How long shall I spend my days in wishing and desiring, when my glorified brethren spend theirs in rejoicing and enjoying?…How cautious must I be to keep me from danger, how apt am I to be troubled with the cares and fears of this life, molesting myself with the thoughts of what I shall eat and what I shall put on and wherewithal I shall provide for myself and mine, when souls are taken up with nothing but God and Christ, and 'til your work to be still contemplating and admiring that love that redeemed you from all this…Oh! when shall I come and appear before Him? Alas, what do I here? This is not my resting place. My treasure is in heaven, and my heart is in heaven. Oh, when shall I be where my heart is?
—Joseph Alleine from a letter to Theodosia
Filed under A Puritan at Heart, Daily Quote, Joseph Alleine by on Sep 3rd, 2010. Comment. 
Lady Boyd, whose maiden name was Christian Hamilton, was the daughter of a distinguished lawyer and inherited his abilities and strength of character. She was a trusted friend of many of the leading ministers of the Church of Scotland in her day. When she died the whole Scottish Parliament suspended its sitting to attend her funeral (see also Letters 52, 62, and 65).
Madam,
Grace, mercy and peace be unto you. The Lord has brought me to Aberdeen, where I see God in few. This town has been advised upon of purpose for me; it consisteth either of Papists, or men of Gallio’s naughty faith. It is counted wisdom, in the most, not to countenance a confined minister; but I find Christ neither strange nor unkind; for I have found many faces smile upon me since I came hither. I am heavy and sad, considering what is between the Lord and my soul, which none seeth but He. I find men have mistaken me; it would be no art (as I now see) to spin small and make hypocrisy a goodly web, and to go through the market as a saint among men, and yet steal quietly to hell, without observation: so easy is it to deceive men. I have disputed whether or no I ever knew anything of Christianity, save the letters of that name.
Men see but as men, and they call ten twenty and twenty an hundred; but Oh, to be approved of God in the heart and in sincerity is not an ordinary mercy. My neglects while I had a pulpit, and other things whereof I am ashamed to speak, meet me now, so as God maketh an honest cross my daily sorrow. Like a fool, I believed, under suffering for Christ, that I myself should keep the key of Christ’s treasures, and take out comforts when I listed, and eat and be fat: but I see now a sufferer for Christ will be made to know himself, and will be holden at the door as well as another poor sinner, and will be pleased to eat with the children, and to take the by–board, and glad to do so. My blessing on the cross of Christ that has made me see this! Oh! if we could take pains for the kingdom of heaven! But we sit down upon some ordinary marks of God’s children, thinking we have as much as will separate us from a reprobate; and thereupon we take the play and cry, “Holiday,” and thus the devil casteth water on our fire, and blunteth our zeal and care. But I see heaven is not at the door; and I see, nevertheless my challenges be many, I suffer for Christ, and dare hazard my salvation upon it; for sometimes my Lord comes with a fair hour and Oh, but His love be sweet, delightful, and comfortable.
Madam, I know your Ladyship knoweth this, and that made me bold to write of it, that others might reap somewhat by my bonds for the truth; for I should desire, and I aim at this, to have my Lord well spoken of, and honored, nevertheless He should make nothing of me but a bridge over a water.
Thus recommending your Ladyship, your son and children, to His grace, who has honored you with a name and room among the living in Jerusalem, and wishing grace to be with your Ladyship.
Aberdeen
—Samuel Rutherford (Letters)
Filed under Covenanted Reformation, S. Rutherford, Scots Heroes by on Sep 1st, 2010. Comment.
(Rom 1:20)
He that has said in his heart that there is no God is called a fool by every creature. The very idea of a creature supposes a God, and we may more reasonably argue that there is nothing than that there is no God. The fact that the creatures are made proves the First Cause, and who is that but God? It is so clear from the creation, say the apostle–that is, the eternal God-head—that men are left without excuse (Romans 1:20). Rain from heaven is God's witness of his being and of his being good, as the apostle infallibly concludes (Acts 14:15-18) Creation and Providence, which is creation upheld and continued are witnesses for God, so that we may say with Job: 'Ask now the beasts and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee; or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee that the hand of the lord hath wrought this' (Job 12:7-9). If there is any being, there is a God, says the creation.
—Ralph Venning "The Sinfulness of Sin"
Filed under A Puritan at Heart, Daily Quote, Ralph Venning by on Sep 1st, 2010. Comment.
Doth no man come to Jesus Christ by the will, wisdom, and power of man, but by the gift, promise, and drawing of the
Father? Then here is room for Christians to stand and wonder at the effectual working of God’s providences, that he hath made use of, as means to bring them to Jesus Christ.
