However, folks who read this website, know of my love and admiration for the puritans. As for them it was not just a matter of standing on principles, and then going home to put their feet up in comfort and safety and security for their families. Their livings, their homes, and often their lives were in danger and often taken for the stand they took. Standing on principles is all very well for us today, when we can do so from so much safety and lack of danger or cost. But these men, women and often their children paid the cost too, put their money where their mouths were, and often paid with their blood. They were, imo, the epitome of my favourite mantra of practicing as they preached, no matter the cost, as no cost was too high, for their precious Lord, and His precious truth.

I have come across some Anglicans, who seem for some reason I don't understand, to want re institute the common book of prayer in Anglican worship. This is beyond my understanding, when that book was produced, (and used by God effectively for its purposes at the time) because the ministers in the pulpit at the time, were so ignorant of doctrines and what the Bible teaches, they were not capable of preaching or leading sermons in truth. But that was the only reason, and worship should be from the heart, not some pre-formed words by rote.

Some say the puritans went too far, because they were so against popery. And in some ways this has some validity, at least when seen through the lens of history from our generations from today. But I hope to demonstrate from the life of John Knox in the coming days, that in their own days, the age they lived in, it was very necessary for their own safety to do so.

The essence of puritan worship was: that the Word of God is the sufficient basis for Divine Worship, and the apostolic simplicity was its precedent for that. (Any Calvinist will say they agree with Sola Scriptura–doesn't the afore-mentioned exactly sum up Sola Scriptura–that what God has not ordained, cannot be Divine worship, and what God has not ordained, is extra Biblical and not actually practicing Sola-Scriptura. Is Scripture sufficient or not? One cannot have it both ways, to say yes, I adhere to Sola Scriptura, and then say that the Bible is not sufficient for the modes and manner in which we worship God. We either Worship God via Sola-Scriptura and hear and do God's will, or we perform will-worship. The puritan also believed that to bring into the Worship service man made innovations denied the doctrine of Original sin.

Unscriptural worship is false worship since it imports human traditions. Similarly, the simplicity of the worship as shown by the discarding of vestments and all unedifying and popish ceremonial, is based upon the simplicity of the Worship of the Apostolic church. [Horton Davies]

The Genevan service book as used by the English puritans evidence suggest it was first used in puritan England in 1567. There were two puritan parties, one stricter than the other.

But the Annals of Strype records both puritan parties were in existence then:

"The refusers of the orders of the church (who by this time were commonly called puritans) were grown now into two factions. The one was of a more quiet, and peaceable demeanour; who indeed would not use the habits, nor subscribe to the ceremonies enjoined; as kneeling at the Sacrament, the Cross in Baptism, the ring in marriage,; but held to the communion of the church and willingly and devoutly joined with the common prayers. But, another sort there was, that disliked the whole constitution of the Church lately reformed; charging upon it many gross remainders of popery; and that it was still full of corruptions not to be borne with, and Anti-Christian; and especially the habits the clergy were enjoined to use in their ministration and conversation. Insomuch that these latter separated themselves into private assemblies, meeting together not in churches, but in private houses, where they had minister of their prayer, they used a Book of prayers framed at Geneva, for the congregation of English exiles lately sojourning there. Which book had been overseen and allowed by Calvin and the rest of his divines there, and indeed was for the most part taken out of the Genevan form."

Grindal, Bishop of London, stated that the displacing of good preachers was the cuase of their private assemblies, and he wrote:

"and then were we troubled and commanded to your courts from day to day, for not coming to our parish churches:–then we bethought us what were best to do; and we remembered that there was a congregation of us in this city in Queen Mary's days; and a congregation at Geneva, which used a book and order of preaching, ministering of the Sacraments and discipline, and most agreeable to the word of God; which book is allowed by that godly and well-learned man, Master Calvin, and the preachers there; which book and order we now hold. And if you can reprove this book, or anything that we hold, by the Word of God, will yield to you and do open penance at Paul's Cross; if not we will stand to it by the grace of God."

In 1571 Strype recorded:

[the puritans] "did still in their own or other churches, or in private houses, read prayers different from the established office of Common Prayer: using the Genevan Form or mangling the English book, and preached without licences."

Purity in worship was important to the puritans; and by that, they meant Divine Worship; that no Worship was acceptable to God, unless it was instituted by Him and the form came straight from the pages of Scripture. If you are a Calvinist and reading this, and yet disagree with it, may I respectfully enquire how you can say you do hold to Sola Scriptura, when if disagreeing with this, Scripture Alone is evidently not enough even though pages and pages are filled by God on the matter of how He is to be worshipped. Is Scripture sufficient for every rule of faith and practice or not?

To the Puritan:

"In the eloquent silence of God's presence, he required not the melting strains of music; in the piercing blaze of God's truth, he desired not the imagery of symbolic forms." [Bayne]

"To call on the Name of God, to claim the presence of the Son of God…. is in itself an act so tremendous and so full of comfort that any sensuous or artistic heightening of the effect is not so much a painting of the lily as a varnishing of the sunlight" [Bernard Lord Manning]

Anglican worship had/has its root from Luther.  Puritan and Reformed Presbyterian worship has its roots in Calvin's Geneva.   Something to think about, depending on where you worship, and if you call yourself a Calvinist or a Lutheran, and the mode of Worship that your place of worship institutes., as to whether it adheres to the Regulative Principle or not.

The picture below of one of the five Sola's is why I am reluctant to use any of those terms, because many folks I have heard do so, do not adhere to the Regulative Principle of Worship which in this crazy calvinist's view, is actually denying Sola Scriptura

Do you feel like me, mostly, that you have or  have had through life, many many acquaintances, but very few friends?  A man who had lived much in society, centuries ago was heard to say his acquaintance could fill a cathedral, his friends could fill but a pulpit. He was referencing space of course it would take for the numbers.

As I said in a previous post, it may have been in my series to mark Calvin 500, but can't be sure, Calvin never heard of an afflicted church, a prisoner, or someone waiting for martyrdom, that he wrote them a letter of comfort and consolation, wherever in the world they were.

The Bible tells us the sum of the law and the prophets is to love God first and foremost, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. To do unto others as we would want done unto us.  In my own manifold afflictions, I have seen over  a very long time now, how this is but a rare thing that is carried out. When I feel slighted in my afflictions, I have always asked myself the question, what would I do, if faced with someone in a similar situation,  and I was in regular circumstances; its true I have a passion for the suffering and afflicted, that I had long before my manifold afflictions I now have, but still believe in life, we reap what we sow; and if we do unto others as we would want done unto us, when it comes our turn to be laid low and afflicted, us then having done right by our friends and neighbours, by the law of nature and how God made us, should then find the support, comfort, consolation for ourselves, to help us then through our current trials as we were helped by the person now  needing help.

There is a secular saying of what goes around comes around. I think it has some reference to karma, but to put a biblical perspective on it, i truly do believe we reap what we sow in many ways.

In earlier posts in this series, I reference often, about when our love and care rarely extends to those outside of our own household how this kind of insular faith, was not the faith of the Bible or the fulfilling the substance of the law of loving God and our neighbor.   to put the same thing another way, as William Plumer wrote:

We love like snails to crawl into our little shells and there abide.

