; “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
But, I say, if this word “saved” concludeth our deliverance from sin, how can he tell what it is to be saved that hath not in his conscience groaned under the burden of sin? yea, it is impossible else that he should ever cry out with all his heart, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” — that is, do to be saved (Acts 2:37). The man that hath no sores or aches cannot know the virtue of the salve; I mean, not know it from his own experience, and therefore cannot prize, nor have that esteem of it, as he that hath
received cure thereby. Clap a plaster to a well place, and that maketh not its virtue to appear; neither can he to whose flesh it is so applied, by that application understand its worth. Sinners, you, I mean, that are not wounded with guilt, and oppressed with the burden of sin, you cannot —I will say it again — you cannot know, in this senseless condition of yours, what it is to be saved."
This is a book by Bunyan which should be read by more people.
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This question supposeth that there is such a thing as damnation due to man for sin; for to save supposeth the person to be saved to be at present in a sad condition; saving, to him that is not lost, signifies nothing, neither is it anything in itself. “To save, to redeem, to deliver,” are in the general terms equivalent, and they do all of them suppose us to be in a state of thraldom and misery; therefore this word “saved,” in the sense that the apostle here doth use it, is a word of great worth, forasmuch as the miseries from which we are saved is the misery of all most dreadful.
The miseries from which they that shall be saved shall by their salvation be delivered, are dreadful; they are no less than sin, the curse of God, and flames of hell for ever. What more abominable than sin? What more insupportable than the dreadful wrath of an angry God? And what more fearful than the bottomless pit of hell? I say, what more fearful than to be tormented there for ever with the devil and his angels? Now, to “save,” according to my text, is to deliver the sinner from these, with all things else that attend them. And although sinners may think that it is no hard matter to answer this question, yet I must tell you there is no man, that can feelingly know what it is to be saved, that knoweth not experimentally
something of the dread of these three things, as is evident, because all others do even by their practice count it a thing of no great concern, when yet it is of all other of the highest concern among men; “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
But, I say, if this word “saved” concludeth our deliverance from sin, how can he tell what it is to be saved that hath not in his conscience groaned under the burden of sin? yea, it is impossible else that he should ever cry out with all his heart, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” — that is, do to be saved (Acts 2:37). The man that hath no sores or aches cannot know the virtue of the salve; I mean, not know it from his own experience, and therefore cannot prize, nor have that esteem of it, as he that hath
received cure thereby. Clap a plaster to a well place, and that maketh not its virtue to appear; neither can he to whose flesh it is so applied, by that application understand its worth. Sinners, you, I mean, that are not wounded with guilt, and oppressed with the burden of sin, you cannot —I will say it again — you cannot know, in this senseless condition of yours, what it is to be saved."
This is a book by Bunyan which should be read by more people.
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Monday, August 07, 2006
"Man’s Total Depravity" by A. W. Pink
"The doctrine of total depravity is a very HUMBLING one. It is not that man leans to one side and needs propping up, nor that he is merely ignorant and requires instructing, nor that he is run down and calls for a tonic; but rather that he is undone, lost, spiritually dead. Consequently, he is "without strength," thoroughly incapable of bettering himself; he is exposed to the wrath of God, and unable to perform a single work which can find acceptance with Him. Almost every page of the Bible bears witness to this truth. The whole scheme of redemption takes it for granted. The plan of salvation taught in the Scriptures could have no place on any other supposition. The impossibility of any man's gaining the approbation of God by works of his own appears plainly in the case of the rich young ruler who came to Christ. Judged by human standards, he was a model of virtue and religious attainments. Yet, like all others who trust in self-efforts, he was ignorant of the spirituality and strictness of God's law; when Christ put him to the test his fair expectations were blown to the winds and "he went away sorrowful" (Matthew 19:22).
It is therefore a most UNPALATABLE doctrine. It cannot be otherwise, for the unregenerate love to hear of the greatness, the dignity, the nobility of man. The natural man thinks highly of himself and appreciates only that which is flattering. Nothing pleases him more than to listen to that which extols human nature and lauds the state of mankind, even though it be in terms which not only repudiate the teaching of God's Word but are flatly contradicted by common observation and universal experience. And there are many who pander to him by their lavish praises of the excellency of civilization and the steady progress of the race. Hence, to have the lie given to the popular theory of evolution is highly displeasing to its deluded
votaries. Nevertheless, the duty of God's servants is to stain the pride of all that man glories in, to strip him of his stolen plumes, to lay him low in the dust before God. However repugnant such teaching is, God's emissary must faithfully discharge his duty “whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear" (Ezekiel 3:11)."
What Pink wrote on the doctrine of total depravity is still true today. There are many who do not like this teaching.
Related Tags: A. W. Pink, The doctrine of total depravity, doctrine, God, redemption, pride of man
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It is therefore a most UNPALATABLE doctrine. It cannot be otherwise, for the unregenerate love to hear of the greatness, the dignity, the nobility of man. The natural man thinks highly of himself and appreciates only that which is flattering. Nothing pleases him more than to listen to that which extols human nature and lauds the state of mankind, even though it be in terms which not only repudiate the teaching of God's Word but are flatly contradicted by common observation and universal experience. And there are many who pander to him by their lavish praises of the excellency of civilization and the steady progress of the race. Hence, to have the lie given to the popular theory of evolution is highly displeasing to its deluded
votaries. Nevertheless, the duty of God's servants is to stain the pride of all that man glories in, to strip him of his stolen plumes, to lay him low in the dust before God. However repugnant such teaching is, God's emissary must faithfully discharge his duty “whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear" (Ezekiel 3:11)."
What Pink wrote on the doctrine of total depravity is still true today. There are many who do not like this teaching.
Related Tags: A. W. Pink, The doctrine of total depravity, doctrine, God, redemption, pride of man
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"Saved by Grace" by John Bunyan
"I COME now to answer the fifth question; namely, to show why God saveth those that he saveth by grace, rather than by any other means.
First. God saveth us by grace, because since sin is in the world, he can save us no other way; sin and transgression cannot be removed but by the grace of God through Christ; sin is the transgression of the law of God, who is perfectly just. Infinite justice cannot be satisfied with the recompense that man can make; for if it could, Christ Jesus himself needed not to have died; besides, man having sinned, and defiled himself thereby, all his acts are the acts of a defiled man; nay, further, the best of his performances are also defiled by his hands; these performances, therefore,
cannot be a recompense for sin. Besides, to affirm that God saveth defiled man for the sake of his defiled duties — for so, I say, is every work of his hand — what is it but to say, God accepteth of one sinful act as a recompense and satisfaction for another? (Haggai 2:14). But God, even of old, hath declared how he abominates imperfect sacrifices, therefore we can by no means be saved from sin but by grace (4>
Romans 3:24).
Second. To assert that we may be saved any other way than by the grace of God, what is it but to object against the wisdom and prudence of God, wherein he aboundeth towards them whom he hath saved by grace? (Ephesians 1:5-8). His wisdom and prudence found out no other way, therefore he chooseth to save us by grace.
Third. We must be saved by grace, because else it follows that God is mutable in his decrees, for so hath he determined before the foundation of the world; therefore he saveth us not, nor chooseth to save us by any other way, than by grace (Ephesians 1:3,4; Ephesians 3:8-11; Romans 9:23)."
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First. God saveth us by grace, because since sin is in the world, he can save us no other way; sin and transgression cannot be removed but by the grace of God through Christ; sin is the transgression of the law of God, who is perfectly just. Infinite justice cannot be satisfied with the recompense that man can make; for if it could, Christ Jesus himself needed not to have died; besides, man having sinned, and defiled himself thereby, all his acts are the acts of a defiled man; nay, further, the best of his performances are also defiled by his hands; these performances, therefore,
cannot be a recompense for sin. Besides, to affirm that God saveth defiled man for the sake of his defiled duties — for so, I say, is every work of his hand — what is it but to say, God accepteth of one sinful act as a recompense and satisfaction for another? (Haggai 2:14). But God, even of old, hath declared how he abominates imperfect sacrifices, therefore we can by no means be saved from sin but by grace (4>
Romans 3:24).
Second. To assert that we may be saved any other way than by the grace of God, what is it but to object against the wisdom and prudence of God, wherein he aboundeth towards them whom he hath saved by grace? (Ephesians 1:5-8). His wisdom and prudence found out no other way, therefore he chooseth to save us by grace.
Third. We must be saved by grace, because else it follows that God is mutable in his decrees, for so hath he determined before the foundation of the world; therefore he saveth us not, nor chooseth to save us by any other way, than by grace (Ephesians 1:3,4; Ephesians 3:8-11; Romans 9:23)."
Related Tags: John Bunyan, Saved by Grace, Salvation, God, sin, grace
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Sunday, August 06, 2006
"Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners" by John Bunyan
"But one day, amongst all the sermons our parson made, his subject was, to treat of the Sabbath-day, and of the evil of breaking that, either with labor, sports or otherwise. Now I was, notwithstanding my religion, one that took much delight in all manner of vice, and especially that was the day that I did solace myself therewith, wherefore I fell in my conscience under his sermon, thinking and believing that he made that sermon on purpose to show me my evil doing; and at that time I felt what
guilt was, though never before, that I can remember; but then I was, for the present, greatly loaden therewith, and so went home when the sermon was ended, with a great burden upon my spirit.
This, for that instant, did benumb the sinews of my best delights, and did embitter my former pleasures to me; but behold, it lasted not, for before I had well dined, the trouble began to go off my mind, and my heart returned to his old course: but oh! how glad was I, that this trouble was gone from me, and that the fire was put out, that I might sin again without control! Wherefore, when I had satisfied nature with my food, I shook the sermon out of my mind, and to my old custom of sports and gaming I returned with great delight.
But the same day, as I was in the midst of a game at cat, and having struck it one blow from the hole, just as I was about to strike it the second time, a voice did suddenly dart from heaven into my soul, which said, Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell? At this I was put to an exceeding maze; wherefore, leaving my cat upon the ground, I looked up to heaven, and was as if I had, with the eyes of my understanding, seen the Lord Jesus looking down upon me, as being very hotly displeased with me, and as if He did severely threaten me with some
grievous punishment for these and other my ungodly practices."
John Bunyan gives an account of his life before he believed. His book "Grace abounding" is his spiritual life story. This is a very good book to read.
Related Tags: John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, sin, religion, vice
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guilt was, though never before, that I can remember; but then I was, for the present, greatly loaden therewith, and so went home when the sermon was ended, with a great burden upon my spirit.
This, for that instant, did benumb the sinews of my best delights, and did embitter my former pleasures to me; but behold, it lasted not, for before I had well dined, the trouble began to go off my mind, and my heart returned to his old course: but oh! how glad was I, that this trouble was gone from me, and that the fire was put out, that I might sin again without control! Wherefore, when I had satisfied nature with my food, I shook the sermon out of my mind, and to my old custom of sports and gaming I returned with great delight.
But the same day, as I was in the midst of a game at cat, and having struck it one blow from the hole, just as I was about to strike it the second time, a voice did suddenly dart from heaven into my soul, which said, Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven, or have thy sins and go to hell? At this I was put to an exceeding maze; wherefore, leaving my cat upon the ground, I looked up to heaven, and was as if I had, with the eyes of my understanding, seen the Lord Jesus looking down upon me, as being very hotly displeased with me, and as if He did severely threaten me with some
grievous punishment for these and other my ungodly practices."
John Bunyan gives an account of his life before he believed. His book "Grace abounding" is his spiritual life story. This is a very good book to read.
Related Tags: John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, sin, religion, vice
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"Confession of the Christian Religion" by Jerome Zanchius
"V. The rules of faith can be proved only by the canonical books.
And therefore we use only the canonical books for proof of the rules of faith, and with the fathers we teach that they are to be used; but we think the rest to be of great force to confirm the same rules, being before sufficiently proved.
VI. The Canonical Scriptures take not their authority from the church.
Wherefore this we hold without all controversy, and we think it is to be holden that although the church being taught of the first fathers, namely prophets and apostles, who received their doctrine immediately from God, and committed the same to writing and being also instructed by the Holy Ghost, hath delivered to the posterity by a continuing and perpetual tradition which are canonical and which are not canonical books; yea and hath given and shall always give testimony unto them of the holy and heavenly truth. Yet that these writings have not received their authority from the same church, but of God only, their only proper Author, and therefore that of themselves, because they are the Word of God, they have power over all men and are worthy to be simply believed and obeyed of all.
VII. Yet that the church's authority doth much avail to make men believe the Holy Scriptures.
Although we deny not by the way, but that the authority of the church hath an especial force to move men to the hearing and reading of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God--according to that of Augustine, "I had not believed the gospel (for so he meant) unless the authority of the church had moved me."--Yet the same Augustine, notwithstanding in all places pronounceth that his belief came not from the church, but from the Holy Spirit, whose gift faith is.
VIII. That the church hath no power over the Holy Scriptures.
But to dispute whether the authority of the church be greater than that of the Holy Scriptures--yea and much more to set down the affirmative part, as though the church over and above the gift of knowing the Spirits, and of discerning Canonical Scriptures from others, and of testifying of them and of interpreting of them, should have also authority either of adding to or diminishing anything from them, and of dispensing with them--we judge it more than sacrilege. For God commandeth that no man shall add or diminish, nor anyone shall decline to the right hand or to the left (Deut. 4:2; 5:31; 12:32; Rev. 22:18-19), but all together [altogether] shall simply obey Him speaking unto them in the Holy Scriptures, in all manner of things."
We need to get back to trusting the Word of God. We need to stop adding our own thoughts and feelings to what we think God wants us to do.
Related Tags: Jerome Zanchius, Confession of the Christian Religion, The Word of God, church
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And therefore we use only the canonical books for proof of the rules of faith, and with the fathers we teach that they are to be used; but we think the rest to be of great force to confirm the same rules, being before sufficiently proved.
VI. The Canonical Scriptures take not their authority from the church.
Wherefore this we hold without all controversy, and we think it is to be holden that although the church being taught of the first fathers, namely prophets and apostles, who received their doctrine immediately from God, and committed the same to writing and being also instructed by the Holy Ghost, hath delivered to the posterity by a continuing and perpetual tradition which are canonical and which are not canonical books; yea and hath given and shall always give testimony unto them of the holy and heavenly truth. Yet that these writings have not received their authority from the same church, but of God only, their only proper Author, and therefore that of themselves, because they are the Word of God, they have power over all men and are worthy to be simply believed and obeyed of all.
VII. Yet that the church's authority doth much avail to make men believe the Holy Scriptures.
Although we deny not by the way, but that the authority of the church hath an especial force to move men to the hearing and reading of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God--according to that of Augustine, "I had not believed the gospel (for so he meant) unless the authority of the church had moved me."--Yet the same Augustine, notwithstanding in all places pronounceth that his belief came not from the church, but from the Holy Spirit, whose gift faith is.
VIII. That the church hath no power over the Holy Scriptures.
But to dispute whether the authority of the church be greater than that of the Holy Scriptures--yea and much more to set down the affirmative part, as though the church over and above the gift of knowing the Spirits, and of discerning Canonical Scriptures from others, and of testifying of them and of interpreting of them, should have also authority either of adding to or diminishing anything from them, and of dispensing with them--we judge it more than sacrilege. For God commandeth that no man shall add or diminish, nor anyone shall decline to the right hand or to the left (Deut. 4:2; 5:31; 12:32; Rev. 22:18-19), but all together [altogether] shall simply obey Him speaking unto them in the Holy Scriptures, in all manner of things."
We need to get back to trusting the Word of God. We need to stop adding our own thoughts and feelings to what we think God wants us to do.
Related Tags: Jerome Zanchius, Confession of the Christian Religion, The Word of God, church
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Wednesday, August 02, 2006
"The Church at the end of the twentieth century" by Francis A. Schaeffer
"The Loss of truth
A second, very closely related presure is the fact that modern men no longer believe in truth. They no longer believe in anthithesis. Modern men believe only in dialectical synthesis. There is thessis; it has an antithesis. Neither is true or false. "Truth" for today only lies in a synthesis. And even that synthesis is not true forever, for tommorrow there will rise another thesis different from today's and out of the combination of these will come "truth" for tommorrow. But in no case will any of these "truths" become absolute. Truth in the classical sense, that which accurately represents what is real for all time and all places, does not exist- not even as an ideal."
p. 72-73
What Schaeffer wrote against over 20 years ago is still believed by modern man. It has even being taught by some in the church today.
Related Tags: Francis A. Schaeffer, The Church at the end of the twentieth century, truth, modern men, antithesis, synthesis
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A second, very closely related presure is the fact that modern men no longer believe in truth. They no longer believe in anthithesis. Modern men believe only in dialectical synthesis. There is thessis; it has an antithesis. Neither is true or false. "Truth" for today only lies in a synthesis. And even that synthesis is not true forever, for tommorrow there will rise another thesis different from today's and out of the combination of these will come "truth" for tommorrow. But in no case will any of these "truths" become absolute. Truth in the classical sense, that which accurately represents what is real for all time and all places, does not exist- not even as an ideal."
p. 72-73
What Schaeffer wrote against over 20 years ago is still believed by modern man. It has even being taught by some in the church today.
Related Tags: Francis A. Schaeffer, The Church at the end of the twentieth century, truth, modern men, antithesis, synthesis
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Monday, July 31, 2006
"Men tried and found defective" by Edward Payson
"Let us bring to the test of the law and the testimony, the characters and hopes of those, who are trusting for salvation to a good natural disposition, and a harmless, inoffensive life. It is possible, that some of you, my friends, may be trusting to these things. You can plead that your tempers are gentle, conciliating, mild and amiable; that your conduct and deportment are winning and prepossessing; that you are admired and beloved by your friends and acquaintance, and are not conscious of having, in a single instance, willfully injured your fellow creatures or offended your Creator. But if you can plead nothing more than this, you will most certainly be found wanting in the sight of that God, by whom actions are weighed. He will not be satisfied with a bare negative goodness, if we may be allowed the expression. He will not think it sufficient, that you have abstained from outward offences, or avoided overt acts of sin, while you have failed to perform what he has commanded. Those who leave undone what they ought to do, will be as certainly, if not as severely punished, as those who do what they ought not to have done. Not only those vines which produce the grapes of Sodom, and the clusters of Gomorrha, but those also which do not produce the fruits of holiness, will be cast into the fire; and though you are covered with leaves, and adorned with flowers; though you make a fair flourishing appearance in the sight of men, yet he must and will consider you as barren and unprofitable, because you are destitute of these fruits; he must condemn you as slothful and unfaithful servants, because you have neglected to improve the talents with which you were entrusted. It was part of the heavy charge brought against the king of Babylon, that he had not glorified the God, in whose hands his life was, and whose were all his ways. To the same charge you must plead guilty, since you have never glorified, nor even sincerely aimed to glorify God. The amiable dispositions in which you trust, do not lead you to seek his glory, or to obey his commands. In fact, they have nothing in them of the nature of true religion; but are merely corporeal instincts, and are often found in perfection among irrational animals. You are therefore found wanting. You want the one thing needful; and were our blessed Savior now on earth, he would say to each of you, as he did to the amiable young ruler, One thing thou lackest. Go, and sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor, and come, take up thy cross and follow me."
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Related Tags: Edward Payson, Men tried and found defective, fruits of holiness, slothful and unfaithful servants
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Wednesday, July 26, 2006
"An ark for all God's Noahs" bt Thomas Brooks
"If you would have God for your portion, then you must break your league with sin. You must fall out with sin, if ever you fall in with God. Sin and you must be two, or God and you can never be one. There is no propriety to be had in God, except your hearts rise against taht which first disunited and disjointed you from God. Sin and you must part, or God and you can never meet. You shall as soon make an accommodation between light and darkness, heaven and hell, noon and midnight, 2 Cor. 6:14-18, as everr you shall be able to make an accomodation between God and sin. So long as sin remains ours, God will be none of ours. No prince will be one with that subject that lives in the practice of treason and rebellion against him. No prince will be one with him that killed his only son and heir, and that daringly continues to hold up those bloody weapons in his hands wherewith he committed that horrid fact. There is no adulteress that can be so shamelessly impudent, or so vainly confident, as to desire pardon of her jealous husband, or to expect an oneness and a sweetness with him, whilst she continues to hold wanton lovers still in her arms, and is fully resolved to hold on in her wanton dalliances as in times past. O sirs! God is that prince that will never admit of peace or union with you till you cease practising treason against him, and till you come to lay dwon your weapons of rebellion at his feet; he is that jealous husband that will never take you into oneness, into nearness and dearness with himself till you come to abandon all your wanton lovers, and thoroughly to resolve agaisnt all wanton dalliances for time to come. If ever you would have God for your portion, you must say to all your wanton lovers, and to all those idols of jealousy that you have set up in your souls, as Ephraim one said to his, 'Get you hence, for what have I any more to do with you?' Hosea 14:8."
p. 118
As Brooks said, we have to break from our sins if we want fellowship with God. He will not fellowship with people who rebel agaisnt Him.
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p. 118
As Brooks said, we have to break from our sins if we want fellowship with God. He will not fellowship with people who rebel agaisnt Him.
Related Tags: Thomas Brooks, An ark for all God's Noahs, God, sin
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Tuesday, July 25, 2006
"Concerning Christian Liberty" by Martin Luther
"Let us examine the subject on a deeper and less simple principle. Man is composed of a twofold nature, a spiritual and a bodily. As regards the spiritual nature, which they name the soul, he is called the spiritual, inward, new man; as regards the bodily nature, which they name the flesh, he is called the fleshly, outward, old man. The Apostle speaks of this: "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (2 Cor. iv. 16). The result of this diversity is that in the Scriptures opposing statements are made concerning the same man, the fact being that in the same man these two men are opposed to one another; the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh (Gal. v. 17).