For although men are drawn to Christ by the power of the Father, yet that power putteth forth itself in the use of means: and these means are divers, sometimes this, sometimes that; for God is at liberty to work by which, and when, and how he will; but let the means be what they will, and as contemptible as may be, yet God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, and that out of weakness can make strong, can, nay, doth oftentimes make use of very unlikely means to bring about the conversion and salvation of his people. Therefore, you that are come to Christ — and that by unlikely means — stay yourselves, and wonder, and, wondering, magnify almighty power, by the work of which the means hath been made
effectual to bring you to Jesus Christ.
What was the providence that God made use of as a means, either more remote or more near, to bring thee to Jesus Christ? Was it the removing of thy habitation, the change of thy condition, the loss of relations, estate, or the like? Was it thy casting of thine eye upon some good book, thy hearing of thy neighbours talk of heavenly things, the beholding of God’s judgments as executed upon others, or thine own deliverance from them, or thy being strangely cast under the ministry of some godly man? O take notice of such providence or providences! They were sent and managed by mighty power to do thee good. God himself, I say, hath joined himself unto this chariot: yea, and so blessed it, that it failed not to accomplish the thing for which he sent it.
God blesseth not to every one his providences in this manner. How many thousands are there in this world, that pass every day under the same providences! but God is not in them, to do that work by them as he hath done for thy poor soul, by his effectually working with them. O that Jesus Christ should meet thee in this providence, that dispensation, or the other
ordinance! This is grace indeed! At this, therefore, it will be thy wisdom to admire, and for this to bless God.
—John Bunyan "Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ"
Filed under A Puritan at Heart, Daily Quote, John Bunyan by on Aug 31st, 2010. Comment.
When things do not go according to our hope and wish….we'll be restrained to curb our impatience and loathing of our state. For we will recognize that this will be to murmur against God, by whose will poverty and wealth, contempt and honours are dispensed. To sum up:Whoever rests upon God's blessing will not aspire by evil, devious ways towards things that men with crazed greed seek after, for he will realize this way will profit him nothing. And if any prosperity befalls him, neither to his diligence, his industry, nor to his fortune will he impute it, but will recognize it to be from God. On the other hand, if he scarcely advances, even goes backward, will he not bear his poverty more patiently and modestly than a faithless man bears middling wealth that's not as great as he had hoped. For he will have a solace far better wherein to repose than all the riches and honours of this world heaped in one great pile: his solace is that he will deem all things ordained of God, as is expedient for his salvation.
—John Calvin "The piety of John Calvin" Ford Lewis Battle ed.
Filed under A Puritan at Heart, John Calvin, Puritan Devotionals by on Aug 31st, 2010. Comment.
God has a book of remembrance for the sufferings of his people. The saints' purgatory is in this life. But there are two things which may bear up their spirits.
First, every groan of theirs goes to God's heart: 'I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel' (Exodus 6:5). In music when one string is touched, all the rest sound. When the saints are stricken God's heart reverberates.
Secondly, God has a book of records to write down his people's injuries. The wicked make sounds in the backs of the righteous, and then pour in vinegar. God writes down their cruelty: 'I remember that which Amalek did to Isreal' (1 Sam. 15:2). Amalek was Easu's grandchild (Gen. 36:12), a bitter enemy of Israel. The Amalekites showed their spite to Israel in two ways. First, they lay in ambush; and as Israel passed by, fell upon their rear, and cut off the feeble in their army (1 Sam. 15:2). Secondly, they openly gave battle to them and would have hindered them from going into Canaan (Exod. 17:8). Now God took notice of Israel's sufferings by Amalek: 'I remember what Amalek did to Israel, and I have my book of of remembrance I write it down.' 'Now go and smite Amalek' (1 Sam. 15:3)
—Thomas Watson "The Great Gain of Godliness"
Filed under A Puritan at Heart, Daily Quote, Thomas Watson by on Aug 30th, 2010. Comment.
I know many people same as myself become wearied by hearing the argument of "We are not under law but under grace," as New Testament Christians. Paul explicitly spoke against this. (Rom 6:1). We have no more liberty to licentiousness than did Israel in the time of the Prophets. The letter still stands, the two Testaments are not divorced, but taken completely and Scripture interprets Scripture. In fact, if you read the Old Testament, through the lens of the New Testament, you can see Christ all the way through the Old Testament.
I love Luther's term for the Scriptures when he called them the "Swaddling clothes of Christ." Paul again in 2 Tim 3:16 used the term ALL Scripture, meaning both Testaments.
Christ in the New Testament was forever quoting the old Testament; one of the best known passages he quoted was Deut 8:3 In Matt. 4:4 and Luke 4:4
Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The Prophet Isa also spoke of the will of God regarding the Old testament and the time Isa was speaking from in Isa 59:21
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
It is pretty clear the Covenant he is speaking of is not of just some duration but of all duration till the end of time. One cannot read it any other way without wresting the Scriptures to other than they actually say.