So the question arises, who is our neighbour?  Our neighbour really is all of mankind, whether friend or foe.  Because the Lord also told us to love our enemies also.  Anyone we have dealings with or converse with, can rightly be called our neighbour.  The example of the Good Samaritan in the Gospel clearly teaches this: Luke 10:25-37.  What this teaches us that any person is our neighbour who we can do any kindness to.  In those days, the Jews regarded themselves as not bound to love anyone but their own kind  which sadly also resembled the Pharisaical tangents of the Reformed faith where exclusivity is so prevalent today.  the rule of the Jews in those days, was Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.  But in the parable of the Good Samaritan we clearly see  Christ teach there is no divides that make for no man or woman within our realm or ability to do good to, as being other than our neighbour.  The scribes and pharisees loved their own kind,  yet to only attain to that is a very low standard of virtue and not the love the Bible speaks of for loving one's neighbour.

But since the Lord also told us we must also love our enemies, then this doesn't only include those with whom we get along with or agree o everything with, but perhaps people who  have we have become or feel alienated from, whether their doing or their own, the duty is still incumbent upon us to love them, in other words to do good them to when able, and certainly to do them no harm, in either body,  name, (reputations) or spiritually.

As  people of the same body of believers we should not put stumbling blocks before each other, which if we afflict each other, hurt each other, tear each other to shreds in the false name of religion,  (as it is not what Christ taught towards either friends or foe) then we are doing the Christ and His church a great disservice, and the appearance of thus, can only indicate that we have more love for self than we do either the Lord, His Church, or our neighbour.  Leviticus 19 gives a whole list of the duties incumbent upon us in loving our neighbour. (Romans 13:8-10;)

The Bible says that their is no great love than a man being willing to lay down his life for his brother.  Self denial is a crucial part of being able to love our neighbour as we ought, but that is also true in being able to love the Lord as we ought, and until we love God aright, we will not be able to love our fellows man aright either it seems to me. One is a consequence that flows out of the effect of the other.

If someone injures you, you don't need to go telling this person that person, or any Tom, Dick and Harriet how they you believe they have behaved towards you. And remember your judgment is as fallible as the next man's what you perceive as their wrong against you, may very well be your faulty interpretation and judgment, and so we should do the biblical thing of thinking better of others than we do ourselves and putting the best possible construction on their actions, and not as the WCF refers to as maliciously constructing their words or deeds, and making ourselves judge, jury and executioner. That is not our place and neither does it have anything to do with biblical Christianity. Sadly though,  it too often seems to happen. And it is normally, as far as the Reformed faith at least,  and within the bounds of my own experience normally from those who tend to go further than Scripture  and consider themselves very exclusive, so again we are harping back to the unlovingness that came from the Scribes and pharisees. As Solomon wrote, there is nothing new under the sun.

Going back to the question of "Who is my neighbour"  Matthew Poole wrote this on the subject:

QUESTION I. " Who is my neighbor ? " — There are some men of fame in the world that will tell you, that, " in the language of the Old Testament, by 'neighbor' is to be understood' one of the same country and religion,' popularins Israelita; " and it is the peculiarity of the gospel, that every man is made my neighbor. But if we examine Scripture, we shall find this to be a gross mistake. I need not go farther for the confutation of it than to the Decalogue itself: " You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exod. 20. 16.) I suppose it will seem a very hard saying to affirm, that it is lawful to bear false witness against a stranger. So when God commands, " You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife," (Lev. 18. 20) I presume these gentlemen would not allow themselves that liberty with the wife of a stranger. If God may be his own interpreter, this controversy will quickly be ended from Lev. 19., where, if you compare two verses,–verse 18, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," with verse 34, "But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; "–you will not need the help of an artist to form this conclusion, that" the stranger is, in God's account, and ought to be in mine account, my neighbor." To the same purpose you may please to compare two other places of scripture together: Deut. 22. 4, "You shall not see your brother's ass nor his ox fall down by the way, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him to lift them up again; " With Exod. 23.4, 5: " If you meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, you shall surely bring it hack to him again. If you see the ass of him that hate thee lying under his burden, you shall help with him." He who is my " brother, "which is nearer than a neighbor, in the one place, is mine " enemy," and he that " hates me" in another place. And it is further observable to this end, that the Hebrew word and the Greek a "neighbor," is usually rendered in Scripture by eteros "another;" as: "He that loves another hath fulfilled the law, for the law saith, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Rom. 13. 8, 9.) Most true therefore is that of St. Augustine, Proximus est oamnis homo homini" Every man is a neighbor to any other man." Nay, the more intelligent part of the Jews were of this opinion; and Kimchi upon these words saith, " He is called my neighbor with whom I have any business." And the scribe, of whom we read, Luke 10, knowing tile mistakes of many of his brethren, asks our Savior this question, " Who is my neighbor ? " (Verse 29.) And our savior gives him an answer, the sum of which is this, that even the Samaritan was to be looked upon as his " neighbor."

This is a subject I could go on for about much longer, but to try and keep it within the bounds of reasonable length, I am going to turn to those in afflictions, because as remarked at the start of this post it is something I have witnesses, experienced and been wounded by up close and personal over a long time now, of most that I have known, not loving their neighbour as themselves or doing unto others as they would want done unto them. Passivity or indifference towards the sufferer, particularly when the suffering is great, has a very cruel outcome for the suffer and is no less cruel in the effect than active cruelty would be often times.
One can often tell who does fulfil the substance of the law, by how they behave and conduct themselves towards those in afflictions, towards the poor and needy. At one time I felt the church was trying to rewrite the bible from weep with those who weep to afflict the afflicted even more. And that is how it can appear because many people by enlarge do not live this out of loving ones neighbour and doing unto others as themselves. We are to promote and tend to each others good, as much as is in our ability to, not to tear each other down and become stumbling blocks, and only see malicious intentions in one another. And even if we do feel slighted or wronged, to do as much as in our power to be at peace with all men, which does not include, tale bearing and backbiting and slandering, or cutting people off just because we have some disagreement with them over non-essentials of the faith.

Another good fruit of love to man is MERCIFULNESS. "The righteous are ever merciful." Psalm 37:26. "Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy." Matt. 5:7. "Be merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36. A habitual unrestrained inclination to harshness, cruelty, and oppression is one of the worst signs in the character of any man. On the other hand, an enlarged prevailing disposition to pity men's sorrows, alleviate their miseries, and promote their happiness is one of the best signs in the character of any man. There is in some men a fitful and variable tenderness to others, which seems to be a mere instinct. It sometimes burns with great heat, and soon subsides into indifference or aversion.

But genuine love forms habits of kindness in the heart, and brings them forth in the life. The dispositions we display to the helpless, the guilty, the forsaken—are often the best tests of our real character. Nor is there any surer prelude of wrath, than cruel dispositions. "He shall have judgment without mercy that has showed no mercy." James 2:13. Tyrants, in any sphere of life, are hateful not only to all virtuous men, but also to God himself. Love to man will always produce kindness to the poor and needy, the friendless and afflicted. "Blessed is the one who has concern for helpless people. The Lord will rescue him in times of trouble. The Lord will protect him and keep him alive. He will be blessed in the land. Do not place him at the mercy of his enemies. The Lord will support him on his sickbed. You will restore this person to health when he is ill." Psalm 41:1-3. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this—To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27. "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said—It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35. [William S. Plumer]

John Knox wrote that tyranny and Presbyterianism could not co-exist. And in true Presbyterianism it cannot and does not. But where you get these exclusive Reformed folks, who normally go further than scripture warrants or requires on some issues at least, and it has strict restrictions on whom they can fellowship with, tyranny often does exist. And to think that was John Knox's maxim at a time when tyranny belonged to the papists, its a really terrifying realization, that this is happening in our day, with modern day, scribes and pharisees in the ways of above.