We first approach the subject of the inward man, that we may see by what means a man becomes justified, free, and a true Christian; that is, a spiritual, new, and inward man. It is certain that absolutely none among outward things, under whatever name they may be reckoned, has any influence in producing Christian righteousness or liberty, nor, on the other hand, unrighteousness or slavery. This can be shown by an easy argument.
What can it profit the soul that the body should be in good condition, free, and full of life; that it should eat, drink, and act according to its pleasure; when even the most impious slaves of every kind of vice are prosperous in these matters? Again, what harm can ill-health, bondage, hunger, thirst, or any other outward evil, do to the soul, when even the most pious of men and the freest in the purity of their conscience, are harassed by these things? Neither of these states of things has to do with the liberty or the slavery of the soul.
And so it will profit nothing that the body should be adorned with sacred vestments, or dwell in holy places, or be occupied in sacred offices, or pray, fast, and abstain from certain meats, or do whatever works can be done through the body and in the body. Something widely different will be necessary for the justification and liberty of the soul, since the things I have spoken of can be done by any impious person, and only hypocrites are produced by devotion to these things. On the other hand, it will not at all injure the soul that the body should be clothed in profane raiment, should dwell in profane places, should eat and drink in the ordinary fashion, should not pray aloud, and should leave undone all the things above mentioned, which may be done by hypocrites."
Luther's work on Christian liberty was important. It shows how grace is not dependant on our works. But we are not free to live in sin.
I also added a link to a site that has "Christian Liberty" and some other works of Luther.
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We first approach the subject of the inward man, that we may see by what means a man becomes justified, free, and a true Christian; that is, a spiritual, new, and inward man. It is certain that absolutely none among outward things, under whatever name they may be reckoned, has any influence in producing Christian righteousness or liberty, nor, on the other hand, unrighteousness or slavery. This can be shown by an easy argument.
What can it profit the soul that the body should be in good condition, free, and full of life; that it should eat, drink, and act according to its pleasure; when even the most impious slaves of every kind of vice are prosperous in these matters? Again, what harm can ill-health, bondage, hunger, thirst, or any other outward evil, do to the soul, when even the most pious of men and the freest in the purity of their conscience, are harassed by these things? Neither of these states of things has to do with the liberty or the slavery of the soul.
And so it will profit nothing that the body should be adorned with sacred vestments, or dwell in holy places, or be occupied in sacred offices, or pray, fast, and abstain from certain meats, or do whatever works can be done through the body and in the body. Something widely different will be necessary for the justification and liberty of the soul, since the things I have spoken of can be done by any impious person, and only hypocrites are produced by devotion to these things. On the other hand, it will not at all injure the soul that the body should be clothed in profane raiment, should dwell in profane places, should eat and drink in the ordinary fashion, should not pray aloud, and should leave undone all the things above mentioned, which may be done by hypocrites."
Luther's work on Christian liberty was important. It shows how grace is not dependant on our works. But we are not free to live in sin.
I also added a link to a site that has "Christian Liberty" and some other works of Luther.
Related Tags: Martin Luther, Concerning Christian Liberty, true Christian, justified, Christian righteousness
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Saturday, July 22, 2006
"The Mark of Deliverance" by Edward Payson
"In the second place, if we would prove the justice of our claim to the character described in our text, we must attempt to suppress vice and impiety by our exertions. We must endeavor ourselves, and exert all our influence to induce others to banish from among us intemperance, profanity, violations of the Sabbath, neglect of religious institutions, and other prevailing sins of the age and country in which we live. Thanks to the kind providence of him, by whom kings reign and princes decree justice, we enjoy peculiar advantages for attempting this arduous, but glorious work with success. In our highly favored land, the interests of virtue and religion are fenced around by wholesome laws; and in consequence of the nature of our government, the care of seeing that these laws are faithfully executed, is in a greater or less degree committed to almost every individual among us. But it becomes us to remember that where much is given, much will be required. It has been justly remarked, that when God confers on us the power to do good or repress evil, he lays us under an obligation to exert that power. Agreeably the apostle informs us, that to him who knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Hence it follows, that we are accountable for all the good which we might but have not done; and for all the evil which we might but have not prevented. By conniving at the sins of others therefore, we make them our own. If the name of God be profaned, if his holy day be dishonored, if a fellow creature by intemperance render his family wretched, spread a snare in the path of his children, destroy his health, and finally plunge himself into eternal ruin, when we by proper exertions might have prevented it, a righteous God will not hold us guiltless, nor will rivers of tears, shed in secret over these sins, wash out the guilt thus contracted. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, behold we knew it not, doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it’? and shall he not render to every man according to his works’? If then we would avoid his displeasure; if we wish him to set upon us a mark of deliverance, we must exert all the power and influence with which we are entrusted, to repress the outbreakings of irreligion and vice. Those who will, if permitted, trample alike on divine and human laws, and thus show that they neither fear God nor regard man, must be taught by their apprehensions, if they can be taught by no other means, to hide their vicious propensities in their own breasts; or at least, not to suffer them to stalk abroad with unblushing front in open day. And I am aware, that to attempt this, is a most disagreeable and ungrateful task, a task which very few are willing to perform. Many will mourn over the prevalence of sin in their closets, who dare not, or at least will not exert themselves to oppose it in public. When God asks, Who will stand up for me against the evil doers? who will rise up for me against the workers of iniquity’? to many are to be found, even among his professed friends, who instead of immediately answering to the call, and boldly appearing like the children of Levi on the Lord’s side, pusillanimously shrink back from the honorable service, pretending that others may more properly engage in it than themselves. In fact, though we are willing to enjoy the consolations and rewards of religion, we are all too much afraid of its difficulties and duties; too unwilling to deny ourselves and take up the cross. We are sufficiently willing, that God should take care of our honor, interest, happiness; but when any thing is to be done or suffered for him, we are too prone to begin with one consent to make excuse. We are exceedingly jealous of our own rights and privileges, and ever ready to execute those laws, which secure our persons, our property and reputation. But we discover little jealousy for the honor of the Lord of Hosts; and too often suffer those laws, which are made to secure his name and his day from profanation, to be violated with impunity. But however natural or general such conduct may be, it is altogether inexcusable nor can we be guilty of it without forfeiting all claims to the character mentioned in our text. In vain shall we pretend to love God; in vain shall we profess to he concerned for the happiness of man, in vain shall we express sorrow for the prevalence of vice and irreligion, if we will not expose ourselves to some inconveniences, submit to some sacrifices, and make some vigorous exertions to preserve God’s name from profanation, his institutions from dishonor, and the souls of our fellow creatures from everlasting perdition. God will set no mark of deliverance upon us in the day of vengeance, unless we prove the sincerity of our attachment to his cause, of our hatred of sin, and of our grief for its prevalence by appearing openly and decidedly against it. On the contrary, he will, nay he has already set on such pusillanimous friends a mark of reprobation. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this evil and adulterous generation, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Related Tags: Edward Payson, sermons, God, sins
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Related Tags: Edward Payson, sermons, God, sins
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Thursday, July 20, 2006
"Holiness" by J. C. Ryle
"1. True Christianity is a fight
True Christianity! Let us mind that word "true." There is a vast quantity of religion current in the world which is not true, genuine Christianity. It passes muster, it satisfies sleepy consciences; but it is not good money. It is not the authentic reality that called itself Christianity in the beginning. There are thousands of men and women who go to churches and chapels every Sunday and call themselves Christians. They make a "profession" of faith in Christ. Their names are in the baptismal register. They are reckoned Christians while they live. They are married with a Christian marriage service. They mean to be buried as Christians when they die. But you never see any "fight" about their religion! Of spiritual strife and exertion and conflict and self–denial and watching and warring they know literally nothing at all. Such Christianity may satisfy man, and those who say anything against it may be thought very hard and uncharitable; but it certainly is not the Christianity of the Bible. It is not the religion which the Lord Jesus founded and His apostles preached. It is not the religion which produces real holiness. True Christianity is "a fight."
The true Christian is called to be a soldier and must behave as such from the day of his conversion to the day of his death. He is not meant to live a life of religious ease, indolence and security. He must never imagine for a moment that he can sleep and doze along the way to heaven, like one traveling in an easy carriage. If he takes his standard of Christianity from the children of this world, he may be content with such notions, but he will find no countenance for them in the Word of God. If the Bible is the rule of his faith and practice, he will find his course laid down very plainly in this matter. He must "fight."
With whom is the Christian soldier meant to fight? Not with other Christians. Wretched indeed is that man’s idea of religion who fancies that it consists in perpetual controversy! He who is never satisfied unless he is engaged in some strife between church and church, chapel and chapel, sect and sect, faction and faction, party and party, knows nothing yet as he ought to know. No doubt it may be absolutely needful sometimes to appeal to law courts in order to ascertain the right interpretation of a church’s articles and rubrics and formularies. But, as a general rule, the cause of sin is never so much helped as when Christians waste their strength in quarreling with one another and spend their time in petty squabbles.
No, indeed! The principal fight of the Christian is with the world, the flesh and the devil. These are his never–dying foes. These are the three chief enemies against whom he must wage war. Unless he gets the victory over these three, all other victories are useless and vain. If he had a nature like an angel, and were not a fallen creature, the warfare would not be so essential. But with a corrupt heart, a busy devil and an ensnaring world, he must either "fight" or be lost.
He must fight the flesh. Even after conversion he carries within him a nature prone to evil and a heart weak and unstable as water. That heart will never be free from imperfection in this world, and it is a miserable delusion to expect it. To keep that heart from going astray, the Lord Jesus bids us, "Watch and pray." The spirit may be ready, but the flesh is weak. There is need of a daily struggle and a daily wrestling in prayer. "I keep under my body," cries St. Paul, "and bring it into subjection." "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity." "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" "Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." "Mortify . . . your members which are upon the earth" (Mark 14:38; 1 Cor. 9:27; Rom. 7:23, 24; Gal. 5:24; Col. 3:5).
He must fight the world. The subtle influence of that mighty enemy must be daily resisted, and without a daily battle can never be overcome. The love of the world’s good things, the fear of the world’s laughter or blame, the secret desire to keep in with the world, the secret wish to do as others in the world do, and not to run into extremes—all these are spiritual foes which beset the Christian continually on his way to heaven and must be conquered. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." "The world is crucified to me, and I unto the world." "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world." "Be not conformed to this world" (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15; Gal. 6:14; 1 John 5:4; Rom. 12:2).
He must fight the devil. That old enemy of mankind is not dead. Ever since the Fall of Adam and Eve he has been "going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it," and striving to compass one great end—the ruin of man’s soul. Never slumbering and never sleeping, he is always going about as a lion seeking whom he may devour. An unseen enemy, he is always near us, about our path and about our bed, and spying out all our ways. A murderer and a liar from the beginning, he labors night and day to cast us down to hell. Sometimes by leading into superstition, sometimes by suggesting infidelity, sometimes by one kind of tactics and sometimes by another, he is always carrying on a campaign against our souls. "Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." This mighty adversary must be daily resisted if we wish to be saved. But "this kind goes not out" but by watching and praying and fighting and putting on the whole armor of God. The strong man armed will never be kept out of our hearts without a daily battle (Job 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; John 8:44; Luke 22:31; Eph. 6:11).
Some men may think these statements too strong. You fancy that I am going too far and laying on the colors too thickly. You are secretly saying to yourself that men and women may surely get to heaven without all this trouble and warfare and fighting. Listen to me for a few minutes, and I will show you that I have something to say on God’s behalf. Remember the maxim of the wisest general that ever lived in England: "In time of war it is the worst mistake to underrate your enemy, and try to make a little war." This Christian warfare is no light matter. What says the Scripture? "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." "Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." "Labor . . . for [the] meat that endures unto everlasting life." "Do not think that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword." "He who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." "Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." "War a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience" (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3; Eph. 6:11–13; Luke 13:24; John 6:27; Matt. 10:34; Luke 22:36; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 1:18, 19). Words such as these appear to me clear, plain and unmistakable. They all teach one and the same great lesson, if we are willing to receive it. That lesson is, that true Christianity is a struggle, a fight and a warfare. He who pretends to condemn "fighting" and teaches that we ought to sit still and "yield ourselves to God," appears to me to misunderstand his Bible, and to make a great mistake."
This was a great book by Ryle.
Related Tags: J. C. Ryle, "Holiness", True Christianity, Bible, soldier, fight the flesh, devil
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True Christianity! Let us mind that word "true." There is a vast quantity of religion current in the world which is not true, genuine Christianity. It passes muster, it satisfies sleepy consciences; but it is not good money. It is not the authentic reality that called itself Christianity in the beginning. There are thousands of men and women who go to churches and chapels every Sunday and call themselves Christians. They make a "profession" of faith in Christ. Their names are in the baptismal register. They are reckoned Christians while they live. They are married with a Christian marriage service. They mean to be buried as Christians when they die. But you never see any "fight" about their religion! Of spiritual strife and exertion and conflict and self–denial and watching and warring they know literally nothing at all. Such Christianity may satisfy man, and those who say anything against it may be thought very hard and uncharitable; but it certainly is not the Christianity of the Bible. It is not the religion which the Lord Jesus founded and His apostles preached. It is not the religion which produces real holiness. True Christianity is "a fight."
The true Christian is called to be a soldier and must behave as such from the day of his conversion to the day of his death. He is not meant to live a life of religious ease, indolence and security. He must never imagine for a moment that he can sleep and doze along the way to heaven, like one traveling in an easy carriage. If he takes his standard of Christianity from the children of this world, he may be content with such notions, but he will find no countenance for them in the Word of God. If the Bible is the rule of his faith and practice, he will find his course laid down very plainly in this matter. He must "fight."
With whom is the Christian soldier meant to fight? Not with other Christians. Wretched indeed is that man’s idea of religion who fancies that it consists in perpetual controversy! He who is never satisfied unless he is engaged in some strife between church and church, chapel and chapel, sect and sect, faction and faction, party and party, knows nothing yet as he ought to know. No doubt it may be absolutely needful sometimes to appeal to law courts in order to ascertain the right interpretation of a church’s articles and rubrics and formularies. But, as a general rule, the cause of sin is never so much helped as when Christians waste their strength in quarreling with one another and spend their time in petty squabbles.
No, indeed! The principal fight of the Christian is with the world, the flesh and the devil. These are his never–dying foes. These are the three chief enemies against whom he must wage war. Unless he gets the victory over these three, all other victories are useless and vain. If he had a nature like an angel, and were not a fallen creature, the warfare would not be so essential. But with a corrupt heart, a busy devil and an ensnaring world, he must either "fight" or be lost.
He must fight the flesh. Even after conversion he carries within him a nature prone to evil and a heart weak and unstable as water. That heart will never be free from imperfection in this world, and it is a miserable delusion to expect it. To keep that heart from going astray, the Lord Jesus bids us, "Watch and pray." The spirit may be ready, but the flesh is weak. There is need of a daily struggle and a daily wrestling in prayer. "I keep under my body," cries St. Paul, "and bring it into subjection." "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity." "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" "Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." "Mortify . . . your members which are upon the earth" (Mark 14:38; 1 Cor. 9:27; Rom. 7:23, 24; Gal. 5:24; Col. 3:5).
He must fight the world. The subtle influence of that mighty enemy must be daily resisted, and without a daily battle can never be overcome. The love of the world’s good things, the fear of the world’s laughter or blame, the secret desire to keep in with the world, the secret wish to do as others in the world do, and not to run into extremes—all these are spiritual foes which beset the Christian continually on his way to heaven and must be conquered. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." "The world is crucified to me, and I unto the world." "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world." "Be not conformed to this world" (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15; Gal. 6:14; 1 John 5:4; Rom. 12:2).
He must fight the devil. That old enemy of mankind is not dead. Ever since the Fall of Adam and Eve he has been "going to and fro in the earth, and walking up and down in it," and striving to compass one great end—the ruin of man’s soul. Never slumbering and never sleeping, he is always going about as a lion seeking whom he may devour. An unseen enemy, he is always near us, about our path and about our bed, and spying out all our ways. A murderer and a liar from the beginning, he labors night and day to cast us down to hell. Sometimes by leading into superstition, sometimes by suggesting infidelity, sometimes by one kind of tactics and sometimes by another, he is always carrying on a campaign against our souls. "Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." This mighty adversary must be daily resisted if we wish to be saved. But "this kind goes not out" but by watching and praying and fighting and putting on the whole armor of God. The strong man armed will never be kept out of our hearts without a daily battle (Job 1:7; 1 Pet. 5:8; John 8:44; Luke 22:31; Eph. 6:11).
Some men may think these statements too strong. You fancy that I am going too far and laying on the colors too thickly. You are secretly saying to yourself that men and women may surely get to heaven without all this trouble and warfare and fighting. Listen to me for a few minutes, and I will show you that I have something to say on God’s behalf. Remember the maxim of the wisest general that ever lived in England: "In time of war it is the worst mistake to underrate your enemy, and try to make a little war." This Christian warfare is no light matter. What says the Scripture? "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life." "Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand." "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." "Labor . . . for [the] meat that endures unto everlasting life." "Do not think that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword." "He who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." "Watch you, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong." "War a good warfare; holding faith, and a good conscience" (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3; Eph. 6:11–13; Luke 13:24; John 6:27; Matt. 10:34; Luke 22:36; 1 Cor. 16:13; 1 Tim. 1:18, 19). Words such as these appear to me clear, plain and unmistakable. They all teach one and the same great lesson, if we are willing to receive it. That lesson is, that true Christianity is a struggle, a fight and a warfare. He who pretends to condemn "fighting" and teaches that we ought to sit still and "yield ourselves to God," appears to me to misunderstand his Bible, and to make a great mistake."
This was a great book by Ryle.
Related Tags: J. C. Ryle, "Holiness", True Christianity, Bible, soldier, fight the flesh, devil
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
"Come and welcome to Jesus Christ" by John Bunyan
"“And him that cometh.” He saith not, and him that talketh, that professeth, that maketh a show, a noise, or the like; but, him that cometh. Christ will take leave to judge, who, among the many that make a noise, they be that indeed are coming to him. It is not him that saith he comes, nor him of whom others affirm that he comes; but him that Christ himself shall say doth come, that is concerned in this text. When
the woman that had the bloody issue came to him for cure, there were others as well as she, that made a great bustle about him, that touched, yea, thronged him. Ah, but Christ could distinguish this woman from them all; “And he looked round about” upon them all, “to see her that had done this thing” (Mark 5:25-32). He was not concerned with the thronging, or touchings of the rest; for theirs were but accidental, or at best, void of that which made her touch acceptable. Wherefore Christ must be judge who they be that in truth are coming to him; Every man’s ways are right in his own eyes, “but the Lord weigheth the spirits” (Prov 16:2). It standeth therefore every
one in hand to be certain of their coming to Jesus Christ; for as thy coming is, so shall thy salvation be. If thou comest indeed, thy salvation shall be indeed; but if thou comest but in outward appearance, so shall thy salvation be; but of coming, see before, as also afterwards, in the use and application."
p. 103-104
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the woman that had the bloody issue came to him for cure, there were others as well as she, that made a great bustle about him, that touched, yea, thronged him. Ah, but Christ could distinguish this woman from them all; “And he looked round about” upon them all, “to see her that had done this thing” (Mark 5:25-32). He was not concerned with the thronging, or touchings of the rest; for theirs were but accidental, or at best, void of that which made her touch acceptable. Wherefore Christ must be judge who they be that in truth are coming to him; Every man’s ways are right in his own eyes, “but the Lord weigheth the spirits” (Prov 16:2). It standeth therefore every
one in hand to be certain of their coming to Jesus Christ; for as thy coming is, so shall thy salvation be. If thou comest indeed, thy salvation shall be indeed; but if thou comest but in outward appearance, so shall thy salvation be; but of coming, see before, as also afterwards, in the use and application."
p. 103-104
Related Tags: John Bunyan, Come and welcome to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, salvation
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Tuesday, July 18, 2006
"A vision of unchangeable, free mercy" by John Owen
"A Vision of unchangeable, free mercy, in sending the means of grace to underserving sinners" was the full title of the sermon by John Owen.
"They want Jesus Christ, for he is revealed only by the gospel. Austin refused to delight in Cicero's "Hortensius," because there was not in it the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is all, and in all; and where he is wanting there can be no good. Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna, the bread of life, which is Jesus Christ; and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread? Thirst cannot be quenched without water or living spring, which is Jesus Christ; -and what shall a thirsty soul do without water? A captive, as we are all, cannont be delivered without redemption, which is Jesus Christ; -and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom? Fools, as we are all cannont be instructed without wisdom, which is Jesus Christ; -without him we perish in our folly. All building without him is on the sand, which will surely fall. All working without him is in the fire, where it will be consumed. All riches without him have wings, and will away. A dungeion with Christ is a throne; and a throne without Christ, a hell. Nothing so ill, but Christ will compensate. The greatest evil in the world is sin, and the greatest sin was the first; an yet Gregory feared not to cry, "O happy fault which found such a Redeemer!" All mercies without Christ are bitter; and every cup is sweet that is seasoned but wih a drop of his blood; he is truly is "the love and delight of the sons of men", -without whom they must perish eternally; "for there is no other name given unto them, whereby they may be saved," Acts 4:12. He is the Way; men without him are Cains, wanders, vagabonds: -he is the Truth; men without him are liars, like the devil, who was so of old: -he is the Life; without him men are dead, dead in trespasses and sins: -he is the Light; without him men are in darkness, and go they not whither: -he is the Vine; those that are not grafted in him are withered branches, prepared for the fire: -he is the Rock; men not built on him are carried away with a flood: -he is Alapha and Omega, the first and last, the author and the ender, the founder and finisher of our salvation. He that hath him not, hath not neither beginning of good, nor shall have end of misery. O blessed Jesus! how much better than not to die in thee! A thousand hells come short of this; eternally to want Jesus Christ, as men do that want the gospel."
p. 35-36
This sermon is in vol 8 of the "Works of John Owen".
