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.
Continue reading!
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!