Dear reader, have you or does anyone you know of, have gone to a worship service today, with grudges or anger or divided from his or her brother or sister? with maybe malice or contempt in the heart towards them? Which if one refuses to have anything to do with them, then it can only be so given what the Bible says about the body all being one. And yet what does the bible say about that, particularly if the Lord's Table is being taken. How many will face both God and the Lord's communion today, in direct violation of what Christ teaches us about that? (Matt 5:23-24)Some thing to ponder, but a church divided cannot stand, no more than can the kingdom of darkness.

Love is more than just a word, it has fruit! (1 John 3:16-17; James 1:27; Psalm 41:1-3; Prov 19:17;)
To close again with an excerpt from William S. Plumer. If love is more than just a word, it will find a way to express itself in more than just words without that, there is no doubt. And in our dealing with our fellow men and neighbours, (of which all are) whether we consider them friend or foe, let us bear the below in mind

The law of love to our neighbor has an excellent practical exposition in what has long been called the golden rule, which is in these words: "Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets." None can deny that this law binds us to all the acts of love to our neighbor which we may lawfully desire him to perform towards ourselves. If therefore we are bound to yield the fruits of love to others, as we seek them from others, why should we not love our neighbor as we do ourselves? Where is any flaw in this reasoning? This golden rule affords an excellent test by which to judge both of our selfish and of our benevolent feelings. When we wish others to do something for us, let us ask first whether, in an exchange of circumstances, we would be ready to do the same for them.

1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

On descending from the scaffold, he drew from his ear the sponge soaked with his blood, and holding it up to the people exclaimed: "Bless by my God whose counted me worthy and His mighty power has enabled me to suffer anything for his sake; and as I have now lost some of my blood, so I am ready and willing to spill every drop that is in my veins for this cause which I now have suffered, which is maintaining the honour or God and the Truth of my King against popish usurpations. Let God be glorified and let the King, live forever." [The testimony of Dr Bastwick on descending the scaffold after having his ears removed for upholding the Truth]

Many Presbyterians during the puritan era fell into two groups. Princpled Presbyterians, and pragmatic presbyterians. The principled ones lived out their profession. The pragmatic ones were presbyterians in name only or for some gain to them by being so in other words for their own ends, not for man's chief end of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. They could just as easily have belonged to any other denomination and perhaps been truer to their professsion.  It struck me much the same is true today, even though we are never called to suffer in the way of the above for defending and not compromising the Truth, at least not in our western world. But I have and do know those who go under the label of Presbyterians yet are very far away from others who are also presbyterians, the ones who live out their profession and not just in name only. Those are the ones who don't entirely subscribe to the WCF and its Standards, while trying to maintain to others that they do and are Calvin's type of Calvinists. Calvin's Calvinism went way and beyong the acronym T.U.L.I.P and sadly a large part of the Reformed church sees that acronym as representing Calvinism, when it falls far short of the mark of doing so in its entirety. But if they do hold to the Westminster Standards, the Presbyterian creed, its some modified, modernized version with crucial bits altered or missing from it. Or they may never have even studied the shorter catechsim at a very basic level in its entirety, when claiming to have been Presbyterians for several years. I'm a presbyterian in name only, by that I don't mean I'm pragmatic. But, having never set foot in a Presby church I can only be one in name only. But, I believe I hold to the Traditional Presbyterianism, that holds to the entire WCF and its standards, and are not pragmatic in declaring myself one, even though often failing in many, many other ways just like everyone else. Its always the pragmatists who muddy the waters by giving some other standards. Some lower standard, which makes man pull back from attaining to higher as the lower standard can be quite comfortable thank you very much. Maybe a general lack of heart being in it which an only lead to lack of diligence.
I do not believe in the carnal Christian thing, as its a total oxymoron. I believe any Christian may fall for a time, and God will either draw them back to Himself or not. But a carnal Christian who is that by nature day in day out, habitually I do not believe exists. One is either carnal that way in life habitually or one is a Christian and sets one mind on things above, while in this world, but you cannot be both in my opinoin at least not in the way I am meaning. Though we will all struggle and fight our flesh against being earthly minded. But that is not the same thing as how one often hears the term carnal christian used to refer to someone habitually and constantly, you really couldn't tell the difference between them and an unbeliever.
Its those who will sell their faith to gain something of the world, by compromising it and in doing so dishonour God to the highest degree. Dr Bastwick, and many others like him who suffered what we can't imagine, knew what it was to stand strong in the most adverse of circumstances. When doing so put their lives on the line and they would surely suffer in some terrible, horrible way. When that is the lengths they went to to defend and uphold Biblical Christiainity, what right do we have to take the same titles as them such as Presbyterians,, when often we are willing to sell our birthright and heritage for a very small price and very small thrill and gain in the world?

Don't say you are either a Calvinist, or a Presbyterian, unless your profession is carried through by actions and in livng it out. To do so, does nothing but sully the name, and also dishonour and sully Christ's Name too since as Spurgeon said "Calvinism is the gospel and nothing else".  Better to wear ones profession under a veil and be a closet one, than to declare it to the world and show yourself not to be, or so inconsistent you are an oxymoron and a confusion to folk   As by doing so, it sullies both the Reformed Heritage and Birthright,  and its obviously not something you are willing to cherish or protect, no more than you are willing to  stand up for Christ when the rubber hits the road in very many ways. The one will be a consequence of the other without a doubt.

Everyone sins of course we do. But it also becomes quite easy to spot the pragmatists from the Principled, as its always a particular kind of sin or some half baked, luke-warm calvinist, that rests more in historical Reformed facts, than it ever does faith and the gospel. Calvin was a great man, but he was still only a man. Too often he can be used like our own Reformed Pope, instead of going to the source which we should, that of the Word of God, we consult Calvin first, and maybe only Calvin. If we consult Calvin or anyone else, then please let us do so with an open Bible on our lap to see that what Calvin or others wrote and taught, are the same as the Lord Jesus, and the Word of God, or we are not only pragmatists but idolators. Calvin is who we will be following if we do not do this, rather than Christ.
Calvin would be horrified at such a thought. He really would. And he would disown and disassaciate himself from anyone who did the above, anyone who knows anything him and his life knows that to be true, so what right does anyone who does do, have claim to the title of Calvinist?

I am deeply aggrieved over some things of late, and as I was studying the Psalms of David and Spurgeon's Treasury of David, these words hit home, as being the epitome of what I have witnessed.  When our friends make bad choices, that could have eternal consequences,  our heart grieves for them.  But in a general sense also, there is very good reason that the Scriptures tell us in various ways to keep good company and that bad company corrupts good morals.