Related Tags: John Owen, Sermons to the Nation, Jesus Christ, salvation, gospel
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"They want Jesus Christ, for he is revealed only by the gospel. Austin refused to delight in Cicero's "Hortensius," because there was not in it the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is all, and in all; and where he is wanting there can be no good. Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna, the bread of life, which is Jesus Christ; and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread? Thirst cannot be quenched without water or living spring, which is Jesus Christ; -and what shall a thirsty soul do without water? A captive, as we are all, cannont be delivered without redemption, which is Jesus Christ; -and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom? Fools, as we are all cannont be instructed without wisdom, which is Jesus Christ; -without him we perish in our folly. All building without him is on the sand, which will surely fall. All working without him is in the fire, where it will be consumed. All riches without him have wings, and will away. A dungeion with Christ is a throne; and a throne without Christ, a hell. Nothing so ill, but Christ will compensate. The greatest evil in the world is sin, and the greatest sin was the first; an yet Gregory feared not to cry, "O happy fault which found such a Redeemer!" All mercies without Christ are bitter; and every cup is sweet that is seasoned but wih a drop of his blood; he is truly is "the love and delight of the sons of men", -without whom they must perish eternally; "for there is no other name given unto them, whereby they may be saved," Acts 4:12. He is the Way; men without him are Cains, wanders, vagabonds: -he is the Truth; men without him are liars, like the devil, who was so of old: -he is the Life; without him men are dead, dead in trespasses and sins: -he is the Light; without him men are in darkness, and go they not whither: -he is the Vine; those that are not grafted in him are withered branches, prepared for the fire: -he is the Rock; men not built on him are carried away with a flood: -he is Alapha and Omega, the first and last, the author and the ender, the founder and finisher of our salvation. He that hath him not, hath not neither beginning of good, nor shall have end of misery. O blessed Jesus! how much better than not to die in thee! A thousand hells come short of this; eternally to want Jesus Christ, as men do that want the gospel."
p. 35-36
This sermon is in vol 8 of the "Works of John Owen".
Related Tags: John Owen, Sermons to the Nation, Jesus Christ, salvation, gospel
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Saturday, July 15, 2006
"The Christian in complete armour" by William Gurnall
" The peace which the gospel brings and speaks to the heart, will make the creature ready to wade through any trial or trouble that meets him in his Christian course. He who enjoys in his bosom the peace of the gospel, is the person and the only person, that stands shod for all ways, prepared for all troubles and trials. None can make a shoe to the creature’s foot, so as he shall go easy on a hard way, but Christ. He can do it to the creature’s full content. And how doth he {do} it? Truly by no other way that by underlaying it, or, if you will, lining it, with the peace of the gospel. What though the way be set with sharp stones? if this shoe go between the Christian’s foot and them, they cannot much be felt. Solomon tells us that ways of wisdom,—that is, Christ—‘are ways of pleasantness.’ But how so, when some of them are ways of suffering? The next words resolve it; ‘and all her paths are peace,’ Prov. 3:17. Where there is peace—such peace as peace with God and conscience—there can want no pleasure. David goes merry to bed when he hath nothing to supper but the gladness that God by this puts into his heart, and promiseth himself a better night’s rest than any of them all that are feasted with the world's cheer; ‘Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep,’ Ps. 4:7, 8. This same peace with God enjoyed in the conscience, redounds to the comfort of the body. Now David can sleep sweetly when he lies on a hard bed. What here he saith he would do, he saith he had done: ‘I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me,’ Ps. 3:5. The title of the psalm tells us when David had this sweet night’s rest, not when he lay on his bed of downs in his stately palace at Jerusalem, but when he fled for his life from his unnatural son Absalom, and possibly was forced to lie in the open field under the canopy of heaven. Truly it must be a soft pillow indeed that could make him forget his danger, who then had such a disloyal army at his back hunting of him. Yea, so transcendent is the sweet influence of this peace, that it can make the creature lie down as cheerfully to sleep in the grave as on the softest bed. You shall say that child is willing that calls to be put to bed. Some of the saints have desired God to lay them at rest in their beds of dust; and that not in a pet and discontent with their present trouble, as Job did, but from a sweet sense of this peace in their bosoms. ‘Now let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,’ was the swan-like song of old Simeon. He speaks like a merchant that had got all his goods on shipboard, and now desires the master of the ship to hoist sail and be gone homewards. Indeed what should a Christian, that is but a foreigner here, desire to stay any longer for in the world, but to get this full lading in for heaven? And when hath he that, if not when he is assured of his peace with God? This peace of the gospel, and sense of the love of God in the soul, doth so admirably conduce to the enabling of a person in all difficulties, and temptations, and troubles, that ordinarily before he calls his saints to any hard service or hot work, he gives them a draught of this cordial wine next their hearts, to cheer them up, and embolden them in the conflict. God calls Abram out of his native country, Gen 12:1, and what so fit as a promise of Christ to bring his heart to God’s foot? ver. 2, 3. A sad errand it was that sent Jacob to Padan-aram. He fled from an angry wrathful brother, that had murdered him already in his thoughts, to an unkind, deceitful, uncle, under whom he should endure much hardship. Now God comes in a sweet gospel vision to comfort this poor pilgrim; for by that ‘ladder, whose foot stood on earth, and top reached heaven,’ Christ was signified to his faith, in whom heaven and earth meet, God and man are reconciled; and, by the ‘moving up and down of the angels on the ladder,’ the ministry of the angels, which Christ by his death and intercession procures for his saints, that they shall tend on them, as servants on their master’s children. So that the sum of all is as much as God had said, ‘Jacob, thy brother Esau hates thee, but in Christ I am reconciled to thee, thy uncle Laban, he will wrong thee, and deal hardly by thee, but fear him not. As I am in Christ at peace with thee so through him thou shalt have my especial care over thee, and the guardianship of the holy angels about thee, to defend thee wherever thou goest.’"
p. 580-582
Related Tags: William Gurnall, The Christian in complete armour, gospel, peace, Christ, God, love of God
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p. 580-582
Related Tags: William Gurnall, The Christian in complete armour, gospel, peace, Christ, God, love of God
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Thursday, July 13, 2006
"Epistle to the Hebrews" by John Brown
"Now Jesus is the High Priest of the Christian's profession or acknowledgement. He has done and suffered all that is necessary to obtain for His people the pardon of their sins, free access to God as their God and Father, and the enjoyment of al those blessings which spring from His favour and fellowship. To Him, and to Him alone, they look for these blessings. They do not acknowledge the Jewish high priests; they do not acknowledge the Pagan high priests; they do not look for these blessings either from man or angel, but only from Jesus Christ. The language of their acknowledgement in reference to Him as their High Priest is, "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." "Through Him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father.""
p. 156
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p. 156
Related Tags: John Brown, Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus, forgiveness of sins
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
"Old Paths" by J. C. Ryle
'The Bible alone gives a true and faithful account of man. It does not flatter him as novels and romances do; it does not conceal his faults and exaggerate his goodness; it paints him just as he is. It describes him as a fallen creature, of his own nature inclined to evil,- a creature needing not only pardon, but a new heart, to make him fit for heaven. It shows him to be a corrupt being under every circumstance, when left to himself, -corrupt after the loss of paradise, -corrupt after the flood, -corrupt when fenced in by divine laws and commandments, -corrupt when the Son of God came down and vistited him in the flesh, -corrupt in the face of warnings, promises, miracles, judgements, mercies. In one word, it shows man to be by nature always a sinner. How important is this knowledge! Can this work be the work of uninspired minds? Let us try to ansewer that question.'
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Related Tags: J. C. Ryle, "Old Paths", Son of God
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Monday, July 10, 2006
"Institutes of the Christian Religion" by John Calvin
On this day in 1509 John Calvin was born.
'1.God bestows the actual knowledge of himself upon us only in the Scriptures
Therefore, though the effulgence which is presented to every eye, both in the heavens and on the earth, leaves the ingratitude of man without excuse, since God, in order to bring the whole human race under the same condemnation, holds forth to all, without exception, a mirror of his Deity in his works, another and better help must be given to guide us properly to God as a Creator. Not in vain, therefore, has he added the light of his Word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation, and bestowed the privilege on those whom he was pleased to bring into nearer and more familiar relation to himself. For, seeing how the minds of men were carried to and fro, and found no certain resting-place, he chose the Jews for a peculiar people, and then hedged them in that they might not, like others, go astray. And not in vain does he, by the same means, retain us in his knowledge, since but for this, even those who, in comparison of others, seem to stand strong, would quickly fall away. For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any books however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly. God therefore bestows a gift of singular value, when, for the instruction of the Church, he employs not dumb teachers merely, but opens his own sacred mouth; when he not only proclaims that some God must be worshipped, but at the same time declares that He is the God to whom worship is due; when he not only teaches his elect to have respect to God, but manifests himself as the God to whom this respect should be paid.
(Two sorts of knowledge of God in Scripture)
The course which God followed towards his Church from the very first, was to supplement these common proofs by the addition of his Word, as a surer and more direct means of discovering himself. And there can be no doubt that it was by this help, Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the other patriarchs, attained to that familiar knowledge which, in a manner, distinguished them from unbelievers. I am not now speaking of the peculiar doctrines of faith by which they were elevated to the hope of eternal blessedness. It was necessary, in passing from death unto life, that they should know God, not only as a Creator, but as a Redeemer also; and both kinds of knowledge they certainly did obtain from the Word. In point of order, however, the knowledge first given was that which made them acquainted with the God by whom the world was made and is governed. To this first knowledge was afterwards added the more intimate knowledge which alone quickens dead souls, and by which God is known not only as the Creator of the worlds and the sole author and disposer of all events, but also as a Redeemer, in the person of the Mediator. But as the fall and the corruption of nature have not yet been considered, I now postpone the consideration of the remedy, (for which, see Book 2 c. 6 &c.) Let the reader then remember, that I am not now treating of the covenant by which God adopted the children of Abraham, or of that branch of doctrine by which, as founded in Christ, believers have, properly speaking, been in all ages separated from the profane heathen. I am only showing that it is necessary to apply to Scripture, in order to learn the sure marks which distinguish God, as the Creator of the world, from the whole herd of fictitious gods. We shall afterward, in due course, consider the work of Redemption. In the meantime, though we shall adduce many passages from the New Testament, and some also from the Law and the Prophets, in which express mention is made of Christ, the only object will be to show that God, the Maker of the world, is manifested to us in Scripture, and his true character expounded, so as to save us from wandering up and down, as in a labyrinth, in search of some doubtful deity.'
Related Tags: John Calvin, 'Institutes of the Christian Religion', God, Scripture
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'1.God bestows the actual knowledge of himself upon us only in the Scriptures
Therefore, though the effulgence which is presented to every eye, both in the heavens and on the earth, leaves the ingratitude of man without excuse, since God, in order to bring the whole human race under the same condemnation, holds forth to all, without exception, a mirror of his Deity in his works, another and better help must be given to guide us properly to God as a Creator. Not in vain, therefore, has he added the light of his Word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation, and bestowed the privilege on those whom he was pleased to bring into nearer and more familiar relation to himself. For, seeing how the minds of men were carried to and fro, and found no certain resting-place, he chose the Jews for a peculiar people, and then hedged them in that they might not, like others, go astray. And not in vain does he, by the same means, retain us in his knowledge, since but for this, even those who, in comparison of others, seem to stand strong, would quickly fall away. For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any books however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly. God therefore bestows a gift of singular value, when, for the instruction of the Church, he employs not dumb teachers merely, but opens his own sacred mouth; when he not only proclaims that some God must be worshipped, but at the same time declares that He is the God to whom worship is due; when he not only teaches his elect to have respect to God, but manifests himself as the God to whom this respect should be paid.
(Two sorts of knowledge of God in Scripture)
The course which God followed towards his Church from the very first, was to supplement these common proofs by the addition of his Word, as a surer and more direct means of discovering himself. And there can be no doubt that it was by this help, Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the other patriarchs, attained to that familiar knowledge which, in a manner, distinguished them from unbelievers. I am not now speaking of the peculiar doctrines of faith by which they were elevated to the hope of eternal blessedness. It was necessary, in passing from death unto life, that they should know God, not only as a Creator, but as a Redeemer also; and both kinds of knowledge they certainly did obtain from the Word. In point of order, however, the knowledge first given was that which made them acquainted with the God by whom the world was made and is governed. To this first knowledge was afterwards added the more intimate knowledge which alone quickens dead souls, and by which God is known not only as the Creator of the worlds and the sole author and disposer of all events, but also as a Redeemer, in the person of the Mediator. But as the fall and the corruption of nature have not yet been considered, I now postpone the consideration of the remedy, (for which, see Book 2 c. 6 &c.) Let the reader then remember, that I am not now treating of the covenant by which God adopted the children of Abraham, or of that branch of doctrine by which, as founded in Christ, believers have, properly speaking, been in all ages separated from the profane heathen. I am only showing that it is necessary to apply to Scripture, in order to learn the sure marks which distinguish God, as the Creator of the world, from the whole herd of fictitious gods. We shall afterward, in due course, consider the work of Redemption. In the meantime, though we shall adduce many passages from the New Testament, and some also from the Law and the Prophets, in which express mention is made of Christ, the only object will be to show that God, the Maker of the world, is manifested to us in Scripture, and his true character expounded, so as to save us from wandering up and down, as in a labyrinth, in search of some doubtful deity.'
Related Tags: John Calvin, 'Institutes of the Christian Religion', God, Scripture
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Friday, June 30, 2006
"Exposition of the Epistle of Jude" by William Jenkyn
'The salvation of the faithful is begun in this life. Here they are saints, and here they are saved. Heaven is but the flower of salvation blown out; here is this life salvation is in the bud. Saints are saved here from the power of their corruptions; they are here in the suburbs of heaven; they here sit together in heavenly places in Christ, Eph 2:6. They here have salvation, not only in their desires and expectations, but in its cause. They have an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ, 2 Peter 2:11. They are by faith united to that Head which is already in heaven. They are freed, though not from the company of, and contention with, yet from conquest by all their enemies; and there is always the certainty of salvation in respect of itself, the object, though not in respect of us, the subject.
The people of God are safe, and saved, even while in dangers. Their enemies are but nominal. The keeper of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps, Psalm 60 per tot. Though they are tempted, sick, persecuted, banished, yet never unsafe; and whenever God brings them into these condititions, it is because they are the safest for them. Their graces are always safe, their souls, their conforts safe, because Christ their Head, their hope, their all is safe. The poorest saint has his life-guard. He who provided a city of refuge for those that killed men, will much more find out a city of refuge for thee when men shall labor to kill thee. Of this more before.
p. 57
Jenkyn knew persecution. So he can tell us how God is good to his children by helping us in our time of need.
Related Tags: "Exposition of the Epistle of Jude", William Jenkyn, Bible, people of God, Heaven, salvation
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The people of God are safe, and saved, even while in dangers. Their enemies are but nominal. The keeper of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps, Psalm 60 per tot. Though they are tempted, sick, persecuted, banished, yet never unsafe; and whenever God brings them into these condititions, it is because they are the safest for them. Their graces are always safe, their souls, their conforts safe, because Christ their Head, their hope, their all is safe. The poorest saint has his life-guard. He who provided a city of refuge for those that killed men, will much more find out a city of refuge for thee when men shall labor to kill thee. Of this more before.
p. 57
Jenkyn knew persecution. So he can tell us how God is good to his children by helping us in our time of need.
Related Tags: "Exposition of the Epistle of Jude", William Jenkyn, Bible, people of God, Heaven, salvation
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"Christianity and Liberalism" by J. Gresham Machen
'But at this point a fatal error lies in wait. It is one of the root errors of modern liberalism. Christian experience, we have just said, is useful as confirming the gospel message. But because it is necessary, many men have jumped to the conclusion that it is all that is necessary. Having a present experience of Christ in the heart, may we not, it is said, hold that experience no matter what history may tell us as to the events of the first Easter morning? May we not make ourselves altogether independent of the results of Biblical criticism? No matter what sort of man history may tell us Jesus of Nazareth actually was, no matter what history may say about the real meaning of His death or about the story of His alleged resurrection, may we not continue to experience the presence of Christ in our souls?
The trouble is that the experience thus maintained is not Christian experience. Religious experience it may be, but Christian experience it certainly is not. For Christian experience depends absolutely upon an event. The Christian says to himself: "I have meditated upon the problem of becoming right with God, I have tried to produce a righteousness that will stand in His sight; but when I heard the gospel message I learned that what I had weakly striven to accomplish had been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died for me on the Cross and completed His redeeming work by the glorious resurrection. If the thing has not yet been done, if I merely have an idea of its accomplishment, then I am of all men most miserable, for I am still in my sins. My Christian life, then, depends altogether upon the truth of the New Testament record."
Christian experience is rightly used when it confirms the documentary evidence. But it can never possibly provide a substitute for the documentary evidence. We know that the gospel story is true partly because of the early date of the documents in which it appears, the evidence as to their authorship, the internal evidence of their truth, the impossibility of explaining them as being based upon deception or upon myth. This evidence is gloriously confirmed by present experience, which adds to the documentary evidence that wonderful directness and immediacy of conviction which delivers us from fear. Christian experience is rightly used when it helps to convince us that the events narrated in the New Testament actually did occur; but it can never enable us to be Christians whether the events occurred or not. It is a fair flower, and should be prized as a gift of God. But cut it from its root in the blessed Book, and it soon withers away and dies.'
Also shows problem with the post-modern thought.
Related Tags: J. Gresham Machen, "Christian and Liberalism", Bible, modern liberalism, Jesus of Nazareth
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The trouble is that the experience thus maintained is not Christian experience. Religious experience it may be, but Christian experience it certainly is not. For Christian experience depends absolutely upon an event. The Christian says to himself: "I have meditated upon the problem of becoming right with God, I have tried to produce a righteousness that will stand in His sight; but when I heard the gospel message I learned that what I had weakly striven to accomplish had been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died for me on the Cross and completed His redeeming work by the glorious resurrection. If the thing has not yet been done, if I merely have an idea of its accomplishment, then I am of all men most miserable, for I am still in my sins. My Christian life, then, depends altogether upon the truth of the New Testament record."
Christian experience is rightly used when it confirms the documentary evidence. But it can never possibly provide a substitute for the documentary evidence. We know that the gospel story is true partly because of the early date of the documents in which it appears, the evidence as to their authorship, the internal evidence of their truth, the impossibility of explaining them as being based upon deception or upon myth. This evidence is gloriously confirmed by present experience, which adds to the documentary evidence that wonderful directness and immediacy of conviction which delivers us from fear. Christian experience is rightly used when it helps to convince us that the events narrated in the New Testament actually did occur; but it can never enable us to be Christians whether the events occurred or not. It is a fair flower, and should be prized as a gift of God. But cut it from its root in the blessed Book, and it soon withers away and dies.'
Also shows problem with the post-modern thought.
Related Tags: J. Gresham Machen, "Christian and Liberalism", Bible, modern liberalism, Jesus of Nazareth
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Thursday, June 29, 2006
'Christianity and Liberalism' by J. Gresham Machen
'Is it true, then, that Christianity is not a doctrine but a life? The question can be settled only by an examination of the beginnings of Christianity. Recognition of that fact does not involve any acceptance of Christian belief; it is merely a matter of common sense and common honesty. At the foundation of the life of every corporation is the incorporation paper, in which the objects of the corporation are set forth. Other objects may be vastly more desirable than those objects, but if the directors use the name and the resources of the corporation to pursue the other objects they are acting ultra vires of the corporation. So it is with Christianity. It is perfectly conceivable that the originators of the Christian movement had no right to legislate for subsequent generations. But at any rate they did have an inalienable right to legislate for all generations that should choose to bear the name of "Christian." It is conceivable that Christianity may now have to be abandoned, and another religion substituted for it; but at any rate the question what Christianity is can be determined only by an examination of the beginnings of Christianity.
The beginnings of Christianity constitute a fairly definite historical phenomenon. The Christian movement originated a few days after the death of Jesus of Nazareth. It is doubtful whether anything that preceded the death of Jesus can be called Christianity. At any rate, if Christianity existed before that event, it was Christianity only in a preliminary stage. The name originated after the death of Jesus, and the thing itself was also something new. Evidently there was an important new beginning among the disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem after the crucifixion. At that time is to be placed the beginning of the remarkable movement which spread out from Jerusalem into the Gentile world--the movement which is called Christianity.
About the early stages of this movement definite historical information has been preserved in the Epistles of Paul, which are regarded by all serious historians as genuine products of the first Christian generation. The writer of the Epistles had been in direct communication with those intimate friends of Jesus who had begun the Christian movement in Jerusalem, and in the Epistles he makes it abundantly plain what the fundamental character of the movement was. But if any one fact is clear, on the basis of this evidence, it is that the Christian movement at its inception was not just a way of life in the modern sense, but a way of life founded upon a message. It was based, not upon mere feeling, not upon a mere program of work, but upon an account of facts. In other words it was based upon doctrine.
Certainly with regard to Paul himself there should be no debate; Paul certainly was not indifferent to doctrine; on the contrary, doctrine was the very basis of his life. His devotion to doctrine did not, it is true, make him incapable of a magnificent tolerance. One notable example of such tolerance is to be found during his imprisonment at Rome, as attested by the Epistle to the Philippians. Apparently certain Christian teachers at Rome had been jealous of Paul's greatness. As long as he had been at liberty they had been obliged to take a secondary place; but now that he was in prison, they seized the supremacy. They sought to raise up affliction for Paul in his bonds; they preached Christ even of envy and strife. In short, the rival preachers made of the preaching of the gospel a means to the gratification of low personal ambition; it seems to have been about as mean a piece of business as could well be conceived. But Paul was not disturbed. "Whether in presence, or in truth," he said, "Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (Phil. i. 18). The way in which the preaching was being carried on was wrong, but the message itself was true; and Paul was far more interested in the content of the message than in the manner of its presentation. It is impossible to conceive a finer piece of broad-minded tolerance.