When Jesus referred to Deut 8:3 I believe he was talking about us having the shield of faith as spoken of all through Ephesians 6, because we are in a war zone every day as Christians; we are soldiers and in a war no less than the troops or military on the battlie-field only our enemy cannot be seen but is of unseen powers and spirits, and that makes the god of this world because of that even more dangerous than a visible enemy.
But to take up the shield of faith, and putting on the whole armour of God which as Paul describes it as:
Ephesians 6:10-20 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye 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 armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Since the letter of the Law was given to Moses in the Old Testament and that above any other part of Scripture reveals both the will of God and the nature of God Himself, and since God is immutable, it stands and abides forever. The two Testaments should not be divorced or separated, and only what Christ Himself abrogated still stands, in fact he himself said, In Matt 5
Matthew 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
The Roman Catholic church though it hasn't gone so far as with the second commandment and doing away with it, it has given itself the authority to disregard the fourth commandment of Sabbath keeping; and the Protestant church, even much of the Reformed, twists, wriggles and argues technicalities, to say why keeping the Sabbath Day holy is no longer binding, and brings in ceremonial arguments which has no relevance at all to the point at hand in the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment is just one example. We all break the law each and every day, if we are truly en-grafted into Christ, then His blood has paid the price of our past, present and future sins, but if we truly are in Christ, that should not lend us to want to live licentiously or to say liberty is doing as we want instead of dong God's will. True Christian liberty is not freedom from the law but freedom under the law. If we say it is not longer binding on us as New Testament Christians we are actually passing sentence on the law of God. And in fact, making gods of ourselves by doing so. Just as Adam and Eve did in the garden.
The law to the New Testament Christian should not be a yoke or a burden but a joy and a delight. Jesus nailed it exactly when he said in John 14, If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Do we love him? And if so, are we willing to deny our own will to do the will of the Father? And do it joyfully and cheerfully? God loves a cheerful giver as it is given with a right heart. He doesn't like formalism or doing it out of rote as that would be nothing but trying to earn God's favour, and legalistic or self righteous rather than the righteousness of Christ?
Do we delight to do His will as revealed in the Ten commandments and the other commandments in Scripture outside of the Tables? If so, then one's hope is probably well grounded and sound. But if not, it maybe a time to search one's heart and think about the words of Jesus, of "if you love me, you will keep My commandments." If you love someone in this life, your spouse, child, parents, you want to do anything you can to make them happy don't we? The same should be true of if we love Christ and that will show itself, by our fruit. James says that faith without works is dead, and I have believed for some time that the works he is primarily speaking of is obedience, and doing God's will. That will include good works of course, but the scope is much broader, and it starts at the ten Commandments, because it is those that time and again every single day when we fall short and break them, that drive us back to Christ again and again. The Two Testaments stand together, not divided or divorced. It is not a question of Law vs Grace, it is a question of Sola Scriptura.
Filed under Against Heresy, Against Rome, Antinomian, Bad Theology, Blagging for England, Chief Covie Know-all, Covenanter in bonds, Crazy Calvinist, Issiah, John, Luke, Matthew, Quotes, Sabbath, Scripture, The Puritan Way by on Aug 29th, 2010. Comment.
If heaven be not better fr me than earth, God's Word and ordinances have been all in vain. Surely that is my best which is the gift of the better covenant; which is secured to me by so many sealed promises; to which I am directed by so many sacred precepts, doctrines, and examples; and for which I have been called to hear and read, medicate, watch and pray. Was it fleshly interest or a longer life or worldly prosperity which the gospel covenant secured to me; which the sacraments and Spirit sealed to me; which my books were written for; and for which I prayed and served God? Or was it not for his grace on earth, and glory in heaven? And is it not better for me to have the end of these mans than lose them and my hopes? why have I used them, if I would not attain their end? That is best state to which all God's fatherly Providences tend. All his sweeter mercies and sharper corrections are to make me partaker of his holiness and lead me to glry in the way in which my Saviour and all his saints have gone before me.
—Richard Baxter "Dying Thoughts"
Filed under A Puritan at Heart, Daily Quote, Richard Baxter by on Aug 29th, 2010. Comment.
I had hoped to blog something other, but health issues plus various things this week have gotten in the way of me being able to do writing wise as much as I would have hoped. So for now just thought to share this short meditation by Arthur Matthews a missionary to communist China in the 1950's
The Lord has to sometimes show us, not only the power of the one against us, but also the weaknesses of our own hearts. His battles are not won through strength and prowess, but through weakness, thoroughly weakened, that refuses to do anything at all for itself but trust in His faithfulness–even when trust seems folly.
—Arthur Matthews
Filed under Crazy Calvinist, Quotes, affliction, faith by on Aug 29th, 2010. 3 Comments.
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