The hammer of the Malignants,  George Gillepsie also wrote extensively on this subject.  But this short excerpt from Spurgeon's treasury of David seemed to fit with the things that are weighing upon myself and people I love who have been affected by the kinds of things below:

When men are living in sin they go from bad to worse. At first they merely walk in the counsel of the careless and ungodly, who forget God—the evil is rather practical than habitual—but after that, they become habituated to evil, and they stand in the way of open sinners who wilfully violate God's commandments; and if let alone, they go one step further, and become themselves pestilent teachers and tempters of others, and thus they sit in the seat of the scornful. They have taken their degree in vice, and as true Doctors of Damnation they are installed, and are looked up to by others as Masters in Belial. But the blessed man, the man to whom all the blessings of God belong, can hold no communion with such characters as these. He keeps himself pure from these lepers; he puts away evil things from him as garments spotted by the flesh; he comes out from among the wicked, and goes without the camp, bearing the reproach of Christ. O for grace to be thus separate from sinners.
—Charles Spurgeon

If God does not keep all and any of us, we would all fall. We must pray for renewing and enlarging Grace each day, and not to presume that we can never fall away; because if God lets us go, we would also turn to sitting in the seat of the scornful, as its only by grace, daily grace, that any or each of us are standing still. And like a puff of wind, we could be blown away tomorrow, unless we plead with God, to uphold us in faith, for His Namesake. (I have more to say on the His Namesake thing soon, DV)

Let us then inquire WHO  are backsliders. This is a point of high importance. Like all matters of practical religion, it demands forthrightness, seriousness, and discrimination. He who wishes to deceive himself, can usually do so.  It is no conclusive evidence that one is not a backslider—just because he is not himself convinced of the fact. A truly pious man in a state of declension usually has some fears respecting himself; but many grievously depart from God without being fully convinced of their wrongdoing. It is a sad truth—that all sin blinds the mind and hardens the heart. It is very difficult to convince any man of his guilt. We have an account of a primitive church that was in a sad declension, neither cold nor hot, and ready to be spewed out; and yet, far front having any just sense of her state, she said, "I am rich, and increased with goods,-and have need of nothing; and knew not that she was wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Rev. 3:16, 17.

Many are kept from owning their backslidings, because they are mercifully restrained from open sins. Had they publicly fallen into overt iniquity, they would blush, and be ashamed; they would bewail their wickedness before God and men. But as yet all is secret. They are merely backsliders in heart. No man knows of the extent of the spiritual wickedness of another person. No man can accuse them of living in coldness or in iniquity. Hence they conclude that all is well. But they are mistaken. It may all come to the knowledge of men in a short time. It was so with David. To him God said, "You did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." 2 Sam. 12:12

It should also be stated that it is  EASY to backslide from God. We go astray from the womb, speaking lies. It is as natural for us to do wrong as for the sparks to ascend upwards. In our voyage heavenward, both wind and tide are both against us. If we do nothing to overcome their action, they will carry us away. We can go to hell without intending to do so, without putting forth any efforts to that effect. But to go to heaven requires prayer, self-denial, vigilance, violence, running, wrestling, fighting.

How blind the mind becomes under the power of sin!  None but God can effectually check this painful declension. In this state, before long one feels uneasy and guilty. Therefore, to quiet conscience and keep up appearances with himself, he may for a long time be unusually strict and punctual in some of the public duties of religion. So his seat will seldom be vacant in the public worship of God. For like reason, he will become quite zealous about some of the externals of religion. Or he may insist much on the system of doctrine which he has embraced—having learned the art of holding the truth in unrighteousness. Or he may talk of experimental religion, deceiving himself with the belief that if he talks on the subject it is a sign of some right feeling.

He is now sadly blind to his own wretchedness. If he has gone thus far, it will probably not be long until he will be detained from the house of God by causes that once could have had no hindering effect. His zeal even for forms and externals will probably soon betray weakness, or fierceness, or a spirit of contention. His love for the gospel will be substituted by a desire for controversy. Practical and experimental religion will engage but few of his words or thoughts. His heart has gone after other things. Sometimes indeed one acquires the evil habit of speaking fluently of things not felt nor loved. In this case recovery is less and less to be expected. All insincerity is uncongenial to our recovering ourselves out of the snare of the devil. Such a soul will find duties and ordinances unprofitable. He will go away from prayer, from reading, from preaching, and even from the Lord's table—and be no more holy, no more humble, no more watchful, no more spiritually minded, no more able to resist temptation than before.

Backsliders are made miserable by an approach to God. They are not prepared for it. As piety thus dies in the soul, charity diminishes, and censoriousness takes its place. A backslider will be more than formerly disposed to doubt the good motives, the upright intentions, and sincere professions of others. He will not be slow in entertaining severe judgments of others. Sometimes he will express harsh opinions of his fellow-men. Attaching great value to any 'little shreds of piety' still about himself, he expresses surprise that others have not his seeming virtues. He wonders how a Christian can act so and so—while he himself is doing worse! His heart does not lead him instantly and spontaneously to cast a cloak over the faults of others.

This spirit marks also his treatment of the unconverted. Reproach rather than persuasion, contempt rather than affection—mark his conduct towards the unconverted. It cannot now be said of him that he "thinks no evil," and "is kind." He shows much of the temper of those who make a man an offender for a word. Soon you may find him vain and trifling, in his plans and conversation. He prefers vain company. He selects unprofitable reading. He seeks amusement, not those things which are profitable to his soul.

It is doubtful whether he loves himself or his Savior the most. It grieves him more to hear himself reviled—than to hear his Savior blasphemed. It rejoices him more to hear himself praised—than to hear his Savior commended. Such things render it doubtful whether he ever knew the Lord—whether he ever was born again. And it is a bad sign if these things do not shake his confidence in his own conversion. These things lead to a great diminution of solid religious comfort. He has few songs of holy joy. His heart is too cold to relish religious duties. He looks on the past with no real pleasure. It reminds him of time wasted, of vows broken, of opportunities lost, of comforts decayed, of mercies slighted. Of the future he is much afraid. He remembers God—and is troubled. He is afraid of evil tidings. He is expecting some sore chastisement. His old besetting sins revive with great power. Levity takes the place of seriousness; fretfulness expels gentleness. Ambition begins to burn in the bosom—where formerly dwelt humility, lowliness and contentment. Covetousness resumes her iron despotism; or extravagance breaks out afresh. The heavenly racer takes up one by one the weights which he had formerly laid aside. He runs, but as uncertainly; he fights, but with great feebleness.

Those who have thus departed from God, are left to see what they can do alone. God permits them to try their own power and resources. Of such the Comforter says, "I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early." Hos. 5:15. Samson is now shorn of the locks of his strength. It will be well if he be not forced to make amusement for the Philistines.

How long one may remain in this state none can tell. To escape from such error and sinfulness is no easy thing. It pleased God at once to restore Peter after he had denied his Lord. But it seems to have been months before David shed for his crimes the tears of true repentance. It is no easy matter to escape from the snare of the devil, when we have once been led captive by him at his will.
And now are you a backslider? Are you cold, formal, or negligent in the secret duties of piety? Do you feel the uneasiness of guilt? Are you "afraid of evil tidings?" Do you live in constant apprehension of sore calamities? Are ordinances unprofitable to you? Are you in the constant exercise of charity, or do you indulge in a censorious spirit? Are you vain, light, trifling? Do you prefer the society of the devout? What books do you select? Are you alive to the honor of Christ? Do you enjoy piety? Let these solemn questions be asked frequently and answered honestly, as you shall give account to God. If you have evidence that you are not a backslider, then give God the glory, and "be not high-minded, but fear."

Nothing but amazing grace could have preserved you from the snare of the fowler. But if you find that the evidence shows you to be in a state of declension, then open your eyes to your real condition, judge yourself, confess your sins, and cleave to God. Hear the kind call: "Come, and let us return unto the Lord." Hos. 6:1. If you should not return and be healed, and if you should be called to die, how sad would be your departure out of this world. Your sun would go down behind a cloud, leaving others in doubt whether it was not gone down in eternal night. And if your sanctification shall not advance faster than it has done since you first believed in Christ, how long will it be before you are prepared for glory? At your present rate of growth in grace—would you be fit for heaven in a thousand years? And yet there is no one of us who shall live a thousand months. Many will not live a thousand weeks—yes, not a thousand days. Possibly some will not live a thousand seconds. Indifference to eternal things in so critical circumstances, is wholly irreconcilable with wisdom.
—William S Plumer

The Bible can only have one true meaning of any particular verse, one Truth for all time. Do I think my own understanding on every issue I believe is the correct one? No, of course I don't! I'm not Bob, you know!  There are, however, some things which are very clear to me, and that I can't ever see me believing any different, only perhaps my understanding enlarging and becoming more full and rounded, though I am of course open to question anything, next to the Word of God.