But the tolerance of Paul was not indiscriminate. He displayed no tolerance, for example, in Galatia. There, too, there were rival preachers. But Paul had no tolerance for them. "But though we," he said, "or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. i. 8). What is the reason for the difference in the apostle's attitude in the two cases? What is the reason for the broad tolerance in Rome, and the fierce anathemas in Galatia? The answer is perfectly plain. In Rome, Paul was tolerant, because there the content of the message that was being proclaimed by the rival teachers was true; in Galatia he was intolerant, because there the content of the rival message was false. In neither case did personalities have anything to do with Paul's attitude. No doubt the motives of the Judaizers in Galatia were far from pure, and in an incidental way Paul does point out their impurity. But that was not the ground of his opposition. The Judaizers no doubt were morally far from perfect, but Paul's opposition to them would have been exactly the same if they had all been angels from heaven. His opposition was based altogether upon the falsity of their teaching; they were substituting for the one true gospel a false gospel which was no gospel at all. It never occurred to Paul that a gospel might be true for one man and not for another; the blight of pragmatism had never fallen upon his soul. Paul was convinced of the objective truth of the gospel message, and devotion to that truth was the great passion of his life. Christianity for Paul was not only a life, but also a doctrine, and logically the doctrine came first.'
We have to get doctrine right. If not errors will creep in the church will suffer for it.
I added a link to Christianity and Liberalism on the side. It is a great book.
Related Tags: Christianity, Liberalism, Doctrine, Jesus of Nazareth, Epistles of Paul
Continue reading!
The beginnings of Christianity constitute a fairly definite historical phenomenon. The Christian movement originated a few days after the death of Jesus of Nazareth. It is doubtful whether anything that preceded the death of Jesus can be called Christianity. At any rate, if Christianity existed before that event, it was Christianity only in a preliminary stage. The name originated after the death of Jesus, and the thing itself was also something new. Evidently there was an important new beginning among the disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem after the crucifixion. At that time is to be placed the beginning of the remarkable movement which spread out from Jerusalem into the Gentile world--the movement which is called Christianity.
About the early stages of this movement definite historical information has been preserved in the Epistles of Paul, which are regarded by all serious historians as genuine products of the first Christian generation. The writer of the Epistles had been in direct communication with those intimate friends of Jesus who had begun the Christian movement in Jerusalem, and in the Epistles he makes it abundantly plain what the fundamental character of the movement was. But if any one fact is clear, on the basis of this evidence, it is that the Christian movement at its inception was not just a way of life in the modern sense, but a way of life founded upon a message. It was based, not upon mere feeling, not upon a mere program of work, but upon an account of facts. In other words it was based upon doctrine.
Certainly with regard to Paul himself there should be no debate; Paul certainly was not indifferent to doctrine; on the contrary, doctrine was the very basis of his life. His devotion to doctrine did not, it is true, make him incapable of a magnificent tolerance. One notable example of such tolerance is to be found during his imprisonment at Rome, as attested by the Epistle to the Philippians. Apparently certain Christian teachers at Rome had been jealous of Paul's greatness. As long as he had been at liberty they had been obliged to take a secondary place; but now that he was in prison, they seized the supremacy. They sought to raise up affliction for Paul in his bonds; they preached Christ even of envy and strife. In short, the rival preachers made of the preaching of the gospel a means to the gratification of low personal ambition; it seems to have been about as mean a piece of business as could well be conceived. But Paul was not disturbed. "Whether in presence, or in truth," he said, "Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (Phil. i. 18). The way in which the preaching was being carried on was wrong, but the message itself was true; and Paul was far more interested in the content of the message than in the manner of its presentation. It is impossible to conceive a finer piece of broad-minded tolerance.
But the tolerance of Paul was not indiscriminate. He displayed no tolerance, for example, in Galatia. There, too, there were rival preachers. But Paul had no tolerance for them. "But though we," he said, "or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. i. 8). What is the reason for the difference in the apostle's attitude in the two cases? What is the reason for the broad tolerance in Rome, and the fierce anathemas in Galatia? The answer is perfectly plain. In Rome, Paul was tolerant, because there the content of the message that was being proclaimed by the rival teachers was true; in Galatia he was intolerant, because there the content of the rival message was false. In neither case did personalities have anything to do with Paul's attitude. No doubt the motives of the Judaizers in Galatia were far from pure, and in an incidental way Paul does point out their impurity. But that was not the ground of his opposition. The Judaizers no doubt were morally far from perfect, but Paul's opposition to them would have been exactly the same if they had all been angels from heaven. His opposition was based altogether upon the falsity of their teaching; they were substituting for the one true gospel a false gospel which was no gospel at all. It never occurred to Paul that a gospel might be true for one man and not for another; the blight of pragmatism had never fallen upon his soul. Paul was convinced of the objective truth of the gospel message, and devotion to that truth was the great passion of his life. Christianity for Paul was not only a life, but also a doctrine, and logically the doctrine came first.'
We have to get doctrine right. If not errors will creep in the church will suffer for it.
I added a link to Christianity and Liberalism on the side. It is a great book.
Related Tags: Christianity, Liberalism, Doctrine, Jesus of Nazareth, Epistles of Paul
Continue reading!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
'The Bruised Reed' by Richard Sibbes
'Some think they have no faith at all because they have no full assurance, wheras the fairest fire that can be will have some smoke. The best actions will smell of the smoke. The mortar wherein garlic has been stamped will always smell of it; so all our actions will savour something of the old man.
In weakness of body some think grace dies, because their performance are feeble, their spirts, which are the instruments of their soul's actions, being weakened. But they do not consider that God regards the hidden sighs of those that lack abilities to express themselves outwardly. He that pronounces those blessed that consider the poor will have a merciful consideration of such himself.'
p. 45
God knows our weakness and helps us.
Related Tags: Richard Sibbes, 'The Bruised Reed', God, old man
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In weakness of body some think grace dies, because their performance are feeble, their spirts, which are the instruments of their soul's actions, being weakened. But they do not consider that God regards the hidden sighs of those that lack abilities to express themselves outwardly. He that pronounces those blessed that consider the poor will have a merciful consideration of such himself.'
p. 45
God knows our weakness and helps us.
Related Tags: Richard Sibbes, 'The Bruised Reed', God, old man
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Saturday, June 24, 2006
'The Golden key to open hidden treasures' by Thomas Brooks
'Thirdly, Then in the suffurings of Christ, as in a gospel-glass, you may see the odious nature of sin, and according learn to hate it, arm against it, turn from it, and subdue it. Sin never appears so odious as when we behold it in the red glass of Christ's sufferings, Psalm 119, 114, 127, and Romans 7:15 and 12:9. Can we look upon sin as the occasion of all Christ's sufferings, can we look upon sin as that which made Christ a curse, and that made him forsaken of his Father, and that made him live such a miserable life, and that brought him to die such a shameful, painful, and cruel death, and our hearts not rise against it? Shall our sins be grievous unto Christ, and shall they not be odious unto us? shall he die for our sins, and shall we not die to our sins? did not he therefore suffer for sin, that we might cease from sin? did not he 'bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live to righteousness'? 1 Peter 4:1, and 2:24. If one should kill our father, would we hug and embrace him as our father? no, we would be revenged onhim. Sin hath killed our Saviour, and shall we not be revenged on it. Can a man look upon that snake that hath stung his dearly-loved spouseto death, and preserve it alive, warm it at the fire, and hug it in his bosom, and not rather stab it with a thounsand wounds? It is sin that hath stung our dear Jesus to death, that has crucifed our Lord, clouded his glory, and shed his precious blood, and oh how should stir up our indignation against it. Ah, how can a Christian make much of those sins that killed his dearest Lord! how can he cherish those sins that betrayed Christ, and apprehended Christ, and bound Christ, and condemned Christ, and scrourged Christ, and violently drew him to the cross, and there murdered him! It was neither Judas, nor Pilate, nor the Jews, nor the soldiers that could have done our Lord Jesus the least hurt, had not our sins, like so many butchers, and hangmen, come in to their assistance. After Julius Caesar was treacherously murdered in the senate-house, Antionious brought forth his coat, all bloody, cut and mangled, and laying it open to the view of the people, said, Look, here is your emperor's coat; and as as the bloody conspirators have dealt by it, so have they dealt with Caesar's body; whereupon the people were all in an uproar, and nothing would satisfy them but the death of the murderers, and they ran to the houses of the conspirators and burnt them down to the ground. But what was Caesar's coat and Caesar's body to the body of our dear Lord Jesus, which was all bloody, rent, and torn for our sins? Ah, how this should provoke us to be revenged on our sins! how should we forever loath and abhoar them! how should we labour with all our might to be the death of those sins that would have been the death of so great a Lord, and will, if not prevented, be the death of our souls to all eternity! To see God thrust the sword of his pure, infinite, and incensed wrath through the very heart of his dearest Son, notwithstanding all his supplications, prayers, tears, ans strong cries, Hebrews 5:7, is the highest discovery of the Lord's hatred and indigation os sin that ever was or will be. It is true God discoveredhis great hatred of sin by turning Adam out of paradise, and casting the angels down to hell, by drowning the old world, and by raining hell out of heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and by the various and dreadful judgements that he has been a-pouring foth upon the world in all ages; but all this hatred is but the pitcure of hatred, to that hatred that God manifested against sin in causing the whole curse to meet upon our crucified Lord, as all streams meet in the sea. It is true God discovers his hatred of sin by those endless, and remediless torments that he inflicts uppn devils and damned spirits; but this is no hatred to that hatred against sin which God discovered when he opened the floodgates of his envenomed wrath upon his Son, his own Son, his only Son, that always pleased him, his Son that never offened him, Isaiah53:5, 6, and Proverbs 8:30, 31, and Matthew 3:17.
p. 205-206
Brooks shows what sin cost our Lord. This should help us to see how we should hate sin.
Related Tags: Thomas Brooks, 'The Golden key to open hidden treasures', Jesus Christ, sin
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p. 205-206
Brooks shows what sin cost our Lord. This should help us to see how we should hate sin.
Related Tags: Thomas Brooks, 'The Golden key to open hidden treasures', Jesus Christ, sin
Continue reading!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
'The Mischief of Sin' by Thomas Watson
'God's watchmen have been sent to warn men of their evil ways. They have told them how damnable a thing it is to persist in sin. The judgements of God, like arrows, have been shot at them for sin. Yet for all this, they still sin. This is worse than to be Balaam the Sorcerer. For when he saw the angel before him with a naked sword, he dared not ride on. But these desperate, heaven-darining sinners, though they see the flaming sword of God's justice before them, resolvedly venture on in sin.
This sin is willful. Willful disobeyers are said to reproach the Lord, Numbers 15:30. To defey a prince's authority is to reproach him. Willfulness in sin amounts to presumption. Psalm 19:13, "Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins." Under the Law, there were sacrifices for sins of ignorance, but no sacrifices for sins of presumption, Numbers 11:30. To sin willfully accents and enhances the sin. it is like die to the wool or like a weight put in the scale which makes it heavier. This leaves men without excuse, John 15:22. If a sea mark is set up to give notice that there are shelves or rocks, the mariner still will sail there. If he spilts his ship, no one will pity him because he had warning given.'
p. 70-71
Good words from Watson.
Related Tags: Thomas Watson, 'The Mischief of Sin', God's watchmen, heaven-darining sinners
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This sin is willful. Willful disobeyers are said to reproach the Lord, Numbers 15:30. To defey a prince's authority is to reproach him. Willfulness in sin amounts to presumption. Psalm 19:13, "Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins." Under the Law, there were sacrifices for sins of ignorance, but no sacrifices for sins of presumption, Numbers 11:30. To sin willfully accents and enhances the sin. it is like die to the wool or like a weight put in the scale which makes it heavier. This leaves men without excuse, John 15:22. If a sea mark is set up to give notice that there are shelves or rocks, the mariner still will sail there. If he spilts his ship, no one will pity him because he had warning given.'
p. 70-71
Good words from Watson.
Related Tags: Thomas Watson, 'The Mischief of Sin', God's watchmen, heaven-darining sinners
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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
'Sermons to the Spiritual Man' by William G. T. Shedd
From 'The glorification of God'.
'It is surprising to see, and no man sees it until he endeavors to get rid of evil, how intensely the soul of man resolves upon itself, and how difficult it is to desert itself and revolve around another. You, for example, give a sum of money to a poor and suffering family. The external act- what the schoolman would denominate the "matter" of the act- is good. And your fellow-men, who can only see only the outward appearance, praise you as an excellent person. But let us look into the heart, and see if there really be the moral excellence, the true holliness before God, that is supposed. When the gift had been bestowed, did you not begin to congratulate yourself upon what you had done? Did not the left hand begin to know what the right hand had been doing? In other words, did not pride and self-worship begin to fill the heart, and was not the act, so far as the inward nature of it- what the same schooman would call the "form" of it- is concerned, an egotistical one? Did you not worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, in this act- which is one of the best that you ever proformed? Was that not a "sin" in this "holy thing?" Did not the "dead fly" spoil the "apothecaries ointment?" For if the inward disposition had corresponded entirley to the outward act, in this transaction; if the act were really holy one; it would have been done for the glory of God, and there would have not been a particle of self-worship in your experience. You would not have had the least proud thought of self in the affair, but would have humbly thought of God. After giving the gift, you would have said as David did in reference to the gift which he and the people of Israel made to God in the building of the temple: "But who am I, and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willing, after this sort? for all things come from thee, and of thine own haave we given thee." You would have acknowledged that it is God who gives both the willingness to give, and the means of giving; that He is both the first cause and the last end of things. But, by the supposition, you did neither. You gave the sum of money as something which your intellect and hands had orginated, and you took the merit of the gift to yourself. You worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.
p. 106-107
We do have to be careful not to worship ourselves and not God.
Related Tags: God, worship, William G. T. Shedd, 'Sermons to the Spiritual Man', moral excellence, for the glory of God, self-worship
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'It is surprising to see, and no man sees it until he endeavors to get rid of evil, how intensely the soul of man resolves upon itself, and how difficult it is to desert itself and revolve around another. You, for example, give a sum of money to a poor and suffering family. The external act- what the schoolman would denominate the "matter" of the act- is good. And your fellow-men, who can only see only the outward appearance, praise you as an excellent person. But let us look into the heart, and see if there really be the moral excellence, the true holliness before God, that is supposed. When the gift had been bestowed, did you not begin to congratulate yourself upon what you had done? Did not the left hand begin to know what the right hand had been doing? In other words, did not pride and self-worship begin to fill the heart, and was not the act, so far as the inward nature of it- what the same schooman would call the "form" of it- is concerned, an egotistical one? Did you not worship and serve the creature more than the Creator, in this act- which is one of the best that you ever proformed? Was that not a "sin" in this "holy thing?" Did not the "dead fly" spoil the "apothecaries ointment?" For if the inward disposition had corresponded entirley to the outward act, in this transaction; if the act were really holy one; it would have been done for the glory of God, and there would have not been a particle of self-worship in your experience. You would not have had the least proud thought of self in the affair, but would have humbly thought of God. After giving the gift, you would have said as David did in reference to the gift which he and the people of Israel made to God in the building of the temple: "But who am I, and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willing, after this sort? for all things come from thee, and of thine own haave we given thee." You would have acknowledged that it is God who gives both the willingness to give, and the means of giving; that He is both the first cause and the last end of things. But, by the supposition, you did neither. You gave the sum of money as something which your intellect and hands had orginated, and you took the merit of the gift to yourself. You worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.
p. 106-107
We do have to be careful not to worship ourselves and not God.
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Saturday, June 17, 2006
'Gospel Worship' by Jeremiah Burroughs
'It would be excellent if every Lord's Day, and at other times, you came as hungry to the Word as you ever went to your dinner or supper. The Word of God should be more to you than your appointed food, and then you are likely to grow by it and to sanctify God's name in it.
Pray beforehand that God would open your eyes and your heart and accompany His Word. Thus did David; "Open mine eyes O Lord, that I may understand the wonders of Thy law." You know what is said of Lydia: "The Lord opened her heart to attend to the Word tha was spoken." Now seeing it is an ordinance, you expect more good from it than what it, of its own nature, is able to convey. You need to pray, "Lord, I go to such an ordinance of Thine, and I know there is no efficacy in itself. It is not able to reach such effects as I expect, that is, to have my eyes opened, but Lord, open my eyes and my heart. Lord, my heart is naturally locked up against Thy Word. There are such words in my heart that, unless Thou art pleased to put in a key that may fit my heart, it will never open. Man is not able to know my heart, and therefore he cannot fit a key to ansewer every ward, to resolve doubt, to silence every objection, but Lord, Thou canst do it. Lord, therefore fit Thy Word this day to meet with my heart. Lord, I have gone often to Thy Word and the key has stuck it in and has not opened; but Lord, if Thou wouldst but fit it and turn it with Thine own hand, my heart would open."
Oh, come with such a praying heart to the Word, and thereby you shall sanctify the name of God in hearing His Word. This is to come to hear the Word as to the Word of God. You must not come to hear the Word as to hear a speech or an oration, but come in such a preparation as this, and so God will be glorified and you will be profited.'
p. 167-168
The Word of God is important to us. It is the most important book you can read and learn from. You need God to open your heart to what it says.
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Pray beforehand that God would open your eyes and your heart and accompany His Word. Thus did David; "Open mine eyes O Lord, that I may understand the wonders of Thy law." You know what is said of Lydia: "The Lord opened her heart to attend to the Word tha was spoken." Now seeing it is an ordinance, you expect more good from it than what it, of its own nature, is able to convey. You need to pray, "Lord, I go to such an ordinance of Thine, and I know there is no efficacy in itself. It is not able to reach such effects as I expect, that is, to have my eyes opened, but Lord, open my eyes and my heart. Lord, my heart is naturally locked up against Thy Word. There are such words in my heart that, unless Thou art pleased to put in a key that may fit my heart, it will never open. Man is not able to know my heart, and therefore he cannot fit a key to ansewer every ward, to resolve doubt, to silence every objection, but Lord, Thou canst do it. Lord, therefore fit Thy Word this day to meet with my heart. Lord, I have gone often to Thy Word and the key has stuck it in and has not opened; but Lord, if Thou wouldst but fit it and turn it with Thine own hand, my heart would open."
Oh, come with such a praying heart to the Word, and thereby you shall sanctify the name of God in hearing His Word. This is to come to hear the Word as to the Word of God. You must not come to hear the Word as to hear a speech or an oration, but come in such a preparation as this, and so God will be glorified and you will be profited.'
p. 167-168
The Word of God is important to us. It is the most important book you can read and learn from. You need God to open your heart to what it says.
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'Gospel Worship', Word of God,
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Friday, June 16, 2006
From 'Precious remedies against Satan's devices' by Thomas Brooks
'Device 10. By working them to be frequent in comparing themselves and their ways with those that are reputed or reported to be worse than themselves. By this device the devil drew the proud pharisee to bless himself in a cursed condition, 'God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican (Luke 18:11). Why saith Satan, you swear but pretty oaths, as 'by your faith and troth,' but such swear by wounds and blood; you are not and then a little wanton, but such and such do daily defile and pollute themselves by actual uncleaneness and filthiness; you deceive and overreach your neighbors in things that are but toys and trifles, but such and such deceive and overreach others in things of greatest concernment, even to their ruin and undoings; you do but sit, and chat, and sip with the drunkard; you are only a little proud in heart and habit, in looks and words.
Remedy (1). The first remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider this, That there is not a greater nor a cleaner argument to prove a man a hyprocrite, than to be quicksighted abroad and blind at home, than to see 'a mote in another man's eye, and not a beam in his own eye' (Matthew 7:3-4); than to use spectacles to behold other men's sins rather than looking-glasses to behold his own; rather to be allways holding his finger upon other men's sores, and to be amplifying and aggravating other men's sins than mitigating his own.
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, To spend more time in comparing your internal and external actions with the Rule, with the Word, by which you must be judged at last, than in comparing of yourselves with those that are worse than yourselves. That man that, compareing his self with others that are worse than himself, may see to himself and others, to be an angel; yet comparing himself with the word, may see himself like the devil, year a very devil. 'Hath not I chosen twelve, and one of you is a devil?'(John 6:70). Such men are like him, as if they were spit out of his mouth.
Satan is called 'the god of this world' (2 Cor. 4:4), because as God at first did but speak the word, and it was done, so, if the devil doth but hold up his finger, give the least hint, they will do his will, though they undo their souls for ever. Ah, what monsters would these men appear to be, did they but compare themselves with a righteous rule, and not with the most unrighteous men; they would appear to be as black as hell itself.
p. 89-90
We like to compare ourselves to the people who are around us. We think we are not as bad as they are. We should remember to compare our lives to the standard from the Word of God.
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Remedy (1). The first remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider this, That there is not a greater nor a cleaner argument to prove a man a hyprocrite, than to be quicksighted abroad and blind at home, than to see 'a mote in another man's eye, and not a beam in his own eye' (Matthew 7:3-4); than to use spectacles to behold other men's sins rather than looking-glasses to behold his own; rather to be allways holding his finger upon other men's sores, and to be amplifying and aggravating other men's sins than mitigating his own.
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, To spend more time in comparing your internal and external actions with the Rule, with the Word, by which you must be judged at last, than in comparing of yourselves with those that are worse than yourselves. That man that, compareing his self with others that are worse than himself, may see to himself and others, to be an angel; yet comparing himself with the word, may see himself like the devil, year a very devil. 'Hath not I chosen twelve, and one of you is a devil?'(John 6:70). Such men are like him, as if they were spit out of his mouth.