But in our days of political correctness on steroids, we also have every faith is equal made to seem normal, and if you believe different, you are a racist and inciting hatred against ethnic minorities or other minorities. Poppycock!  But pure doctrine is important to each and every one of us. It makes all the difference to who we are in Christ, and in some cases even if we are in Christ.

I had some JW's knock on my door a few weeks ago, and the one guy was very learned and well-versed in Scripture, perhaps more than many true believers. Yet his Deity denying belief system, if he does not repent of it, will not be a faith that saves. True and Pure Doctrine is important, essential, vital to our souls well-being; vital to who we are in Christ; we are in many ways what we believe about anything in life, and Scripture and Doctrine should be central to any Christian's passage through this world. If we have  erronous beliefs, then we will be faulty, more than flawed Christians, doing more harm than good. Of course some things, will  not create a stir or harm, small things, but we cannot believe error and it not impact on our daily lives, if that error is of any magnitude. Turning away from certain bits of Scripture, or supressing them and talking ourselves into them meaning something far more palatable to our taste, and far less uncomfortable to live out,  will do nothing for the cause of Christ, or glorifying God, or for the good of our own souls, and eternal welfare.  We must accept the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and we must keep searching, until we can rest easy in our consciences and before God, that we have the truth about any particular subject.  Calvin's commentary on Isa. 29:15 says this well:

Woe to them that conceal themselves from Jehovah. The Prophet again exclaims against those wicked and profane despisers of God, whom he formerly called לצים, (lētzīm,) "scorners," who think that they have no other way of being wise than to be skilful in mocking God. They regard religion as foolish simplicity, and hide themselves in their cunning, as in a labyrinth; and on this account they mock at warnings and threatenings, and, in short, at the whole doctrine of godliness. From this verse it is sufficiently evident that the pestilence, which afterwards spread more widely, prevailed even at that time in the world, namely, that hypocrites delighted in mocking inwardly at God, and in despising prophecies. The Prophet therefore exclaims against them, and calls them מעמיקים, (măgnămīkīm,) that is, "diggers," 1 as if they "dug" for themselves concealment and lurking-places, that by means of them they might deceive God.

That they may hide counsel. This clause is added for the sake of exposition. Some interpret the beginning of this verse, as if the Prophet condemned that excessive curiosity by which some men, with excess of hardihood, search into the secret judgments of God. But that interpretation cannot be admitted; and the Prophet plainly shews to whom he refers, when he immediately adds the mockeries of those who thought that their wickedness was committed in a manner so secret and concealed, that they could not be detected. The "hiding of counsel" means nothing else than hardihood in wickedness, by which wicked men surround themselves with clouds, and obscure the light, that their inward baseness may not be seen. Hence arises that daring question —

Who seeth us? For, although they professed to be worshippers of God, yet they thought that, by their sophistry, they had succeeded not only in refuting the prophets, but in overturning the judgment of God; not openly, indeed, for even wicked men wish to retain some semblance of religion, that they may more effectually deceive, but in their heart they acknowledge no God but the god which they have contrived. This craftiness, therefore, in which wicked men delight and flatter themselves, is compared by Isaiah to a hiding-place, or to coverings. They think that they are covered with a veil, so that not even God himself can see and punish their wickedness. As rulers are principally chargeable with this vice, it is chiefly to them, in my opinion, that the Prophet's reproof is directed; for they do not think that they have sufficient acuteness or dexterity, if they do not scoff at God, and despise his doctrine, and, in short, believe no more than what they choose. They do not venture to reject it altogether, or rather, they are constrained, against their will, to hold by some religion; but they do so only as far as they think that they can promote their own convenience, and are not moved by any fear of the true God.

At the present day this wickedness has been abundantly manifested, and especially since the gospel was revealed. Under Popery men found it easy to transact with God, because the Pope had contrived a god who changed himself so as to suit the disposition of every individual. Every person had a different method of washing away his sins, and many kinds of worship for appeasing his deity. Consequently, none ought to wonder that wickedness was not seen at that time, for it was concealed by coverings of that sort; and when these had been taken away, men declared openly what they had formerly been. Yet not less common in our age is the disease which Isaiah bewailed in his nation; for men think that they can conceal themselves from God, when they have interposed their ingenious contrivances, as if "all things were not naked and open to his eyes," (Heb 4:13,) or as if any man could deceive or be concealed from him. For this reason he says, by way of explanation —

For their works are in darkness. He assigns this as the cause of that foolish confidence by which ungodly men are intoxicated. Though they are surrounded by light, they are so slow of perception, that when they do not see it, they endeavour to flee from the presence of God. They even promise to themselves full escape from punishment, and commit sin with as much freedom as if they had been protected and fortified on all sides against God. Such is the import of their question, Who seeth us? Not that wicked men ventured openly to utter these words, as we have said, but because they thus spoke or thus thought in their hearts, which was manifested by their presumption and vain confidence. They abandoned themselves to all wickedness, and despised all warnings, in such a manner as if there would never be a judgment of God. The Prophet, therefore, had to do with ungodly men, who in appearance and name professed to have some knowledge of God, but in reality denied him, and were very bitter enemies of pure doctrine. Now, this is nothing else than to affirm that God is not a Judge, and to cast him down from his seat and tribunal; for God cannot be acknowledged without doctrine; and where that is set aside and rejected, God himself must be set aside and rejected.
Calvin's commentary on Isa 29:15

Jeremiah Whittaker wrote this:

Joseph said to his brethren, “You did intend me hurt, but God did intend me good.” So it may be said concerning all ungodly, wicked men; they do intend evil against the Church and people of God, but God intends His people’s good, and, in conclusion, effects it. JEREMIAH WHITAKER

I can sure attest to that. Joseph was buried down a well by his brothers, and I have been buried alive, with no human contact almost completely whilst strapped to a sick bed, by my brethren, by those who should have behaved much, much differently, just as in the case of Joseph.

But the Reformed faith is in crises in my opinion; it is imploding upon itself, by schism and division, that should not exist and given Christ's priestly prayer of John 17 it must wrench at his heart strings, for the disunity that exists among us. Broken or shattered relationship, often times not just of the brethren but blood ties, are broken, and folks are cast out and cut off, no forgiveness or reconciliation. Everyone doing their own thing to survive in what they consider the Biblical status quo, when the casting off and cutting off of the brethren is unbiblical to the core and sinful, in the extreme, unless in the case of excommunication and Church Discipline.

Luke12:53 Christ is not talking about His church, but those both within the covenant and those outside of it. How many will go to Public or Corporate worship today, having cut off someone or cast someone out  and so  going against what Christ says in Mark 11:25, making nil and void their worship because they have not approached it in the way our Lord tells us to.  Christ says he will have mercy and not sacrifice. How many more within the Reformed faith are going to be sacrificed because those within it lack mercy, compassion or charity towards the brethren?  Very Christ like traits, and to lack those things, even if only towards specific individuals, than it makes an oxymoron of our profession. Christ also speaks about not doing good to o nly those who we love, as the Pharisees to do that.  The love of the brethren should be universal, without any exceptions, if they are still upstanding citizens of the covenant and are still cherished by many others within the church, then  not one  other person has any God given right, to think them not fit for fellowship.

The church of Christ should not  be an excusive club, open to only a select few who we deem suitable,  or we are taking on oursleves the place of God.  Yet, that is often how it comes off,  if you don't sing the right tune or dance the right steps,  as you are somehow not good enough for that exclusive club, so you are cut off and cast out, and how that must make Christ yearn for his flock.

The fear of the Lord means doing His will, not our own wants, or desires. (Prov 1:7) God hates for brother to be turned against brother, he hates it just as much as he hates liars. He doesn't hate the lying, he hates the liars, and say they have no part in the kingdom of heaven. Yet, people are deceiving each other, perhaps to get out of an awkward situation, but t hey certainly do not deal honestly with each other and with integrity. And the Bible says GOD HATES it. And this in the Name of Christ and fulfilling His will? self deceit is the biggest soul killer of all, fed to us by the Father of lies, Satan himself.

Fear of the Lord means walking in His ways, and doing His will and being obedient. Yet so many shattered, fractured, relationship exist within the reformed faith, it is just plain wrong. Reconciliation and forgiveness a lot of the time doesn't even seem to be part of the equation. Bitterness and unforgiveness and the hurt that causes us when we harbour unforgiveness towards the people who have hurt us, seems to rule.If people we no longer see or speak to who wronged us are still causing us hurt and pain by their actions it is because of unforgiveness and bitterness towards them, the  problem is no longer theirs but ours. I know this from up close and personal experience.  The great test of faith, is if we can forgive, even when we have been horrendously wronged.  If the person in question is still a source of grief and pain to us, chances are we are harbouring unforgiveness and bitterness towards them.  If we are Christians, we will let it go and move on, and forgive them from the heart, AND pray for reconcilation with them.

The Reformed faith has a reputation of being a faith that study and it go hand in hand. If ignorance and Calvinism meet, one of them has to leave the field. But, knowledge, learning, study, and all the rest of it, will not do anyone, ourselves or others, or God's kingdom one iota of good, unless it is lived out in a practical way. The puritans were experimental Calvinists, they lived out their beliefs, they didn't merely have knowledge that wasn't lived out or only very partially. Of course they were not perfect, they were fallen men just like we are; yet, the division amongst themselves, the devouring of each other, did not exist the way it is does today among the Reformed faith. It's anti biblical to the core. The Bible says that we know those who love God, by if they also love the brethren. And by that the bible certainly didn't mean, love only those brethren who please us, or follow us, or think the same things as we do or believe exactly the same things. It means the brethren, the visible church, period. No exceptions, apart from in the case of Church discipline.

The internet can be a wonderful too, yet there are too many internet Calvinist's IMO. They can talk the talk well in the online world, yet go a little deeper into acquaintance with them, you see just how much is talk as opposed to practical living it out, by embracing the brethren, all of them, without his cutting off and casting out and division and schism that is so rife.

God blesses His people, those within the Covenant community, and one thing he blesses them for is to be at peace with all men; and for those who are not, to seek reconciliation and reparation of fractured relationship and forgiveness from the heart to and from those who have hurt us or we them.

The peace with God, that Psalm 29 so speaks of, part of that comes from being at peace with His people also.

Every believer, inside the reformed faith or not, will not agree about every single thing; but in the Name of Christ, and in the Name of charity, and compassion, we should bear with one another, rather than afflicting them by casting them out or cutting them off and having no more to do with them, because they do not sing the same tune that we do. They may beat a slightly different drum. So what! Did not the disciples have differences of opinions, and try to outdo each other in different ways, to who was closest to Christ? Yet the disciples remained brothers, and brethren, and knew it was their Master's will and desire that they always would do.

Of course, there are more unregenerate people within the church of Christ than regenerate, and one cannot help but wonder if this goes some way to explaining it. that it is the tares who are cutting up and dividing God's church, and the wheat that are left to carry the burden of it and suffer. Christ tells us to expect perecution for what we believe, but he sure wasn't talking about from each other, but from the world! It is both ludicrous, sinful, shicsmatic in the extreme, and far outside of Biblical Christianity, Christ centred Christiaity, or Calvin's Calvinism as anything can be.

The internet Calvinists, like to debate this subject or that subject; to address all the different cults or false faiths that are out there and to tell them how wrong and erroneous they are, and it is this crazy Calvinist's humble, yet strongly convicted opinion that until we get our own house in order, we have not one shred of credibility or even right to tell others how they are erring, and it is hypocritical in the extreme to even try to.

Of course this does not apply to all of the Reformed church, and the faithful, those who are ot part of the great division and schism that seem so widespread I am thankful for. God will bless HIs church, He loves to bless HIs people, but when schism and division is so much on the menu and so much being perpetrated those involved can expect the opposite of blessing but affliction, adversity and loss to ensure from it. Or if it doesn't, then maybe its because they really are not God's children the one's that remain free to coninue in in this way without any calling back from the hand of God. It doesn;'t matter what the issue is, or the doctrine, or anything else, there is no excuse to be casting out, cutting off the brethren in any way, shape or form, never, unless the party is also under church discipleine. If they are part of the church in good standing with many folks, then no one, no one, has the right to put assunder what God has joined together, such as the brethren. To do so will bring things crashing down around our ears, in a way we may not have even considered. A divided kingdom cannot stand, and this goes no less for God's kingdom than for Satan's. Of course Christ is Lord of HIs church and He will deliver her in due time, but it would be nice if those who say they hold to the true religion, i.e. Calvinism were working with God, rather than against Him.

I have been cut off and cast out in the extreme, so that my lot has become the great weight of suffering it now is, so I have passionate feelings about this. I have had plenty of folk within the Reformed faith tell me if in their neck of the woods, it would have been different, it would not h ave happened.  Yet, I fail to see how, when it is happening to people in their own neck of the woods,  by them behaving litle differently in essence to how folks did in my  neck of the woods did towards me.  It is the differnece between talk, and doing.  Talk is easy, Christ desires us to be more than vain babblers however, by us putting our money wehere our mouth is and following that through in our lives and actions, and in the practical living it out.

The problem is at endemic proportions, I hear of new cases almost every day. May the Lord perserve us from such a uncharitable, ungodly, haughty spirit.

Today we have Bible memorization programmes, and the technology to help them stick, such as this one by John Piper's  ministry So, what excuse do we have. And also, God makes it quite clear, that ignorance is not an excuse for sin. And I myself have long believed, that ignorance is often a choice.

A New England Antinomian  was heard to utter:

I had rather hear such a one that speaks from mere notion of the Spirit, without any study at all, than any of your learned scholars, although he maybe fuller of Scripture.

Which would also seem to confirm my theory that often, ignorance is a choice.

According to a biography on John Bruen, Robert Pasfield who was an illiterate servant of Bruen's was:

"a man utterly unlearned, being unable to read a sentence or write a sylablle. Yet he was so well acquainted with the history of the Bible, and the sum and substance of every book and chapter, that hardly could any ask him where such a sayinkg or sentence were, but he would with very little ado tell them in what book, and what chapter they might find it."

We all have to start somewhere. You can't expect a two year old Christian to have the vast stores of understanding and knowledge  that a 15 year old on will have. But if after, considerable time has passed, and  medical reasons notwithstanding, that could cause it,   the person remains ignorant as many a new born babe, then, I think that person should do some soul searching to ask why it is so.