Satan is called 'the god of this world' (2 Cor. 4:4), because as God at first did but speak the word, and it was done, so, if the devil doth but hold up his finger, give the least hint, they will do his will, though they undo their souls for ever. Ah, what monsters would these men appear to be, did they but compare themselves with a righteous rule, and not with the most unrighteous men; they would appear to be as black as hell itself.
p. 89-90
We like to compare ourselves to the people who are around us. We think we are not as bad as they are. We should remember to compare our lives to the standard from the Word of God.
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Thursday, June 15, 2006
From 'The Godly Man's picture' by Thomas Watson
'In this sense, a godly man does not indulge sin. Though sin is in him, he is troubled at it and would gladly get rid of it. There is as much difference between sin in the wicked and the godly as between poisin being in the serpent and in a man. Poison in a serpent is in its natural place and is delightful, but poison in a man's body is offensive and he uses antidotes to expel it. So sin in a child of God is burdensome and he uses all means to expel it. The sin is trimmed off. The will is against it. A godly man enters his protest agaisnt sin: 'What I do I allow not' (Romans 7:15). A child of God, while he commits sin, hates the sin he commits (Romans 7). In particular there are four sorts of sin which a godly man will not allow himself:
1 Secret sins. Some are more modest than to commit gross sin. That would be a stain on their reputation. But they will sit brooding upon sin in a corner: 'Saul secretly practised mischief' (1 Sam. 23:9). All will not sin on a balcony but perhaps they will sin behind the curtain. Rachel did not carry her father's images like a saddle cloth to be exposed to public view, but she put them under her and set on them (Gen. 31:34).
But a godly man dare not sin secretly:
(i) He knows that God sees in secret (Psalm 44:21). As God cannot be decieved by our subtlety, so he cannont be excluded by our secrecy.
(ii) A godly man knows the that secret sins are in some sense worse than others. They reveal more guile and atheism. The curtain-sinner makes himselfe believe that God does not see: 'Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, for they say, The Lord seeth us not' (Ezek. 8:12). Those who have bad eyes think that the sun is dim. How it provokes God, that man's atheism should give the lie to his omniscience! 'He that formed the eye, shall he not see? (Psalm 94:9).
(iii) A godly man knows that secret sins shall not escape God's justice. A judge on the bench can punish no offence but what is proved by witnesses. He cannot punish the treason of the heart, but the sins of the heart are visible to God as if they were written upon the forehead. As God will reward secret duties, so will he revenge secret sins.
p. 146-147
Watson was a puritan preacher. His works are good and should be read. His works are not as hard to read as John Owen's.
God sees all of our sins. Nothing we do is hidden from Him.
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1 Secret sins. Some are more modest than to commit gross sin. That would be a stain on their reputation. But they will sit brooding upon sin in a corner: 'Saul secretly practised mischief' (1 Sam. 23:9). All will not sin on a balcony but perhaps they will sin behind the curtain. Rachel did not carry her father's images like a saddle cloth to be exposed to public view, but she put them under her and set on them (Gen. 31:34).
But a godly man dare not sin secretly:
(i) He knows that God sees in secret (Psalm 44:21). As God cannot be decieved by our subtlety, so he cannont be excluded by our secrecy.
(ii) A godly man knows the that secret sins are in some sense worse than others. They reveal more guile and atheism. The curtain-sinner makes himselfe believe that God does not see: 'Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, for they say, The Lord seeth us not' (Ezek. 8:12). Those who have bad eyes think that the sun is dim. How it provokes God, that man's atheism should give the lie to his omniscience! 'He that formed the eye, shall he not see? (Psalm 94:9).
(iii) A godly man knows that secret sins shall not escape God's justice. A judge on the bench can punish no offence but what is proved by witnesses. He cannot punish the treason of the heart, but the sins of the heart are visible to God as if they were written upon the forehead. As God will reward secret duties, so will he revenge secret sins.
p. 146-147
Watson was a puritan preacher. His works are good and should be read. His works are not as hard to read as John Owen's.
God sees all of our sins. Nothing we do is hidden from Him.
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Tuesday, June 13, 2006
From 'The works of Jonathan Edwards vol 2'
From the sermon 'Temptation and Deliverance'
'I said, that persons should avoid things that expose to sin, as far as may be; because it is possible that persons may be called to expose themselves to temptation; and when it is so, they may hope for divine strength and protection under temptation.
It may be a man's indispensable duty to undertake an office or work, attended with a great deal of temptation. Thus ordinarily a man ought not to run into temptation of being persecuted for the true religion; lest the temptation should not be too hard for him; but should avoid it, as much as may be: therefore Christ thus directs his disciples, Matthew 10:23 "When ye be persecuted in one city, flee to another." Yet, the case may be so, that a man may be called not to flee from persecution; but to run the venture so such a trial, trusting God to uphold him under it. Ministers and magistrates may be obliged to continue with their people in such circumstances; as Nehemiah says, Neh. 6:11 "Should such a man as I flee?" So the apostles. -Yea, they may be called to go into the midst of it; to those places where they cannot reasonably expect but to meet such temptations. So Paul went up to Jersualem, when he knew beforehand, that there bonds and affliction awaited him, Acts 20:23'
p. 227.
Edwards shows how we should try to avoid putting ourselves in a place that leads to temptation. But when we can not avoid it to trust God to help us.
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'I said, that persons should avoid things that expose to sin, as far as may be; because it is possible that persons may be called to expose themselves to temptation; and when it is so, they may hope for divine strength and protection under temptation.
It may be a man's indispensable duty to undertake an office or work, attended with a great deal of temptation. Thus ordinarily a man ought not to run into temptation of being persecuted for the true religion; lest the temptation should not be too hard for him; but should avoid it, as much as may be: therefore Christ thus directs his disciples, Matthew 10:23 "When ye be persecuted in one city, flee to another." Yet, the case may be so, that a man may be called not to flee from persecution; but to run the venture so such a trial, trusting God to uphold him under it. Ministers and magistrates may be obliged to continue with their people in such circumstances; as Nehemiah says, Neh. 6:11 "Should such a man as I flee?" So the apostles. -Yea, they may be called to go into the midst of it; to those places where they cannot reasonably expect but to meet such temptations. So Paul went up to Jersualem, when he knew beforehand, that there bonds and affliction awaited him, Acts 20:23'
p. 227.
Edwards shows how we should try to avoid putting ourselves in a place that leads to temptation. But when we can not avoid it to trust God to help us.
Related Tags: Jonathan Edwards, God, sin, Christ, Ministers, persecution, affliction, temptation
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Jonathan Edwards online
I have added Jonathan Edwards online to the Christian Links. I also added a link to the blog.
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From 'Gospel Worship' by Jeremiah Burroughs
There is not any action which comes from you that comes to be accepted to eternal life until your persons are accepted by God, and therefore there must be a sanctifying of the heart before there can be sanctifying of the name of God in the duties of His worship. Therefore, when you cometo perform any duties of God's worship, you should consider this: "Is my heart santicfied? I must sanctify God's name, and how can I do this unless my heart is santctified?"
Second our hearts must be sanctified because the Lord looks more to principle from whence a thing comes than to the thing itself. Were our hearts as right as they should be, then we would not so much regard what all the good things that come to us from God are as what the principle is from whence they came, that is, whether what we enjoy from God is from the love of God in Christ Jesus or not, whether it is from the general bounty and patience of God or from the special love of God in Jesus Christ. Our hearts would regard that most if we were spirtual.
Now then, as a godly man is not satisfied with enjoying any good thing from God unless he knows it comes from a principal of love to Him in Jesus Christ, so God is not pleased with anything that comes from us unless He knows that it comes from a principal of love, grace, and holiness in the heart.
Third, according as the heart is, so will the service be. Certainly if the heart is unclean, the duty will be unclean. Perhaps the words may be fine and brave, but if there is an unclean heart the duty will be unclean. Suppose a man with the plague makes a brave oration. His breath is still infectious. So it is in our services with God. If our hearts within us have the plague, then certainly the breath that comes from us, all of our duties, will be unclean. And, therefore, that is the first thing that we are to look for in sanctifying God's name in holy duties. Look to have your heart sanctified and consider from what principle it comes. It is for lack of this that thounsands of our duties are cast aside and God never regards them. But this is the first particular, there are many more to speak of.
p. 90-91
Burroughs was a great preacher. His words of worship are important. God looks on our hearts to see why we do what we do. Our heart is what leads us in how we live.
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Second our hearts must be sanctified because the Lord looks more to principle from whence a thing comes than to the thing itself. Were our hearts as right as they should be, then we would not so much regard what all the good things that come to us from God are as what the principle is from whence they came, that is, whether what we enjoy from God is from the love of God in Christ Jesus or not, whether it is from the general bounty and patience of God or from the special love of God in Jesus Christ. Our hearts would regard that most if we were spirtual.
Now then, as a godly man is not satisfied with enjoying any good thing from God unless he knows it comes from a principal of love to Him in Jesus Christ, so God is not pleased with anything that comes from us unless He knows that it comes from a principal of love, grace, and holiness in the heart.
Third, according as the heart is, so will the service be. Certainly if the heart is unclean, the duty will be unclean. Perhaps the words may be fine and brave, but if there is an unclean heart the duty will be unclean. Suppose a man with the plague makes a brave oration. His breath is still infectious. So it is in our services with God. If our hearts within us have the plague, then certainly the breath that comes from us, all of our duties, will be unclean. And, therefore, that is the first thing that we are to look for in sanctifying God's name in holy duties. Look to have your heart sanctified and consider from what principle it comes. It is for lack of this that thounsands of our duties are cast aside and God never regards them. But this is the first particular, there are many more to speak of.
p. 90-91
Burroughs was a great preacher. His words of worship are important. God looks on our hearts to see why we do what we do. Our heart is what leads us in how we live.
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Saturday, June 10, 2006
From 'Sinners in the hands of an angry God' by Jonathan Edwards
Whose wrath it is: it is the wrath of the infinite God. If it were only the wrath of man, though it were of the most potent prince, it would be comparatively little to be regarded. The wrath of kings is very much dreaded, especially of absolute monarchs, who have the possessions and lives of their subjects wholly in their power, to be disposed of at their mere will. Prov. xx. 2. "The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: Whoso provoketh him to anger, sinneth against his own soul." The subject that very much enrages an arbitrary prince, is liable to suffer the most extreme torments that human art can invent, or human power can inflict. But the greatest earthly potentates in their greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their greatest terrors, are but feeble, despicable worms of the dust, in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and King of heaven and earth. It is but little that they can do, when most enraged, and when they have exerted the utmost of their fury. All the kings of the earth, before God, are as grasshoppers; they are nothing, and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of kings, is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater. Luke xii. 4, 5. "And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you, Fear him."
2. It is the fierceness of his wrath that you are exposed to. We often read of the fury of God; as in Isaiah lix. 18. "According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries." So Isaiah lxvi. 15. "For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and wifh his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." And in many other places. So, Rev. xix. 15, we read of "the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." The words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said, "the wrath of God," the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but it is "the fierceness and wrath of God." The fury of God! the fierceness of Jehovah! Oh, how dreadful must that be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them! But it is also "the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." As though there would be a very great manifestation of his almighty power in what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are wont to exert their strength in the fierceness of their wrath. Oh! then, what will be the consequence! What will become of the poor worms that shall suffer it! Whose hands can be strong? And whose heart can endure? To what a dreadful, inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!
Consider this, you that are here present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the fierceness of his anger, implies, that he will inflict wrath without any pity. When God beholds the ineffable extremity of your case, and sees your torment to be so vastly disproportioned to your strength, and sees how your poor soul is crushed, and sinks down, as it were, into an infinite gloom; he will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand; there shall be no moderation or mercy, nor will God then at all stay his rough wind; he will have no regard to your welfare, nor be at all careful lest you should suffer too much in any other sense, than only that you shall not suffer beyond what strict justice requires. Nothing shall be withheld, because it is so hard for you to bear. Ezek. viii. 18. "Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them." Now God stands ready to pity you; this is a day of mercy; you may cry now with some encouragement of obtaining mercy. But when once the day of mercy is past, your most lamentable and dolorous cries and shrieks will be in vain; you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God, as to any regard to your welfare. God will have no other use to put you to, but to suffer misery; you shall be continued in being to no other end; for you will be a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction; and there will be no other use of this vessel, but to be filled full of wrath. God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to him, that it is said he will only "laugh and mock," Prov. i. 25, 26, &c.
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2. It is the fierceness of his wrath that you are exposed to. We often read of the fury of God; as in Isaiah lix. 18. "According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries." So Isaiah lxvi. 15. "For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and wifh his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." And in many other places. So, Rev. xix. 15, we read of "the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." The words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said, "the wrath of God," the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but it is "the fierceness and wrath of God." The fury of God! the fierceness of Jehovah! Oh, how dreadful must that be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them! But it is also "the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." As though there would be a very great manifestation of his almighty power in what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are wont to exert their strength in the fierceness of their wrath. Oh! then, what will be the consequence! What will become of the poor worms that shall suffer it! Whose hands can be strong? And whose heart can endure? To what a dreadful, inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!
Consider this, you that are here present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the fierceness of his anger, implies, that he will inflict wrath without any pity. When God beholds the ineffable extremity of your case, and sees your torment to be so vastly disproportioned to your strength, and sees how your poor soul is crushed, and sinks down, as it were, into an infinite gloom; he will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand; there shall be no moderation or mercy, nor will God then at all stay his rough wind; he will have no regard to your welfare, nor be at all careful lest you should suffer too much in any other sense, than only that you shall not suffer beyond what strict justice requires. Nothing shall be withheld, because it is so hard for you to bear. Ezek. viii. 18. "Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them." Now God stands ready to pity you; this is a day of mercy; you may cry now with some encouragement of obtaining mercy. But when once the day of mercy is past, your most lamentable and dolorous cries and shrieks will be in vain; you will be wholly lost and thrown away of God, as to any regard to your welfare. God will have no other use to put you to, but to suffer misery; you shall be continued in being to no other end; for you will be a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction; and there will be no other use of this vessel, but to be filled full of wrath. God will be so far from pitying you when you cry to him, that it is said he will only "laugh and mock," Prov. i. 25, 26, &c.
Related Tags: Jonathan Edwards, wrath, God, wrath of God, unregenerate, mercy, grace, justice
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Thursday, June 08, 2006
From 'The Acceptable Sacrifice' by John Bunyan
1. Take heed that you choke not those convictions that at present do break your hearts, by labouring to put those things out of your minds which were the cause of such convictions; but rather nourish and cherish those things in a deep and sober remembrance of them. Think, therefore, with thyself thus, What was it that at first did wound my heart? And let that still be there, until, by the grace of God, and the redeeming blood of Christ, it is removed.
2. Shun vain company. The keeping of vain company has stifled many a conviction, killed many a desire, and made many a soul fall into hell, that once was hot in looking after heaven. A companion that is not profitable to the soul, is hurtful. ‘He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be
destroyed’ (Prov 13:20).
3. Take heed of idle talk, that thou neither hear nor join with it. ‘Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge’ (Prov 14:7). ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners. And a fool’s lips are the snare of his soul.’ Wherefore take heed of these things (Prov 18:7; 1 Cor
15:33).
4. Beware of the least motion to sin, that it be not countenanced, lest the countenancing of that makes way for a bigger. David’s eye took his heart, and so his heart nourishing the thought, made way for the woman’s company,
the act of adultery, and bloody murder. Take heed, therefore, brethren, ‘lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin’ (Heb 3:12,13). And remember, that he that will rend the block, puts the thin end of the wedge first thereto, and so, by driving does his work.
5. Take heed of evil examples among the godly; learn of no man to do that which the
word of God forbids. Sometimes Satan makes use of a good man’s bad ways, to spoil and
harden the heart of them that come after. Peter’s false doing had like to have spoiled Barnabas, yea, and several others more. Wherefore take heed of men, of good men’s ways, and measure both theirs and thine own by no other rule but the holy Word of God (Gal 2:11-13).
6. Take heed of unbelief, or atheistical thoughts; make no question of the truth and
reality of heavenly things: for know unbelief is the worst of evils; nor can the heart be tender that nourisheth or gives place unto it. ‘Take heed, therefore, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God’ (Heb 3:12). These cautions are necessary to be observed with all diligence, of
all them that would, when their heart is made tender, keep it so. And now to come,
p. 90-91
Bunyan gave great advice on how to keep the heart tender. You need to be careful about the people you keep company with. What you talk about will make an impact on how you live.
Related Tags: John Bunyan, grace of God, redeeming blood of Christ, vain company, idle talk, unbelief
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2. Shun vain company. The keeping of vain company has stifled many a conviction, killed many a desire, and made many a soul fall into hell, that once was hot in looking after heaven. A companion that is not profitable to the soul, is hurtful. ‘He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be
destroyed’ (Prov 13:20).
3. Take heed of idle talk, that thou neither hear nor join with it. ‘Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge’ (Prov 14:7). ‘Evil communications corrupt good manners. And a fool’s lips are the snare of his soul.’ Wherefore take heed of these things (Prov 18:7; 1 Cor
15:33).
4. Beware of the least motion to sin, that it be not countenanced, lest the countenancing of that makes way for a bigger. David’s eye took his heart, and so his heart nourishing the thought, made way for the woman’s company,
the act of adultery, and bloody murder. Take heed, therefore, brethren, ‘lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin’ (Heb 3:12,13). And remember, that he that will rend the block, puts the thin end of the wedge first thereto, and so, by driving does his work.
5. Take heed of evil examples among the godly; learn of no man to do that which the
word of God forbids. Sometimes Satan makes use of a good man’s bad ways, to spoil and
harden the heart of them that come after. Peter’s false doing had like to have spoiled Barnabas, yea, and several others more. Wherefore take heed of men, of good men’s ways, and measure both theirs and thine own by no other rule but the holy Word of God (Gal 2:11-13).
6. Take heed of unbelief, or atheistical thoughts; make no question of the truth and
reality of heavenly things: for know unbelief is the worst of evils; nor can the heart be tender that nourisheth or gives place unto it. ‘Take heed, therefore, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God’ (Heb 3:12). These cautions are necessary to be observed with all diligence, of
all them that would, when their heart is made tender, keep it so. And now to come,
p. 90-91
Bunyan gave great advice on how to keep the heart tender. You need to be careful about the people you keep company with. What you talk about will make an impact on how you live.
Related Tags: John Bunyan, grace of God, redeeming blood of Christ, vain company, idle talk, unbelief
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Wednesday, June 07, 2006
from The existance and attributes of God by Stephen Charnock
God knows all the evils and sins of creatures. (1.) God knows all sin. This follows upon the other. If he knows all the actions and thoughts of creatures, he knows also all the sinfulness in those acts and thoughts. This Zophar infers from God's punishing men. (Job 11:11); for he knows vain man, he sees his wickedness also; he knows every man, and sees the wickedness of every man; he looks down from heaven, and beholds not only the filthy persons, but what is filthy in them (Psalm 14:2), all the nations in the world, and every man of every nation; none of their iniquity is hid from his eyes; he searches all Jerusalem with candles (Jeremiah 16:17). God follows sinners step by step with his eye, and will not leave searching out till he hath taken them; a metaphor taken from one that searches all chinks with a candle, that nothing can be hidden from him. He knows distinctly in all the parts of it, how an adulterer rises out of his bed to commint uncleanness, what contrivances he had, what steps he took, every circumstance in the whole progress; not only evil in the bulk, but every one of the blacker sponts upon it, which may most agrgravate it. If he did not know wvil, how could he permit it, order it, punish it, or pardon it? Doth he permit he know not what? order to his own holy ends what he is ignorant of? punish or pardon that which he is uncertain whether it be a crime or no? "Cleanse me," saith David, "from my secret faults" (Psalm 19:12), secret in regard to others, secret in regard of himself; how could God cleanse him from that wherof he was ignorant? He knows sins before they are committed, much more when they are in act; he forknew the idolarty and apostacy of the Jews; what gods they would serve, in what measure they would provoke him, and violate his covenant (Deutronomy 31:20,21); he knew Judus' sin long before Judus' actual existance, foretelling it in the Psalms; and Christ predicts it before he acted it. He sees sins future in his own permitting will; he sees sins present in his own supporting act.
p. 427-428
God has complete knowledge of His creation. He does not need to wait and see what happens.
Related Tags: God, sin, sinners, foreknew, idolatry, apostacy, Judus
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p. 427-428
God has complete knowledge of His creation. He does not need to wait and see what happens.
Related Tags: God, sin, sinners, foreknew, idolatry, apostacy, Judus
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Monday, June 05, 2006
From 'Spiritual Refining' by Anthony Burgess
Although external obedience and outward actions of piety are not to be rested on, yet this external obedience is necessary.
First, because outward actions are a complement and a perfection of the inward habits of grace; God hath put all the internal habits of grace in the heart, that they might produce external operations in our lives, and when they do so, they attain their ultimate perfection. Aristotle placed happiness in the actions of the soul, not in habits and faculties, because they are not the most excellent: It is not therefore enough for a man to please himself with contemplative good affections, but he also to demostrate his grace in the powerful operations thereof.
Secondly, outward acts of obedience are necessary because the commands of God do expecially oblige to these. Thus thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and this is his commandment to believe on him: Howsoever therefore that actions are not sufficent, unless they flow from supernatural principles within, and an inward rectitude of the frame of the heart; yet the commands of God do bind to these, as those whereby God is most glorified, it being not the having of a thing so much as the exercising of it, which makes us acceptable to him that employeth us therein.
p. 91
Related Tags: Anthony Burgess, grace, salvation, obedience
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First, because outward actions are a complement and a perfection of the inward habits of grace; God hath put all the internal habits of grace in the heart, that they might produce external operations in our lives, and when they do so, they attain their ultimate perfection. Aristotle placed happiness in the actions of the soul, not in habits and faculties, because they are not the most excellent: It is not therefore enough for a man to please himself with contemplative good affections, but he also to demostrate his grace in the powerful operations thereof.