Lord perseve us from ignorance, and from choosing the worldly pelasures to the dteriment of spiritual concerns. Give us grace to perservere, even when we don't see  progress, but trust that your grace is sufficient, in this matter, as much as it is, in any other. In Jesus, Name. Amen.

This seems like it maybe an appropriate post to start off my series of "Reformed or Deformed" which at the moment I am trying to organize in my mind to set down on paper in an organized way.

It is the greatest folly to part with our interest in God, and Christ, and heaven, for the riches, honors, and pleasures of this world; it is as bad a bargain as his who sold a birth-right for a dish of pottage. Esau ate and drank, pleased his palate, satisfied his appetite, and then carelessly rose up and went his way, without any serious thought, or any regret, about the bad bargain he had made. Thus Esau despised his birth-right. By his neglect and contempt afterwards, and by justifying himself in what he had done, he put the bargain past recall. People are ruined, not so much by doing what is amiss, as by doing it and not repenting of it.
—Matthew Henry in his commentary on Gen 25

What is repentance? Is it what they do at an altar call? Or based on fuzzy warm feelings about God, like much of the charismatic movement, that involves strong emotion, yet little to any heart work?  Whatever, repentance is an essential part of our salvation:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. [1 John 9:10]

Under all dispensations, since our first parents were expelled from the Garden of Eden, God has insisted on repentance. Among the patriarchs, Job said, “I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Under the Law, David wrote the thirty-second and fifty-first psalms. John the Baptist cried, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). Christ’s account of Himself is that He “came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17). Just before His ascension, Christ commanded “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). And the Apostles taught the same doctrine “testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). So that any system of religion among men which should not include repentance, would upon its very face be false….This doctrine will not be amiss while the world stands.
William Plummer from "Vital godliness"

Jonathan Edwards'  third resolution says thus:

Resolved. If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

Repentance is an ongoing day by day thing for the believer or should be.  The Bible tells us to keep short accounts with God. This includes daily confession and repentance, and a daily cleansing by the blood of Christ.

God is neither honored by self-righteousness or hypocrisy.

Thomas Watson in his doctrine of Repentance says:

I shall not dispute the priority, whether faith or repentance goes first. Doubtless repentance shows itself first in a Christian’s life. Yet I am apt to think that the seeds of faith are first wrought in the heart. As when a taper (candle) is brought into a room the light shows itself first, but the taper was before the light, so we see the fruits of repentance first, but the beginnings of faith were there before.

That which inclines me to think that faith is seminally in the heart before repentance is because repentance, being a grace, must be exercised by one that is living. Now, how does the soul live but by faith? ‘The just shall live by his faith’ (Heb. 10:38). Therefore there must be first some seeds of faith in the heart of a penitent, otherwise it is a dead repentance and so of no value.

Whether faith or repentance goes first, however, I am sure that repentance is of such importance that there is no being saved without it

We hear alot in our age of self esteem and self-worth, about feeling good about oneself, yet true Biblical Chritianity, is one of self denial, and self abasement, so that one can be left with virtually nothing in the world, be mocked and scourged by men, and still praise and glorify God in a furnace such as that. What does Scripture say is the acceptable sacrifice to God?

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Many churches today, however, if seeing someone bereft and distressed over cases of conscience and being awoken to the reality of sin, and hell, will offer a God of love that is all warm and fuzzy to make them feel better about themselves, and they will take away or try to remove the very thing of above that would make them acceptable in God's sight. If someone is berefet and distraught over cases of conscience especially if in an unconverted state, we should pray for them, but not talk them out of feeling as they do about the actions or choices they have made in their life that has brought them to such a low ebb. We should tell them of the Gospel and the love and mercy of Christ, but also make it clear that without repentance no one sees God, and that you can't have a warm, fuzzy God, without repentance that will be a Saviour. This is part of what we hear Jesus talking of I believe in Matt 7:22-23;

Together with undivided faith in Jesus Christ there must also be unfeigned repentance of sin. Repentance is an old-fashioned word, not much used by modern revivalists. "Oh!" said a minister to me one day, "it only means a change of mind." This was thought to be a profound observation. "Only a change of mind"; but what a change (1)!

Another proof of the conquest of a soul for Christ will be found in a real change of life. If the man does not live differently from what he did before, both at home and abroad, his repentance needs to be repented of, and his conversion is a fiction. Not only action and language, but spirit and temper must be changed (2).

True regeneration implants a hatred of all evil; and where one sin is delighted in, the evidence is fatal to a sound hope (3)

There must also be a willingness to obey the Lord in all His commandments (4).

If [presumably, at the time of conversion] the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows his Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved (5).
—Charles Spurgeon "The Soul Winner"

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines Repentance as this:

re•pen•tance \ri-'pent-en(t)s\ n: the action or process of repenting esp. for misdeeds or moral shortcomings syn see PENITENCE

Repentance gives Christ, Lordship of our lives, because being penitent and turning to Christ includes giving up our own will entirely, to self deny all of our own lusts and only agree and do the will of God.

So, let me ask you friends, is your life based on a faith that includes a Biblical and ongoing day by day repentance, which in simple terms means, a turning away from, foresaking sin, (do you have hard thoughts of God? Do you wish things were different in your life so suffer from the plage of discontent? Do you wish you were more like others, and so are covetous? Is there anything or anyone in your life that ihas a higher priority than God and Kingdom work, so you are guilty of idolatory? If so, do you daily confess these things to a forgiving Father, and retake the cleansing blood of Christ to wash yourself clean? Do the sins aforementioned, and any other not mentioned here in your life bring tears from your eyes and anguish in your soul when you pray to God in confession and as a penitent sinner? Or do you have the new faith that has pervaded us all the last years. The prosperity gospel or feel good faith, that is all about how good God makes you feel. How comfortable He keeps you, and a warm fuzzy God that is a nice feeling, but leave out and forget that God is also a consuming fire of wrath? Those who have not repented, and have only a faith based on the feel good factor, should turn or repent from that now, so that they do not one day, feel the real fury of that consuming fire, when repenting will be too late by that time and no longer an option.

Is Christ Lord of your life? And each time you step out of his will do you repent of it and turn away from doing it again? Because faith, true Biblical faith, cannot leave someone unchanged, it is a complete oxymoron. A profession of faith, that does not reach the heart and turn it and change it so that we are the New Creations that Scripture speaks of, is no saving faith. How much of your life has changed, in activities, thoughts, where ones time goes, or any other relevant way you can think of from before you professed to be converted? These are all things we should question and search our hearts, and ask the Lord's help to help us see how failings and sinful infirmities, in another much neglected doctrine that was big in puritan times, that of self-examination. The puritans were soul winners, the Bible was so Big in their lives, God was so big, that if you read them today, you can still feel it flow from their pens, but they converted souls in a way we do not today. They would be astonished and confouned at things like Altar Calls, and the Benny Hinn style of falling backwards and you've been converted, but their teaching searched and reached souls, like few do today. Which is probably why in our day it is estimated that less than 15% of the visible church consistes of true converts, because today, the greater majority wants easy faith and easy believism, that has no warrant from the Word of God. And 85% of the visible church is currently on its way to hell. It is a scary thought isn't it? Let's hope that at the final day, you and I, dear reader, do not find we have been deluded and self deceived also, but have Faith and Repentance, that is Biblical, and given by Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
– Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

I have recently come across a Gospel centred Reformed preacher online, and the Gospel is where we all need to be, and by t that I am not dismissing or negating the value of the law, only that each much have its place and one not be exalted at the cost of the other. If we do not have Christ, we have nothing.