Secondly, outward acts of obedience are necessary because the commands of God do expecially oblige to these. Thus thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and this is his commandment to believe on him: Howsoever therefore that actions are not sufficent, unless they flow from supernatural principles within, and an inward rectitude of the frame of the heart; yet the commands of God do bind to these, as those whereby God is most glorified, it being not the having of a thing so much as the exercising of it, which makes us acceptable to him that employeth us therein.
p. 91
Related Tags: Anthony Burgess, grace, salvation, obedience
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Saturday, June 03, 2006
from "Christians- A peculiar people' by Jonathan Edwards
'We see here a reason why Christians are of so different a nature and temper from the rest of the world. The truly godly are very different in their disposition from others. “They hate those things that the rest of the world love, and love those things for which the rest of the world have no relish; insomuch that others are ready to wonder that they should place any happiness in a strict observance of the self-denying duties of religion; they wonder what delight they can take in spending so much time in meditation and prayer, and that they do not place happiness in those things which themselves do. 1 Peter iv. 4. “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot; speaking evil of you.” But the reason is, they are of a different race, and so derive different dispositions.
It is ordinary to see those who are of different families, of a different temper. The natural temper of parents is commonly in some degree transmitted to their posterity. Indeed, all agree in many things, for all are of the same blood originally; all are descended from the same Adam, and the same Noah. But Christians are born again of another stock, different from all the rest of the world; and therefore they are of a temper by themselves, wherein none of the rest of the world agree with them. Rev. i. 6. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father: to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever.”
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It is ordinary to see those who are of different families, of a different temper. The natural temper of parents is commonly in some degree transmitted to their posterity. Indeed, all agree in many things, for all are of the same blood originally; all are descended from the same Adam, and the same Noah. But Christians are born again of another stock, different from all the rest of the world; and therefore they are of a temper by themselves, wherein none of the rest of the world agree with them. Rev. i. 6. “And hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father: to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever.”
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Friday, June 02, 2006
from 'The New Birth' vol 3 of the works of Stephen Charnock
From 'The Nature of Regeneration.'
'From, The excellency of your birth. It is a birth of heaven, a resemblance to God; do nothing below it or unworth of it. It is fit for you to lie amoung the pots and smut yourselves? The consideration of the relation you bear to God should inspire you with the heroic resolutions for his glory. You are the only persons to keep up God's honour in the world, and his final anger from it. Whenever you are tempted, reflect upon yourselves, as Nehemiah: 'Should such a man as I' do this? Or as Joseph to his mistress 'Behold my master hath commited al that he hath to my hand;' behold God hath put his divine nature in my heart and 'shall I do this wickedness?' Consider in every action what that God you call Father by regenerating grace that Christ who is the great examplar and copy of the image in you, would do in such cases and circumstances. How unworthy is it for living man to do dead works! As your life springs from the highest principle, let it be employed for the highest ends. Was every any prince ashamed of his honor? And shall any new creature be ashamed of the paticular badage of heaven upon it; or that any righteousness which is the true nobilitly of his nature? Holiness is the beauty of an intellectual and rational creature; it must then be your highest honor to live comformably to the diginity of your nature.'
p. 158
We should live like we have been regenerated. We should live to a higher standard than the world lives by.
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'From, The excellency of your birth. It is a birth of heaven, a resemblance to God; do nothing below it or unworth of it. It is fit for you to lie amoung the pots and smut yourselves? The consideration of the relation you bear to God should inspire you with the heroic resolutions for his glory. You are the only persons to keep up God's honour in the world, and his final anger from it. Whenever you are tempted, reflect upon yourselves, as Nehemiah: 'Should such a man as I' do this? Or as Joseph to his mistress 'Behold my master hath commited al that he hath to my hand;' behold God hath put his divine nature in my heart and 'shall I do this wickedness?' Consider in every action what that God you call Father by regenerating grace that Christ who is the great examplar and copy of the image in you, would do in such cases and circumstances. How unworthy is it for living man to do dead works! As your life springs from the highest principle, let it be employed for the highest ends. Was every any prince ashamed of his honor? And shall any new creature be ashamed of the paticular badage of heaven upon it; or that any righteousness which is the true nobilitly of his nature? Holiness is the beauty of an intellectual and rational creature; it must then be your highest honor to live comformably to the diginity of your nature.'
p. 158
We should live like we have been regenerated. We should live to a higher standard than the world lives by.
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From 'A Christian Directory' by Richard Baxter
If the men that we speak to be regardable, words are regardable. For words are powerful instruments of their good or hurt. God useth them by his ministers for men's conversion and salvation; and Satan useth them by his ministers for men's subversion and damnation. How many thousand souls are hurt every day by the words of others! some deceived, some puffed up, some hardened, and some provoked to sinful passions! And how many thousand are every day edified by words! either instructed, admonished, quickened, or conforted. Paul saith, 2 Cor 10:4 "The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God." And Pythagoras could say, "tongues cut deeper than swords, because they reach even to the soul." Tongue sins and duties therefore must needs be great.
Our tongues are the insturments of our Creator's praise, purposely given us to "speak good of his name," and to "declare his works with rejoicing." It is no small part of that service which God expects from man, which is performed by the tongue; nor a small part of the end of our creation: the use of all our highest faculties, parts, and graces, are expressively by the tongue: our wisdom and knowledge, our love and holiness, are much lost as to the honor of God, and the good of others, if not expresse. The tongue is the latern or casement of the soul, by which it looketh out, and shineth unto others. Therefor the sin and duty of so noble an instrument is not to be made light of, by any that regard the honour of our Maker.
p. 342
Baxter was right. The words that we speak say a lot of what we are inside. In the heat of the moment words can show what we think.
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Our tongues are the insturments of our Creator's praise, purposely given us to "speak good of his name," and to "declare his works with rejoicing." It is no small part of that service which God expects from man, which is performed by the tongue; nor a small part of the end of our creation: the use of all our highest faculties, parts, and graces, are expressively by the tongue: our wisdom and knowledge, our love and holiness, are much lost as to the honor of God, and the good of others, if not expresse. The tongue is the latern or casement of the soul, by which it looketh out, and shineth unto others. Therefor the sin and duty of so noble an instrument is not to be made light of, by any that regard the honour of our Maker.
p. 342
Baxter was right. The words that we speak say a lot of what we are inside. In the heat of the moment words can show what we think.
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Thursday, June 01, 2006
from 'Religious Affections' by Jonathan Edwards
To spiritually understand Scripture means we correctly understand the Scripture's objective content; it does not mean we creat some new meaning for it. Scriptural enlightment allows us to see what we would have otherwise been blind to- but in this case, no one could see this obscure new meaning blind or not, for it was nevert there before man's circumstances occured. The spirtiual enlightment of which the Bible speaks means that our eyes are opened to what has always been there; "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Psalm 119:18). This verse implies that the meaning was there all along, but that the psalmist's eyes were shut; the psalmist does not indicate that he hopes to discover some new meaning that never existed prior to his prayer.
When we create a new meaning for the Scripture, it is the same as if we were making a new Scripture; it is adding to the Word, which the Bible warns us not to do. True spirtual enlightment does not discover private meanings hidden in the Bible; it does, however, perceive the sweet, bright revelation of Christ and the excellence of salvation. Real spirtual enlightment enables us to understand that Christ is the sum of our heart's need, and spirtual light shines on the Bible's promises, making them glow with meaning. All this was always in the Bible; there are no new meanings meant for individual persons.
p. 162-163
Edwards words are still true today. We should not be looking to the Bible to find new teachings that no one else has ever found.
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When we create a new meaning for the Scripture, it is the same as if we were making a new Scripture; it is adding to the Word, which the Bible warns us not to do. True spirtual enlightment does not discover private meanings hidden in the Bible; it does, however, perceive the sweet, bright revelation of Christ and the excellence of salvation. Real spirtual enlightment enables us to understand that Christ is the sum of our heart's need, and spirtual light shines on the Bible's promises, making them glow with meaning. All this was always in the Bible; there are no new meanings meant for individual persons.
p. 162-163
Edwards words are still true today. We should not be looking to the Bible to find new teachings that no one else has ever found.
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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
from the ' Manual of Theology' by J.L. Dagg
The doctrine of final perseverance, properly understood, gives no encouragement to sluggishness or negligence in duty; much less does it lead to licentiousness. He who takes occasion from it to sin against God, or to be indololent in his service, not only misunderstands, and misapplies the doctrine, but has reason to fear that his heart is not right before God. Perseverance in holiness is the only infallible proof the heart is right; and he who ceases to persevere, on the presumption that his heart is right, believes without the proper evidence, and is woefully hazarding his eternal interests on his persumption. The doctrine is, that grace in the heart will produce erseverance to the end; and where the effect is not produced, the cause does not exist. Every man, therefor, whatever his past professions and attainments may have been, the greater is the occasion for alarm; because his case, if he falls away, will so much the more resemble that in which renewal to repentance is impossible.
To reject the doctrine of final perseverance, tends to fix the hope of salvation on human effort, and not on the purpose and grace of God. If, in God's method of salvation, no provision has been made, which secures the safe keeping of the regenerate, and their perseverance in holiness, their salvation is left dependant on their own efforts, and their trust must be in that on which success depends. All that God has done for them, will fail to bring them through, if this effort, orginating in themselves, be not superadded; and the eye of hope is necessarily directed to this human effort, as that on which the momentous issue depends. Thus the denial of the doctrine draws off the heart from simple trust in God, and therefore tends to produce apostasy. The just shall live by faith. Simple trust in God, is necessary to preserve the spiritual life; and to trust in man, and make flesh our arm, is to all under curse, and draw back to perdition. In our first coming to Christ we renounce all confidence in self, and put our entire trust in the mercy and power of God: and in the same faith we began, we must persevere to the end of our course. Worldy wisdom may encourage self-reliance, and regard it as necessary to success: but the wisdome that is from above teaches us to renounce and avoid it as runious to the soul.
p. 298-299
Dagg was a preacher in what became the Southern Baptist convention. He held to the doctrines of grace know as Calvinism.
He did not preach what today is know as cheap grace.
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To reject the doctrine of final perseverance, tends to fix the hope of salvation on human effort, and not on the purpose and grace of God. If, in God's method of salvation, no provision has been made, which secures the safe keeping of the regenerate, and their perseverance in holiness, their salvation is left dependant on their own efforts, and their trust must be in that on which success depends. All that God has done for them, will fail to bring them through, if this effort, orginating in themselves, be not superadded; and the eye of hope is necessarily directed to this human effort, as that on which the momentous issue depends. Thus the denial of the doctrine draws off the heart from simple trust in God, and therefore tends to produce apostasy. The just shall live by faith. Simple trust in God, is necessary to preserve the spiritual life; and to trust in man, and make flesh our arm, is to all under curse, and draw back to perdition. In our first coming to Christ we renounce all confidence in self, and put our entire trust in the mercy and power of God: and in the same faith we began, we must persevere to the end of our course. Worldy wisdom may encourage self-reliance, and regard it as necessary to success: but the wisdome that is from above teaches us to renounce and avoid it as runious to the soul.
p. 298-299
Dagg was a preacher in what became the Southern Baptist convention. He held to the doctrines of grace know as Calvinism.
He did not preach what today is know as cheap grace.
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From 'A Treatise of Effectual Calling and' by Christopher Love
From sermon 6.
First, because there are many gradual changes which do not amount to a saving change or alteration of the heart of man. There is change from a pagan to a Christian. Julian was changed, yet he was a man never called by Jesus Christ. There is a change from being a persecutor to being a counternacer of religion. So we read that Valerius Mexminus was changed who was the vilest persecutor of all men in his time. The hand of God lay so sore upon him for that sin that his very bowels totted within him, and the very worms crept out of him; and in horror of conscience he cried out to his nobles around him, persuading him by his example to take heed never to persecute the Christians more. Now both of these are changes, and yet they are but gradual changes, and leave men abudendantly short of those saving changes that God works in those who are effectually called.
There is a change from profaneness to profession, and yet this is a step below a saving change. There is a step from profession to sincerity, and to a real profession of Jesus Christ. Now those first three steps fall short of a saving change, and therefore every change of life does not argue a man to be effectually called, because there are many gragdual changes that do not amount to so high a pitch as to be savingly changed.
Second, there may be a great change in the life when there is no change in the nature or the heart. In Matthew 23:25, they may "wash the outside of the cup, when within it is full of pollution." The life may be changed, the external acts and course may be changed, when the heart my not be changed and the nature is the same.
p. 114-115
Love wrote in this sermon how not all changes are real. A person may change from persecuting christians and still not be saved. They may change because God punishes them for what they do and that is why they stop what they are doing.
A person may stop commenting outward sins and still not have a new heart.
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First, because there are many gradual changes which do not amount to a saving change or alteration of the heart of man. There is change from a pagan to a Christian. Julian was changed, yet he was a man never called by Jesus Christ. There is a change from being a persecutor to being a counternacer of religion. So we read that Valerius Mexminus was changed who was the vilest persecutor of all men in his time. The hand of God lay so sore upon him for that sin that his very bowels totted within him, and the very worms crept out of him; and in horror of conscience he cried out to his nobles around him, persuading him by his example to take heed never to persecute the Christians more. Now both of these are changes, and yet they are but gradual changes, and leave men abudendantly short of those saving changes that God works in those who are effectually called.
There is a change from profaneness to profession, and yet this is a step below a saving change. There is a step from profession to sincerity, and to a real profession of Jesus Christ. Now those first three steps fall short of a saving change, and therefore every change of life does not argue a man to be effectually called, because there are many gragdual changes that do not amount to so high a pitch as to be savingly changed.
Second, there may be a great change in the life when there is no change in the nature or the heart. In Matthew 23:25, they may "wash the outside of the cup, when within it is full of pollution." The life may be changed, the external acts and course may be changed, when the heart my not be changed and the nature is the same.
p. 114-115
Love wrote in this sermon how not all changes are real. A person may change from persecuting christians and still not be saved. They may change because God punishes them for what they do and that is why they stop what they are doing.
A person may stop commenting outward sins and still not have a new heart.
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Tuesday, May 30, 2006
from 'Christolgia' by John Owen
Our goodness extends not unto God; we cannot profit him by any thing we are, or can do. Wherefore, his love unto us hath not respect originally unto any good in ourselves, but is gracious, free act of his own. He doeth good for no other reason but because he is good. Nor can his infinite perfections take any cause for theri originial actings without himself. He wants nothing that he would supply by the enjoyment of us. But we have indigency in ourselves because our love to seek an object without outselves. And soh his goodness- with the mercy, grace, and bounty included therein- is the cause, reason, and object of our love. We love them for themselves; and because we are wanting and indigent, we love them with a desire of union and enjoyment- wherein we find that our blessdness doth consist. Love in general unites the mind unto the object- the person loving unto the thing or person beloved. So is it expressed in an instance of human, temporary, changeable love, -namely, that of Jonathan to David. His soul "was knit with the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul," 1 Samuel 18:1. Love had so effectually united them, as that the soul of David was as his own. Hence are those expressions of this divine love, by "cleaving unto God, following hard after him, thirsting, panting after him," with the like intimations of the most earnest endeavours of our nature after union and enjoyment. p 153
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Saturday, May 27, 2006
from 'Keeping the heart' by John Flavel
If God reduces you to necessities, he therin deals no otherwise with you than he has done with some of the holiest men that ever lived. Your condition is not singular; though you have been a stranger to want, other saints have been familiarly acquainted with it. Hear what Paul says, not of himself only, but in the name of other saints reduced to like exigencies: 'Even to the present hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place.' To se such a man as Paul going up and down the world naked, and hungry, and houseless; one that was so far above thee in grace and holiness; one that did more service for God in one day than perhahps thou hast done in all thy days may well put an end to you repining. Have you forgotten how much even a David has suffered? How great were his difficulties! 'Give, I pray thee,' says he to Nabal, 'whatsoever cometh to my hand, to thy servants, and to thy son David.' But why speak I of these? Behold a greater than any of them, even the Son of God, who is the heir of all things, and by whom the worlds were made, sometimes would have been glad of any thing, having nothing to eat. 'And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry; and seeing a fig tree afar off, having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing theron.'
Hereby then God has set no mark of hatred on you, neither can you infer want of love from want of bread. When thy repining heart puts the question, 'Was there ever sorrow like unto mine?' Ask thse worhies, and they will tell thee that though they did not complain as thou dost, yet their condition was as necessitous as thine is.
p. 83-84
Some christians dont think they will ever have problems. Sometimes God shows them they should not depend on their money and other things. They need to depend on God alone.
Continue reading!
Hereby then God has set no mark of hatred on you, neither can you infer want of love from want of bread. When thy repining heart puts the question, 'Was there ever sorrow like unto mine?' Ask thse worhies, and they will tell thee that though they did not complain as thou dost, yet their condition was as necessitous as thine is.
p. 83-84
Some christians dont think they will ever have problems. Sometimes God shows them they should not depend on their money and other things. They need to depend on God alone.
Continue reading!
Friday, May 26, 2006
From The Method of Grace by John Flavel
If the riches of grace be thus manifested in the pardon of sin, how vile an abuse is it of grace to take the more liberty to sin, because grace abounds in the pardon of it.
"Shall we continure in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." (Romans 6:1,2) Will nothing else than the grace of God serve to make a cloak for sin? O vile abuse of the most excellent thing in the whole world! Did Christ shed his blood to expiate guilt, and dare we make that a plea to extenuate our guilt? God forbid. If it be intolerable ingratitude among men to requite good with evil, sure that sin must want a name bad enough to express it, which puts the greatest dishonor upon God for the greatest mercy that ever was given to the world. "There is forgivness with thee, that thou mayest be feared," (Psalm 130:4), not that thou mayest be the more abused. Nay let me say, the devils never sinned ath this rate; they cannont abuse the pardoning grace of God, because grace was never offered to them. And certainly, if the abuse of the common mercies of God, as meat and drink, by gluttony and drunkenness, be a heinous sin, and highly provking to God, the abuse of riches of his grace, and the precious blood of his Son, must be out of measure sinful.
If this be so, as ever you expect pardon and mercy from God, come to Christ in the way of faith; receive and embrace him now in the tenders of the gospel.
To enforce this exhortation, I beseech you, as in the bowels of Christ Jesus, and by all regard and value you have for your souls, let the following considerations sink down in your hearts.
That all Christless persons are actually under the commemnation of God. "He that believeth not is condemned already," John 3:18; and it must be so for every soul is concluded under the curse of the law till Christ make him free. John 8:36. Till we are in Christ we are dead by law; and we believe unto justification, then we pass from death to life. A blind mistaken conscience may possibly acquit you, be assured, God condemns you.
p. 250-251
Flavel was against cheap grace. The church needs to teach the old ways again.
Continue reading!
"Shall we continure in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." (Romans 6:1,2) Will nothing else than the grace of God serve to make a cloak for sin? O vile abuse of the most excellent thing in the whole world! Did Christ shed his blood to expiate guilt, and dare we make that a plea to extenuate our guilt? God forbid. If it be intolerable ingratitude among men to requite good with evil, sure that sin must want a name bad enough to express it, which puts the greatest dishonor upon God for the greatest mercy that ever was given to the world. "There is forgivness with thee, that thou mayest be feared," (Psalm 130:4), not that thou mayest be the more abused. Nay let me say, the devils never sinned ath this rate; they cannont abuse the pardoning grace of God, because grace was never offered to them. And certainly, if the abuse of the common mercies of God, as meat and drink, by gluttony and drunkenness, be a heinous sin, and highly provking to God, the abuse of riches of his grace, and the precious blood of his Son, must be out of measure sinful.
If this be so, as ever you expect pardon and mercy from God, come to Christ in the way of faith; receive and embrace him now in the tenders of the gospel.
To enforce this exhortation, I beseech you, as in the bowels of Christ Jesus, and by all regard and value you have for your souls, let the following considerations sink down in your hearts.
That all Christless persons are actually under the commemnation of God. "He that believeth not is condemned already," John 3:18; and it must be so for every soul is concluded under the curse of the law till Christ make him free. John 8:36. Till we are in Christ we are dead by law; and we believe unto justification, then we pass from death to life. A blind mistaken conscience may possibly acquit you, be assured, God condemns you.
p. 250-251
Flavel was against cheap grace. The church needs to teach the old ways again.
Continue reading!
from The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall
The Christian is to walk singularly, not after the world's guise, Rom. 12:2. We are commanded not to be conformed to this world, that is, not to accommodate ourselves to the corrupt customs of the world. The Christian must not be of such a complying nature as to cut the coat of his profession according to the fashion of the times, or the humor of the company he falls into; like that courtier, who being asked how he could keep his preferment in such changing times, which one while had a prince for Popery, another while against Popery, answered, he was e salice, non ex quercu ortus—he was not a stubborn oak, but bending osier, that could yield to the wind. No, the Christian must stand fixed to his principles, and not change his habit; but freely show what countryman he is by his holy constancy in the truth. Now what an odium, what snares, what dangers doth this singularity expose the Christian to? Some will hoot and mock him, as one in a Spanish fashion would be laughed at in your streets. Thus Michal flouted David. Indeed, the world counts the Christian for his singularity of life the only fool; which I have thought gave the first occasion to that nick-name, whereby men commonly express a silly man or a fool. Such a one, say they, is a mere Abraham; that is, in the world's account, a fool. But why an Abraham? Because Abraham did that which carnal reason, the world's idol, laugh's at as mere folly; he left a present estate in his father's house to go he knew not whither, to receive an inheritance he knew not when. And truly such fools all the saints are branded for by the wise world. 'You know the man and his communication,’ said Jehu to his companions, asking what that mad fellow came for, who was no other than a prophet, II Kings 9:11. Now it requires courage to despise the shame which the Christian must expect to meet withal for his singularity. Shame is that which proud nature most disdains, to avoid which many durst not 'confess Christ openly,’ John 7:13. Many lose heaven because they are ashamed to go in a fool's coat thither. Again, as some will mock, so others will persecute to death, merely for this nonconformity in the Christian's principles and practices to them. This was the trap laid for the three children; they must dance before Nebuchadnezzar's pipe, or burn. This was the plot laid to ensnare Daniel, who walked so unblameably, that his very enemies gave him this testimony, that he had no fault but his singularity in his religion, Dan. 6:5. It is a great honour to a Christian, yea, to religion itself, when all their enemies can say is, They are precise, and will not do as we do. Now in such a case as this, when the Christian must turn or burn, leave praying, or become a prey to the cruel teeth of bloody men; how many politic retreats and self-preserving distinctions would a cowardly unresolved heart invent? The Christian that hath so great opposition had need be well locked into the saddle of his profession, or else he will soon be dismounted.
The Christian must keep on his way to heaven in the midst of all the scandals that are cast upon the ways of God by the apostasy and foul falls of false professors. There were ever such in the church, who by their sad miscarriages in judgement and practice have laid a stone of offence in the way of profession, at which weak Christians are ready to make a stand, as they at the bloody body of Asahel, II Sam. 2:22, not knowing whether they may venture any further in their profession, seeing such, whose gifts they so much admired, lie before them, wallowing in the blood of their slain profession: [from being] zealous professors, to prove perhaps fiery persecutors; [from being] strict performers of religious duties, [to prove] irreligious atheists: no more like the men they were some years past, than the vale of Sodom (now a bog and a quagmire) is, to what it was, when for fruitfulness compared to the garden of the Lord. We had need of a holy resolution to bear up against such discouragements, and not to faint; as Joshua, who lived to see the whole camp of Israel, a very few excepted, revolting, and in their hearts turning back to Egypt, and yet with an undaunted spirit maintained his integrity, yea, resolved though not a man beside would bear him company, yet he would serve the Lord.
CCEL has this book online. It is a great book on the verses in Ephesians.
Here is the link to:The Christian in complete armour
Continue reading!
The Christian must keep on his way to heaven in the midst of all the scandals that are cast upon the ways of God by the apostasy and foul falls of false professors. There were ever such in the church, who by their sad miscarriages in judgement and practice have laid a stone of offence in the way of profession, at which weak Christians are ready to make a stand, as they at the bloody body of Asahel, II Sam. 2:22, not knowing whether they may venture any further in their profession, seeing such, whose gifts they so much admired, lie before them, wallowing in the blood of their slain profession: [from being] zealous professors, to prove perhaps fiery persecutors; [from being] strict performers of religious duties, [to prove] irreligious atheists: no more like the men they were some years past, than the vale of Sodom (now a bog and a quagmire) is, to what it was, when for fruitfulness compared to the garden of the Lord. We had need of a holy resolution to bear up against such discouragements, and not to faint; as Joshua, who lived to see the whole camp of Israel, a very few excepted, revolting, and in their hearts turning back to Egypt, and yet with an undaunted spirit maintained his integrity, yea, resolved though not a man beside would bear him company, yet he would serve the Lord.
CCEL has this book online. It is a great book on the verses in Ephesians.
Here is the link to:
Continue reading!
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
from 'A farewell sermon' by Jonathan Edwards
Ministers and their people, while their relation continues, often meet together in this world. They are wont to meet from sabbath to sabbath, and at other times, for the public worship of God, and administration of ordinances, and the solemn services of God’s house. And besides these meetings, they have also occasions to meet for the determining and managing their ecclesiastical affairs, for the exercise of church discipline, and the settling and adjusting those things which concern the purity and good order of public administrations. But their meeting at the day of judgment will be exceeding diverse, in its manner and circumstances, from any meetings and interviews they have one with another in the present state. I would observe how, in a few particulars.
1. Now they meet together in a preparatory mutable state, but then in an unchangeable state.
Now sinners in the congregation meet their minister in a state wherein they are capable of a saving change, capable of being turned, through God’s blessing on the ministrations and labors of their pastor, from the power of Satan unto God; and being brought out of a state of guilt, condemnation, and wrath, to a state of peace and favor with God, to the enjoyment of the privileges of his children, and a title to their eternal inheritance. And saints now meet their minister with great remains of corruption, and sometimes under great spiritual difficulties and affliction: and therefore are yet the proper subjects of means for a happy alteration of their state, which they have reason to hope for in the attendance on ordinances, and of which God is pleased commonly to make his ministers the instruments. Ministers and their people now meet in order to the bringing to pass such happy changes: they are the great benefits sought in their solemn meetings.
But when they shall meet together at the day of judgment, it will be far otherwise. They will all meet in an unchangeable state. Sinners will be in an unchangeable state. They who then shall be under the guilt and power of sin, and have the wrath of God abiding on them, shall be beyond all remedy or possibility of change, and shall meet their ministers without any hopes of relief or remedy, or getting any good by their means. And as for the saints, they will be already perfectly delivered from all their corruption, temptation, and calamities of every kind, and set forever out of their reach; and no deliverance, no happy alteration, will remain to be accomplished in the use of means of grace, under the administrations of ministers. It will then be pronounced, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
2. Then they shall meet together in a state of clear, certain, and infallible light.
Ministers are set as guides and teachers, and are represented in Scripture as lights set up in the churches, and in the present state meet their people, from time to time, in order to instruct and enlighten them, to correct their mistakes, and to be a voice behind them, when they turn aside to the right hand or the left, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it;” to evince and confirm the truth by exhibiting the proper evidences of it. They to refute errors and corrupt opinions, to convince the erroneous, and establish the doubting. But when Christ shall come to judgment, every error and false opinion shall be detected. All deceit and delusion shall vanish away before the light of that day, as the darkness of the night vanishes at the appearance of the rising sun. Every doctrine of the Word of God shall then appear in full evidence, and none shall remain unconvinced. All shall know the truth with the greatest certainty, and there shall be no mistakes to rectify.
Now ministers and their people may disagree in their judgments concerning some matters of religion, and may sometimes meet to confer together concerning those things wherein they differ, and to hear the reasons that may be offered on one side and the other; and all may be ineffectual as to any conviction of the truth. They may meet and part again, no more agreed than before, and that side which was in the wrong may remain so still. Sometimes the meetings of ministers with their people, in such a case of disagreeing sentiments, are attended with unhappy debate and controversy, managed with much prejudice and want of candor; not tending to light and conviction, but rather to confirm and increase darkness, and establish opposition to the truth, and alienation of affection one from another. But when they shall meet together at the day of judgment, before the tribunal of the great Judge, the mind and will of Christ will be made known, and there shall no longer be any debate or difference of opinions. The evidence of the truth shall appear beyond all dispute, and all controversies shall be finally and forever decided.
Now ministers meet their people in order to enlighten and awaken the consciences of sinners: setting before them the great evil and danger of sin, the strictness of God’s law, their own wickedness of heart and practice, the great guilt they are under, the wrath that abides upon them, and their impotence, blindness, poverty, and helpless and undone condition. But all is often in vain. They remain still, notwithstanding all their ministers can say, stupid and unawakened, and their consciences unconvinced. But it will not be so at their last meeting at the day of judgment. Sinners, when they shall meet their minister before their great Judge, will not meet him with a stupid conscience. They will then be fully convinced of the truth of those things which they formerly heard from him, concerning the greatness and terrible majesty of God, his holiness and hatred of sin, his awful justice in punishing it, the strictness of his law and the dreadfulness and truth of his threatenings, and their own unspeakable guilt and misery. And they shall never more be insensible of these things. The eyes of conscience will now be fully enlightened, and never shall be blinded again. The mouth of conscience shall now be opened, and never shall be shut any more.
Now ministers meet with their people, in public and private, in order to enlighten them concerning the state of their souls; to open and apply the rules of God’s Word to them, in order to their searching their own hearts, and discerning their state. But now ministers have no infallible discernment of the state of their people; and the most skillful of them are liable to mistakes, and often are mistaken in things of this nature. Nor are the people able certainly to know the state of their minister, or one another’s state: very often those pass among them for saints, and it may be eminent saints, that are grand hypocrites. And on the other hand, those are sometimes censured, or hardly received into their charity, that are indeed some of God’s jewels. And nothing is more common than for men to be mistaken concerning their own state. Many that are abominable to God, and the children of his wrath, think highly of themselves, as his precious saints and dear children. Yea, there is reason to think that often some that are most bold in their confidence of their safe and happy state, and think themselves not only true saints, but the most eminent saints in the congregation, are in a peculiar manner a smoke in God’s nostrils. And thus it undoubtedly often is in those congregations where the Word of God is most faithfully dispensed, notwithstanding all that ministers can say in their clearest explications, and most searching applications of the doctrines and rules of God’s Word to the souls of their hearers. But in the day of judgment they shall have another sort of meeting. Then the secrets of every heart shall be made manifest, and every man’s state shall be perfectly known. 1 Cor. 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” Then none shall be deceived concerning his own state, nor shall be any more in doubt about it. There shall be an eternal end to all the self-conceit and vain hopes of deluded hypocrites, and all the doubts and fears of sincere Christians. And then shall all know the state of one another’s souls. The people shall know whether their minister has been sincere and faithful, and the minister shall know the state of every one of their people, and to who the word and ordinances of God have been a savor of life unto life, and to whom a savor of death unto death.
Now in this present state it often happens that when ministers and people meet together to debate and manage their ecclesiastical affairs, especially in a state of controversy, they are ready to judge and censure with regard to each other’s views, designs, and the principles and ends by which each is influenced, and are greatly mistaken in their judgment and wrong one another in their censures. But at that future meeting, things will be set in a true and perfect light, and the principles and aims that everyone has acted from, shall be certainly known. There will be an end to all errors of this kind, and all unrighteous censures.
This was Jonathan Edwards last sermon as pastor at the First Church in Northampton.
Continue reading!
1. Now they meet together in a preparatory mutable state, but then in an unchangeable state.
Now sinners in the congregation meet their minister in a state wherein they are capable of a saving change, capable of being turned, through God’s blessing on the ministrations and labors of their pastor, from the power of Satan unto God; and being brought out of a state of guilt, condemnation, and wrath, to a state of peace and favor with God, to the enjoyment of the privileges of his children, and a title to their eternal inheritance. And saints now meet their minister with great remains of corruption, and sometimes under great spiritual difficulties and affliction: and therefore are yet the proper subjects of means for a happy alteration of their state, which they have reason to hope for in the attendance on ordinances, and of which God is pleased commonly to make his ministers the instruments. Ministers and their people now meet in order to the bringing to pass such happy changes: they are the great benefits sought in their solemn meetings.
But when they shall meet together at the day of judgment, it will be far otherwise. They will all meet in an unchangeable state. Sinners will be in an unchangeable state. They who then shall be under the guilt and power of sin, and have the wrath of God abiding on them, shall be beyond all remedy or possibility of change, and shall meet their ministers without any hopes of relief or remedy, or getting any good by their means. And as for the saints, they will be already perfectly delivered from all their corruption, temptation, and calamities of every kind, and set forever out of their reach; and no deliverance, no happy alteration, will remain to be accomplished in the use of means of grace, under the administrations of ministers. It will then be pronounced, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
2. Then they shall meet together in a state of clear, certain, and infallible light.
Ministers are set as guides and teachers, and are represented in Scripture as lights set up in the churches, and in the present state meet their people, from time to time, in order to instruct and enlighten them, to correct their mistakes, and to be a voice behind them, when they turn aside to the right hand or the left, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it;” to evince and confirm the truth by exhibiting the proper evidences of it. They to refute errors and corrupt opinions, to convince the erroneous, and establish the doubting. But when Christ shall come to judgment, every error and false opinion shall be detected. All deceit and delusion shall vanish away before the light of that day, as the darkness of the night vanishes at the appearance of the rising sun. Every doctrine of the Word of God shall then appear in full evidence, and none shall remain unconvinced. All shall know the truth with the greatest certainty, and there shall be no mistakes to rectify.
Now ministers and their people may disagree in their judgments concerning some matters of religion, and may sometimes meet to confer together concerning those things wherein they differ, and to hear the reasons that may be offered on one side and the other; and all may be ineffectual as to any conviction of the truth. They may meet and part again, no more agreed than before, and that side which was in the wrong may remain so still. Sometimes the meetings of ministers with their people, in such a case of disagreeing sentiments, are attended with unhappy debate and controversy, managed with much prejudice and want of candor; not tending to light and conviction, but rather to confirm and increase darkness, and establish opposition to the truth, and alienation of affection one from another. But when they shall meet together at the day of judgment, before the tribunal of the great Judge, the mind and will of Christ will be made known, and there shall no longer be any debate or difference of opinions. The evidence of the truth shall appear beyond all dispute, and all controversies shall be finally and forever decided.
Now ministers meet their people in order to enlighten and awaken the consciences of sinners: setting before them the great evil and danger of sin, the strictness of God’s law, their own wickedness of heart and practice, the great guilt they are under, the wrath that abides upon them, and their impotence, blindness, poverty, and helpless and undone condition. But all is often in vain. They remain still, notwithstanding all their ministers can say, stupid and unawakened, and their consciences unconvinced. But it will not be so at their last meeting at the day of judgment. Sinners, when they shall meet their minister before their great Judge, will not meet him with a stupid conscience. They will then be fully convinced of the truth of those things which they formerly heard from him, concerning the greatness and terrible majesty of God, his holiness and hatred of sin, his awful justice in punishing it, the strictness of his law and the dreadfulness and truth of his threatenings, and their own unspeakable guilt and misery. And they shall never more be insensible of these things. The eyes of conscience will now be fully enlightened, and never shall be blinded again. The mouth of conscience shall now be opened, and never shall be shut any more.
Now ministers meet with their people, in public and private, in order to enlighten them concerning the state of their souls; to open and apply the rules of God’s Word to them, in order to their searching their own hearts, and discerning their state. But now ministers have no infallible discernment of the state of their people; and the most skillful of them are liable to mistakes, and often are mistaken in things of this nature. Nor are the people able certainly to know the state of their minister, or one another’s state: very often those pass among them for saints, and it may be eminent saints, that are grand hypocrites. And on the other hand, those are sometimes censured, or hardly received into their charity, that are indeed some of God’s jewels. And nothing is more common than for men to be mistaken concerning their own state. Many that are abominable to God, and the children of his wrath, think highly of themselves, as his precious saints and dear children. Yea, there is reason to think that often some that are most bold in their confidence of their safe and happy state, and think themselves not only true saints, but the most eminent saints in the congregation, are in a peculiar manner a smoke in God’s nostrils. And thus it undoubtedly often is in those congregations where the Word of God is most faithfully dispensed, notwithstanding all that ministers can say in their clearest explications, and most searching applications of the doctrines and rules of God’s Word to the souls of their hearers. But in the day of judgment they shall have another sort of meeting. Then the secrets of every heart shall be made manifest, and every man’s state shall be perfectly known. 1 Cor. 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” Then none shall be deceived concerning his own state, nor shall be any more in doubt about it. There shall be an eternal end to all the self-conceit and vain hopes of deluded hypocrites, and all the doubts and fears of sincere Christians. And then shall all know the state of one another’s souls. The people shall know whether their minister has been sincere and faithful, and the minister shall know the state of every one of their people, and to who the word and ordinances of God have been a savor of life unto life, and to whom a savor of death unto death.
Now in this present state it often happens that when ministers and people meet together to debate and manage their ecclesiastical affairs, especially in a state of controversy, they are ready to judge and censure with regard to each other’s views, designs, and the principles and ends by which each is influenced, and are greatly mistaken in their judgment and wrong one another in their censures. But at that future meeting, things will be set in a true and perfect light, and the principles and aims that everyone has acted from, shall be certainly known. There will be an end to all errors of this kind, and all unrighteous censures.
This was Jonathan Edwards last sermon as pastor at the First Church in Northampton.
Continue reading!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
From The Method of Grace by John Flavel
From the sermon 6 titled: Of that Act on our Part, by which we do actually and effectually apply Christ to our own Souls.
First, The gospel offers Christ to us sincerely and really, and so the true believer receives and accepts him, even with a faith unfeigned; 1 Tim. 1: 5. If ever the soul be serious and in earnest in any thing, it is so in this: Can we suppose the heart of him that flies for his life to the refuge city, to be serious and in earnest to escape by flight the avenger of blood who pursues him? Then is the heart of a convinced sinner serious in this matter; for under that notion is the work of faith presented to us, Heb. 6: 18.
His ignorance makes him necessary and desirable to him as a prophet: His guilt makes him necessary as a priest: His strong and powerful lusts and corruptions make him necessary as a king: and in truth, he sees not any thing in Christ that he can spare; he needs all that is in Christ, and admires infinite wisdom in nothing more
than the investing Christ with all these offices, which are so suited to the poor sinner's wants and miseries. Look, as the three offices are undivided in Christ, so they are in the believer's acceptance; and before this trial no hypocrite can stand; for all hypocrites reject and quarrel with something in Christ; they like his pardon better than his government. They call him indeed, Lord and Master, but it is but an empty title they bestow upon him; for let them ask their own hearts if Christ be Lord over their thoughts, as well as words; over their secret, as well as open actions; over their darling lusts, as well as others; let them ask, who will appear to be Lord and Master over them, when Christ and the world come in competition? When the pleasure of sin shall stand upon one side, and sufferings to death, and deepest points of self denial, upon the other side? Surely it is the greatest affront that can be offered to the Divine Wisdom and Goodness, to separate in our
acceptance, what is so united in Christ, for our salvation and happiness. As without any one of these offices, the work of our salvation could not be completed, so without acceptance of Christ in them all, our union with him by faith cannot be completed.
John Flavel was Spurgeon's favourite Puritan preacher.
This sermon shows that Christ is also to be a christians Lord as well as Savior. This sermon goes against the idea that you can just have Jesus as your Savior. Today that is still being fought by some in the church. Cheap grace still needs to be fought.
You can read the rest of the sermon as well as the other sermons in 'The method of grace at:
Method of Grace
Continue reading!
First, The gospel offers Christ to us sincerely and really, and so the true believer receives and accepts him, even with a faith unfeigned; 1 Tim. 1: 5. If ever the soul be serious and in earnest in any thing, it is so in this: Can we suppose the heart of him that flies for his life to the refuge city, to be serious and in earnest to escape by flight the avenger of blood who pursues him? Then is the heart of a convinced sinner serious in this matter; for under that notion is the work of faith presented to us, Heb. 6: 18.
His ignorance makes him necessary and desirable to him as a prophet: His guilt makes him necessary as a priest: His strong and powerful lusts and corruptions make him necessary as a king: and in truth, he sees not any thing in Christ that he can spare; he needs all that is in Christ, and admires infinite wisdom in nothing more
than the investing Christ with all these offices, which are so suited to the poor sinner's wants and miseries. Look, as the three offices are undivided in Christ, so they are in the believer's acceptance; and before this trial no hypocrite can stand; for all hypocrites reject and quarrel with something in Christ; they like his pardon better than his government. They call him indeed, Lord and Master, but it is but an empty title they bestow upon him; for let them ask their own hearts if Christ be Lord over their thoughts, as well as words; over their secret, as well as open actions; over their darling lusts, as well as others; let them ask, who will appear to be Lord and Master over them, when Christ and the world come in competition? When the pleasure of sin shall stand upon one side, and sufferings to death, and deepest points of self denial, upon the other side? Surely it is the greatest affront that can be offered to the Divine Wisdom and Goodness, to separate in our
acceptance, what is so united in Christ, for our salvation and happiness. As without any one of these offices, the work of our salvation could not be completed, so without acceptance of Christ in them all, our union with him by faith cannot be completed.
John Flavel was Spurgeon's favourite Puritan preacher.
This sermon shows that Christ is also to be a christians Lord as well as Savior. This sermon goes against the idea that you can just have Jesus as your Savior. Today that is still being fought by some in the church. Cheap grace still needs to be fought.
You can read the rest of the sermon as well as the other sermons in 'The method of grace at:
Continue reading!
from the sermon: 'Children to be educated for God by Edward Payson
From vol 3 of the works of Edward Payson.
Educating children for the service of God implies, that we pay more attention to the heart or disposition, than to the mind. You will not surely suspect me of thinking that the mind, or, in other words, our rational faculties, should be neglected; or that the cultivation of it is not of very great importance. We only mean to assert that it is of far less importance than the cultivation of the heart. This, few, if any, will deny; for it is evident that, though our minds should be cultivated in the highest possible degree, and stored with every kind of human literature and science; yet if our hearts are neglected, if our passions, appetites and dispositions continue depraved, we can neither feel nor communicate happiness; but shall only be wretched ourselves, and occasion unhappiness to others, even in this world, much more in the world to come. It is notorious that many of the individuals, whose agency has been productive of the greatest mischief both in the moral and political world, were persons whose mental powers had been carefully cultivated, while their tempers and dispositions were neglected. On the contrary, the most ignorant person, if his heart be right, will be happy himself, both here and hereafter; and may be the means of communicating much happiness and doing much good to others; though not so much, me allow, as he might accomplish with an educated mind. It is therefore evident, that although both are important, yet the cultivation of the heart is more so than that of the understanding. It is highly desirable that our children should possess both the wisdom of the serpent and the harmlessness of the dove; but if they cannot have both, the latter is certainly to be preferred.
But this many parents appear to forget. They are sufficiently attentive to the minds of their children, and spare no pains or expense, to give them the best education in their power to bestow. Every kind of knowledge, and every accomplishment, whether useful or not, which is fashionable, must be acquired by them. But meanwhile their hearts and dispositions are, in a great measure, or entirely, neglected. No means are employed to teach them the most important of all sciences, the knowledge of themselves, of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ, whom to know aright is life eternal. On the contrary, they are suffered to grow up, almost as perfect strangers to the very first principles of the oracles of God, as if there were no such book, or as if they were inhabitants of a heathen country. Surely, my brethren, these things ought not so to be. This cannot be educating children for God.
Payson was a great preacher of God's word. He would be surprised at how unchristian the education of children in the united states has become today. Parents need to make sure that kids learn the truth about God. They can not trust the schools to do this.
The rest of this sermon can be found at:
Children to be educated for God
Continue reading!
Educating children for the service of God implies, that we pay more attention to the heart or disposition, than to the mind. You will not surely suspect me of thinking that the mind, or, in other words, our rational faculties, should be neglected; or that the cultivation of it is not of very great importance. We only mean to assert that it is of far less importance than the cultivation of the heart. This, few, if any, will deny; for it is evident that, though our minds should be cultivated in the highest possible degree, and stored with every kind of human literature and science; yet if our hearts are neglected, if our passions, appetites and dispositions continue depraved, we can neither feel nor communicate happiness; but shall only be wretched ourselves, and occasion unhappiness to others, even in this world, much more in the world to come. It is notorious that many of the individuals, whose agency has been productive of the greatest mischief both in the moral and political world, were persons whose mental powers had been carefully cultivated, while their tempers and dispositions were neglected. On the contrary, the most ignorant person, if his heart be right, will be happy himself, both here and hereafter; and may be the means of communicating much happiness and doing much good to others; though not so much, me allow, as he might accomplish with an educated mind. It is therefore evident, that although both are important, yet the cultivation of the heart is more so than that of the understanding. It is highly desirable that our children should possess both the wisdom of the serpent and the harmlessness of the dove; but if they cannot have both, the latter is certainly to be preferred.
But this many parents appear to forget. They are sufficiently attentive to the minds of their children, and spare no pains or expense, to give them the best education in their power to bestow. Every kind of knowledge, and every accomplishment, whether useful or not, which is fashionable, must be acquired by them. But meanwhile their hearts and dispositions are, in a great measure, or entirely, neglected. No means are employed to teach them the most important of all sciences, the knowledge of themselves, of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ, whom to know aright is life eternal. On the contrary, they are suffered to grow up, almost as perfect strangers to the very first principles of the oracles of God, as if there were no such book, or as if they were inhabitants of a heathen country. Surely, my brethren, these things ought not so to be. This cannot be educating children for God.
Payson was a great preacher of God's word. He would be surprised at how unchristian the education of children in the united states has become today. Parents need to make sure that kids learn the truth about God. They can not trust the schools to do this.
The rest of this sermon can be found at:
Continue reading!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
from Indwelling sin in believers bys John Owen
We have not yet brought unto an issue the first way of the working of deceit of sin, -namely, in its drawing away of the mind from its duty, which we insist upon the longer upon a double account:
First, Becuause of its improtance and concernment. If the mind be drawn off, if it be tainted, weakened, turned aside from due and strict attendance unto its charge and office, the whole soul, will, and affections are certainly entangled and drawn into sin; as hath been in part declared, and will afterward appear. This we ought therefore to give diligent heed unto; which is the design of the apostle's exhortation: Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest any time we should let them slip". It is a failure of our minds, by the deceitfulness of sin, in losing the lift, power, sense, and impression of the word, which he cautions us against. And there is no way to prevent it but by giving of most "earnest heed unto the things which we have heard;" which expresseth the whole duty of our minds in attending unto obedience.
p 233
John Owen wrote deep and hard works. It is good to study such books to gain knowledge from them.
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First, Becuause of its improtance and concernment. If the mind be drawn off, if it be tainted, weakened, turned aside from due and strict attendance unto its charge and office, the whole soul, will, and affections are certainly entangled and drawn into sin; as hath been in part declared, and will afterward appear. This we ought therefore to give diligent heed unto; which is the design of the apostle's exhortation: Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest any time we should let them slip". It is a failure of our minds, by the deceitfulness of sin, in losing the lift, power, sense, and impression of the word, which he cautions us against. And there is no way to prevent it but by giving of most "earnest heed unto the things which we have heard;" which expresseth the whole duty of our minds in attending unto obedience.
p 233
John Owen wrote deep and hard works. It is good to study such books to gain knowledge from them.
Continue reading!
from The existance and attributes of God by Stephen Charnock
Practical atheism is natural to man in his depraved state, and very frequent in the hearts and lives of men.
'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God'. He regards him as little as if he had no being. He said in his heart, not with his tongue, nor in his head: he never firmly thought it, nor openly asserted it. Shame put the bar to the first, and natural reason the second; yet, perhaps, he had sometimes some doubts whether there were a God or no. He wished there were not any, and sometimes hoped there were none at all. He could not raze out the notion of a Deity in his mind, but he neglected the fixing in the sense of God in his heart, and made it too much his business to deface and blot out those characters of God in his soul, which had been left under the ruins of original nature. Men may have atheistical hearts without atheistical heads. Their reasons may defend the notion of a Deity, while their hearts are empty of affection to the Deity. Job's children may cure God in their hearts not with their lips. p 89
Stephen Charnock wrote the classic book on the existance and attributes of God.
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'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God'. He regards him as little as if he had no being. He said in his heart, not with his tongue, nor in his head: he never firmly thought it, nor openly asserted it. Shame put the bar to the first, and natural reason the second; yet, perhaps, he had sometimes some doubts whether there were a God or no. He wished there were not any, and sometimes hoped there were none at all. He could not raze out the notion of a Deity in his mind, but he neglected the fixing in the sense of God in his heart, and made it too much his business to deface and blot out those characters of God in his soul, which had been left under the ruins of original nature. Men may have atheistical hearts without atheistical heads. Their reasons may defend the notion of a Deity, while their hearts are empty of affection to the Deity. Job's children may cure God in their hearts not with their lips. p 89
Stephen Charnock wrote the classic book on the existance and attributes of God.
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Friday, May 19, 2006
Poll of favorite Puritan
I have added a poll so you can pick your favorite puritan preachers. You can vote for more than one.
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All loves excelling by John Bunyan
This book was originally titled, 'The saints knowledge of Christ's love'.
Another advangtage that floweth from this knowledge, is, that it makes the next world desirable, not simply as it is with those lean souls, taht desire it only as a thief desireth the judge's favour, that he may be saved from the halter; but out of love such have to God and to the beauties of the house he dwells in; and that they may easily be judged of, by the answerable or unanswerableness of their hearts and lives thereto. Where is the man that groans earnestly to be gone to God, that counts this life a strait unto him: that saith as a sick man of my aquaintance did, wheen his friend at his bed-side prayed to God to spare his life, No, no, said he, pray not so; for it is better to be dissolved and be gone. Christians should show the world how they believe; not by words on paper, not by gay and flourishing notions (James 2:18): but by those desires they have to be gone, and the proof that these desires are true, is a life in heaven while we are on earth (Philippians 3:20,21). I know words are cheap, but a dram of grace is worth all the world. But where, as I saied, shall it be found, not among carnal men, not among weak Christians, but among those, and those only, that enjoy a great measure of Paul's wish here. p 45
Bunyan is well know for writing 'Pilgrim's Progress' his works on theology are also good and should be read as well.
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Another advangtage that floweth from this knowledge, is, that it makes the next world desirable, not simply as it is with those lean souls, taht desire it only as a thief desireth the judge's favour, that he may be saved from the halter; but out of love such have to God and to the beauties of the house he dwells in; and that they may easily be judged of, by the answerable or unanswerableness of their hearts and lives thereto. Where is the man that groans earnestly to be gone to God, that counts this life a strait unto him: that saith as a sick man of my aquaintance did, wheen his friend at his bed-side prayed to God to spare his life, No, no, said he, pray not so; for it is better to be dissolved and be gone. Christians should show the world how they believe; not by words on paper, not by gay and flourishing notions (James 2:18): but by those desires they have to be gone, and the proof that these desires are true, is a life in heaven while we are on earth (Philippians 3:20,21). I know words are cheap, but a dram of grace is worth all the world. But where, as I saied, shall it be found, not among carnal men, not among weak Christians, but among those, and those only, that enjoy a great measure of Paul's wish here. p 45
Bunyan is well know for writing 'Pilgrim's Progress' his works on theology are also good and should be read as well.
Continue reading!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
from Precious remedies against satan's devices by Thomas Brooks
The conflict that is in the saints, is a more blessed, successful, and prevailing conflict. A saint, by his conflict with sin, gains ground upon his sin: 'They that are Christ's,' saith the apostle, 'have crucified the world with the affections and lusts' (Galatians 5:24). Christ puts to his hand and helps them to lead captivity captive, and to set their feet upon the necks of those lusts that have formerly trampled upon their souls and their conforts. As the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker, the house of David grew stronger and stronger, so the Lord, by the discoveries of his love, and by the influeces of his Spirit, he causeth grace, the nobler part of the saint, to grow stronger and stronger, the corruption, like the house of Saul, to grow weaker and weaker. But sin in a wicked heart gets ground, and grows stronger and stronger, notwithstanding all his conflicts. His heart is more encouraged, emboldened, and hardened in a way of sin, as you may see in the Israelites, Pharaoh, Jehu, and Judus, who doubtless found many strange conflicts, tumults, and mutinies in their souls, when God spoke such bitter things agaisnt them, and did such justice upon them (2 Timothy 3:13)
But remember this by way of caution: Though Christ hath given sin its death-wound, by his power, Spirit, death, and resurrection, yet it will die but a lingering death. As a man that is mortally wounded dies by little and little, so doth death sin in the heart of a saint, so the death of sin in the soul is a lingering death; now it dies a little, and anon it dies a little, as the psalmist speaks, 'Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield' (Psalm 59:11). He would not have them utterly destroyed, but some relics preserved as a memorial. So God dealteth in respect of sin; it is wounded and brought down, but not wholly slain; something is left as a monument of divine grace, and to keep us humble, wakeful, and watchful, and that our armour may be still kept on, and our weapons always in our hands.
p 166-167
This was from a part of a great book by Thomas Brooks on the devices of satan. God has given us victory over sin.
We have to fight against our sins daily. When we are not watchful then satan will tempt us.
Continue reading!
But remember this by way of caution: Though Christ hath given sin its death-wound, by his power, Spirit, death, and resurrection, yet it will die but a lingering death. As a man that is mortally wounded dies by little and little, so doth death sin in the heart of a saint, so the death of sin in the soul is a lingering death; now it dies a little, and anon it dies a little, as the psalmist speaks, 'Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield' (Psalm 59:11). He would not have them utterly destroyed, but some relics preserved as a memorial. So God dealteth in respect of sin; it is wounded and brought down, but not wholly slain; something is left as a monument of divine grace, and to keep us humble, wakeful, and watchful, and that our armour may be still kept on, and our weapons always in our hands.
p 166-167
This was from a part of a great book by Thomas Brooks on the devices of satan. God has given us victory over sin.
We have to fight against our sins daily. When we are not watchful then satan will tempt us.
Continue reading!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Link to W. A. Criswell sermon Library
I have added a link to the W. A. Criswell sermon library. Criswell was pastor of the first baptist church of Dallas for fifty five years. He was a great man of God.
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The doctrine of repentance by Thomas Watson
Confession must be voluntary
It must come as water out of a spring, freely. The confession of the wicked is extorted, like the confession upon a rack. When the spark of God's wrath flies into their conscience, or they fear death, then they will fall to their confessions. Balaam, when he saw the angel's naked sword, could say, 'I have sinned'(Numbers 22:34). But true confession drops from the lips as myrrh from the tree or honey from the comb, freely. 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee'(Luke 15:18): the prodigal charged himself with sin before his father charged him with it.
Confession must be with compunction
The heart must deeply resent it. A natural man's confessions run through him as water runs through a pipe. They do not affect him. But true confession leaves heartwounding impressions on a man. David's soul was burdened in the confession of his sins: 'as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me' (Psalm 38:4). It is one thing to confess sin and another thing to feel sin.
p 29
Repentance is one word that is not used in the church like it used to be. Today people want to say sins are just faults. But sin was hated by God that for us to be able to be freed from the debt of sin, Jesus had to die for us. The church needs to get back to the teaching on the need of repentance.
Continue reading!
It must come as water out of a spring, freely. The confession of the wicked is extorted, like the confession upon a rack. When the spark of God's wrath flies into their conscience, or they fear death, then they will fall to their confessions. Balaam, when he saw the angel's naked sword, could say, 'I have sinned'(Numbers 22:34). But true confession drops from the lips as myrrh from the tree or honey from the comb, freely. 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee'(Luke 15:18): the prodigal charged himself with sin before his father charged him with it.
Confession must be with compunction
The heart must deeply resent it. A natural man's confessions run through him as water runs through a pipe. They do not affect him. But true confession leaves heartwounding impressions on a man. David's soul was burdened in the confession of his sins: 'as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me' (Psalm 38:4). It is one thing to confess sin and another thing to feel sin.
p 29
Repentance is one word that is not used in the church like it used to be. Today people want to say sins are just faults. But sin was hated by God that for us to be able to be freed from the debt of sin, Jesus had to die for us. The church needs to get back to the teaching on the need of repentance.
Continue reading!
Baptist Fire Net
Baptist fire net is not the same as baptist fire.
Here is a sample from the statement of faith:
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is totally by grace alone through faith as Ephesians 2:8-10 declares. Salvation is a total gift of God, even the very faith which saves you. Man is in such a depraved state that he cannot even look to God on his own. As such, without God's intervention in his life, man could not be saved. No man can come unto salvation unless the Holy Spirit draws him to the Son.
Election:
We believe the Lord has elected some to be saved, not because of anything good that lives within them, but because as Scripture clearly says, it is God's will to predestine some to salvation according to the praise of His glory. Those whom the Lord has elected, He has called to be saved and will be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and caused to have new life in Christ. Romans 8 & 9, as well as Ephesians 1 & 2, are clear pictures of this.
So go to statement of faith to read more.
I also place a link to the site on the side.
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Here is a sample from the statement of faith:
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is totally by grace alone through faith as Ephesians 2:8-10 declares. Salvation is a total gift of God, even the very faith which saves you. Man is in such a depraved state that he cannot even look to God on his own. As such, without God's intervention in his life, man could not be saved. No man can come unto salvation unless the Holy Spirit draws him to the Son.
Election:
We believe the Lord has elected some to be saved, not because of anything good that lives within them, but because as Scripture clearly says, it is God's will to predestine some to salvation according to the praise of His glory. Those whom the Lord has elected, He has called to be saved and will be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and caused to have new life in Christ. Romans 8 & 9, as well as Ephesians 1 & 2, are clear pictures of this.
So go to
I also place a link to the site on the side.
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The life of faith by Thomas Manton
Our faith must be tried in these things as well as in others. Look, asin all other promises, God tries our faith before he gives us the blessing. How shall we know that we believe, and depend upon God for outward supplies, unless we be reduced to some straits, and have but from mouth to mouth, and be cut short in our temporal conveniences?There are times of trial in which God will try all his children: "The Lord tries the righteous"(Psalm 11:5). Thus he tried them (Hebrews 11:36-37). GOd tried them whether they would live by faith upon him when they were 'destitute, afflicted and tormented, when they were stoned, and sewn usunder, slain with the sword, and wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat skins.' And thus he tried them Israel in the wilderness, before he had them into a land flowing with milk and honey: 'And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldst keep his commandments or no' (Deuteronomy 8:2). God will try us whether we serve him for love or wages; whether we live merely for the creature or the promises, and can depend upon his all-sufficiency. p 101
God will bless us with the things we need. He wants us to love Him for who He is and not for what he gives us. Today a lot of people want the things that God gives us. They put more trust in them than do in loving Him.
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God will bless us with the things we need. He wants us to love Him for who He is and not for what he gives us. Today a lot of people want the things that God gives us. They put more trust in them than do in loving Him.
Continue reading!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
New links
I have added the following links. Jonathan Edwards, Edward Payson, Robert Murray M'Cheyne and John Bunyan. All of them were excellent preachers of God's word.
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The Folly Of Looking Back In Fleeing Out Of Sodom by Jonathan Edwards
Luke 17:32
Remember Lot’s wife
CHRIST here foretells his coming in his kingdom, in answer to the question which the Pharisees asked him, viz. When the kingdom of God should come. And in what he says of his coming, he, evidently has respect to two things; his coming at the destruction of Jerusalem, and his coming at the end of the world. He compares his coming at those times to the coming of God in two remarkable judgments that were past. First, [he compares] to that in the time of the flood; “and as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” Next, he compares it to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; “likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot, even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”
Then he immediately proceeds to direct his people how they should behave themselves at the appearance of the signal of that day’s approach, referring especially to the destruction of Jerusalem. “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.” In which words Christ shows that they should make the utmost haste to flee and get out of the city to the mountains, as he commands. Mat. 24:15, etc. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains; let him which is in the housetop not come down to take anything out of the house, neither let him which is in the field turn back to take his clothes.”
Jerusalem was like Sodom, in that it was devoted to destruction by special divine wrath; and indeed to a more terrible destruction than that of Sodom. Therefore the like direction is given concerning fleeing out of it with the utmost haste, without looking behind, as the angel gave to Lot, when he bid him flee out of Sodom. Gen. 19:17, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain.” And in the text, Christ enforces his counsel by the instance of Lot’s wife. He bids them remember her, and take warning by her, who looked back as she was fleeing out of Sodom, and became a pillar of salt.
If it be inquired why Christ gave this direction to his people to flee out of Jerusalem, in such exceeding haste, at the first notice of the signal of her approaching destruction; I answer, it seems to be, because fleeing out of Jerusalem was a type of fleeing out of a state of sin. Escaping out of that unbelieving city typified an escape out of a state of unbelief. Therefore they were directed to flee without staying to take anything out of their houses, to signify with what haste and concern we should flee out of a natural condition, that no respect to any worldly enjoyment should prevent us one moment, and that we should flee to Jesus Christ, the refuge of souls, our strong rock, and the mount of our defense, so as, in fleeing to him, to leave and forsake heartily all earthly things.
This seems to be the chief reason also why Lot was directed to make such haste, and not to look behind. Because his fleeing out of Sodom was designed on purpose to be a type of our fleeing from that state of sin and misery in which we naturally are.
We are to flee from the sins in our lives. We should not turn back to them.
Continue reading!
Remember Lot’s wife
CHRIST here foretells his coming in his kingdom, in answer to the question which the Pharisees asked him, viz. When the kingdom of God should come. And in what he says of his coming, he, evidently has respect to two things; his coming at the destruction of Jerusalem, and his coming at the end of the world. He compares his coming at those times to the coming of God in two remarkable judgments that were past. First, [he compares] to that in the time of the flood; “and as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man.” Next, he compares it to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; “likewise also, as it was in the days of Lot, even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”
Then he immediately proceeds to direct his people how they should behave themselves at the appearance of the signal of that day’s approach, referring especially to the destruction of Jerusalem. “In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.” In which words Christ shows that they should make the utmost haste to flee and get out of the city to the mountains, as he commands. Mat. 24:15, etc. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place, then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains; let him which is in the housetop not come down to take anything out of the house, neither let him which is in the field turn back to take his clothes.”
Jerusalem was like Sodom, in that it was devoted to destruction by special divine wrath; and indeed to a more terrible destruction than that of Sodom. Therefore the like direction is given concerning fleeing out of it with the utmost haste, without looking behind, as the angel gave to Lot, when he bid him flee out of Sodom. Gen. 19:17, “Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain.” And in the text, Christ enforces his counsel by the instance of Lot’s wife. He bids them remember her, and take warning by her, who looked back as she was fleeing out of Sodom, and became a pillar of salt.
If it be inquired why Christ gave this direction to his people to flee out of Jerusalem, in such exceeding haste, at the first notice of the signal of her approaching destruction; I answer, it seems to be, because fleeing out of Jerusalem was a type of fleeing out of a state of sin. Escaping out of that unbelieving city typified an escape out of a state of unbelief. Therefore they were directed to flee without staying to take anything out of their houses, to signify with what haste and concern we should flee out of a natural condition, that no respect to any worldly enjoyment should prevent us one moment, and that we should flee to Jesus Christ, the refuge of souls, our strong rock, and the mount of our defense, so as, in fleeing to him, to leave and forsake heartily all earthly things.
This seems to be the chief reason also why Lot was directed to make such haste, and not to look behind. Because his fleeing out of Sodom was designed on purpose to be a type of our fleeing from that state of sin and misery in which we naturally are.
We are to flee from the sins in our lives. We should not turn back to them.
Continue reading!
Monday, May 15, 2006
The Crown and Glory of Christianity in vol 4 of the works of Thomas Brooks
A second argument to prove that without holiness there is no happiness, &c., is this: Without holiness men are strangers to God; and therefore, without hoiness they cannot be admited to a cohabitation with God. God loves not to dwell with strangers, nor to associtate himself with strangers. Now such are all unholy persons; Eph. 2:12, 'That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commomwealth of Israel' (or, being far removed from the citizenship of Israel), 'and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God, the author of hope. They were without Christ, the foundation of hope. They were without the church, which was contained in the commonwealth of Israel, the place of hope. They were without the covenants of promise- that is, they were without the preccious promises which God in his convenant had made and oftentimes renewed with the Israelites, and therefore called convenats in the plural number- the ground and reason of hope. And lastly, They were without the grace of hope: They had no hope of communion with Christ, no hope of fellowship with the saints, no hope of any interest in the promise, no hope of reconciliation to God here, nor no hope of frution of God hereafter. And thus you see what strangers they were to the Lord, and to the great concernments of their souls. God of old would not have strangers come into his sanctuary; do you think, then, he will admit such into heaven? Surely no.
p 51
Brooks shows in volume 4 of his works how important holiness is for people. God wants His people to be holy. (1John 1:9)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we sin God will forgive our sins as it says in 1 John.
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p 51
Brooks shows in volume 4 of his works how important holiness is for people. God wants His people to be holy. (1John 1:9)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we sin God will forgive our sins as it says in 1 John.
Continue reading!