Spirit Empowered Preaching by Art Azurdia who in his sermon called Fix your eyes on the Cross says:

"Fix your eyes on the Cross, and never get beyond it"

It seems that should be something, many of us ought to practice more.

From: http://examineyourself.info/

I do not agree with this guy, yet he sounds very plausible. As good an example as any of why we as christians needs to be grounded in the faith, and in what Scripture teaches, so that we will not be easily deceived.

On  a sermon preached on December 25, 1551, his 20th sermon on Micah,  on  Micah: 5:7-14 Calvin preached:

Now, I see here today more people than I am accustomed to having at
the sermon. Why is that? It is Christmas Day. And who told you
this? You poor beasts. That is a fitting euphemism for all of you
who have come here today to honor Noel. Did you think you would be
honoring God? Consider what sort of obedience to God your coming
displays. In your mind, you are celebrating a holiday for God, or
turning today into one. But so much for that. In truth, as you have
often been admonished, it is good to set aside one day out of the year
in which we are reminded of all the good that has occurred because of
Christ's birth in the world, and in which we hear the story of his
birth retold, which will be done on Sunday. But if you think that
Jesus Christ was born today, you are as crazed as wild beasts. For
when you elevate one day alone for the purpose of worshipping God, you
have just turned it into an idol. True, you insist that you have done
so for the honor of God, but it is more for the honor of the Devil.

Let us consider what our Lord has to say on the matter. Was it not
Saul's intention to worship God when he spared Agag, the king of the
Amalakites, along with the best spoils and cattle? He says as much:
"I want to worship God." Saul's tongue was full of devotion and good
intention. But what was the response he received? "You soothsayer!
You heretic! You apostate! You claim to be honoring God, but God
rejects and disowns all that you have done" [1 Samuel 15:8,9].
Consequently, the same is true of our actions. For no day is superior
to another. It matters not whether we recall our Lord's nativity on a
Wednesday, Thursday, or some other day. But when we insist on
establishing a service of worship based on our whim, we blaspheme God,
and create an idol, though we have done it all in the name of God.
And when you worship God in the idleness of a holiday spirit, that is
a heavey sin to bear, and one which attracts others about it, until we
reach the height of iniquity. Therefore, let us pay attention to what
Micah is saying here [Micah 5:7-14], that God must not only strip away
things that are bad themselves, but must also eliminate anything that
might foster superstition. Once we have understood that, we will no
longer find it strange that Noel is not being observed today, but that
on Sunday we will celebrate the Lord's Supper and recite the story of
the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. But to all those who barely
know Jesus Christ, or that we must be subject to him, and that God
removes all those impediments that prevent us from coming to him,
these folks, I say, will at best grit their teeth. They came here in
anticipation of celebrating a wrong intention, but will leave with it
wholly unfulfilled.

The Westminster Confession of faith, chapter XXI says thus:

I. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all; is good, and doeth good unto all; and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served with all the hearth, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.

The Directory for The Public Worship of God, also penned by the Westminster Divines, says thus:

THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's day, which is the Christian Sabbath.

Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.

Nevertheless, it is lawful and necessary, upon special emergent occasions, to separate a day or days for publick fasting or thanksgiving, as the several eminent and extraordinary dispensations of God's providence shall administer cause and opportunity to his people.

As no place is capable of any holiness, under pretence of whatsoever dedication or consecration; so neither is it subject to such pollution by any superstition formerly used, and now laid aside, as may render it unlawful or inconvenient for Christians to meet together therein for the publick worship of God. And therefore we hold it requisite, that the places of publick assembling for worship among us should be continued and employed to that use.

The Reformation was built and stood on the principles of Sola Scriptura. By Scripture Alone. The Regulative Principle also stands on the same principle. Can any Presbyterian, who denies or rejects the teachings of our Reformed fore-fathers, and instead opts for celebrating the Christ mass and Easter, expressly rejected by our Reformed fore-fathers,  and even more importantly has no warrant from the word of God, in truth say they are reformed? Because I humbly suggest they cannot. There is far more to Calvinism than T.U.L.I.P. Calvin's Calvinism, is not met by the majority of the Reformed churches today, they say they are following Calvin while practicing entirely opposing things to what man himself did.
There is a huge difference in my opinion, in people who are open to the truth, but may not have arrived at a full understanding of this yet,  to those who just utterly reject this principle, on no Biblical grounds whatsoever. Scripture is either sufficient or is it not? And if Sola Scriptura is what the Reformation was built upon, why would Reformed people now want to add to Scripture? The argument is commonly used that God never forbade it. It's something I don't have the health to go into at this point in time, but, He never commanded it. And in other places in Scripture one can only draw the conclusion by sure and necessary consequence it is an abomination in his site, and an unacceptable sacrifice.

Is any Presbyterian who may read this, willing to argue against Sola Scriptura?  And if not, if also partaking of man made festival days, we are expressly denying the sufficiency of Scripture while proclaiming with our lips by Scripture alone.  As I have said a thousand times,  Actions speak much louder than words.

Again, like a post last week, this is not a blog post about the fourth commandment, but again I will use it as an example. If setting the whole day aside for religious duties and sanctifying the day completely to God, denying ourselves our livings, (paid labour), our recreations, or doing the things we do on the other six days for our own pleasure and delight, is burdensome, wearisome, and something you say is not a requirement of God, that it is too strict, too precise, we are back again to lowering the standard so that our consciences may sleep, and we may make some semblance of respectability among like-minded Christians. Yet if that is the case, since Heaven is an everlasting Sabbath, how do you think anyone who finds setting one day aside per week for the performance of devotions and praise and religious duties, aside from the works of necessity or mercy, will belong or fit in or enjoy an everlasting Sabbath in heaven, when one has so defiled and despised the Sabbath day in this world?
If God lowers his standard to the standard that would suit many people, then God would be a sinner, his word would be a lie, and there would be no standard of righteousness to meet. But there is.
If you find keeping the whole of the Lord's Day set aside for religious dutie burdensome, then why would you want to even go to Heaven for the everlasting Sabbath when it is so distasteful to you here? It makes no sense.
And yes, people plead ignorance on the fourth commandment because it is not a clear, thou shalt not do this or that, or thou shalt do this or that command, but then that reflects sloth and lack of diligence on their part; we need to know the mind of God, as much as we can by being diligent in the Word of God. Ignorance will never be an excuse that justifies oneself before God that he gives leave to be "Okay" for the Christian to remain ignorant about the fourth commandment or any other aspect of import in the Christian life.

Joseph Alleine wrote on ignorance:

(Hos. 4:6). O how many poor souls does this sin kill in the dark, while they think verily they have good hearts, and are all set for heaven. This is the murderer that dispatches thousands in a silent manner, when they suspect nothing, and do not see the hand that destroys them. You shall find, whatever excuses you make for ignorance, that it is a soul ruining evil (Isa. 27:11; 2 Thess 1:8; 2 Cor 4:3). Ah, would it not have grieved a man's heart to see that dreadful spectacle when the poor Protestants were shut up in a barn, and a butcher came, with his hands warmed in human blood, and led them one by one, blindfold, to a block where he slew them one after another by scores, in cold blood? But how much more should your hearts bleed to think of the hundreds that ignorance destroys in secret and leads blindfold to the block. Beware that this is not your case. Make no plea for ignorance; if you spare that sin, know that it will not spare you; and would a man keep a murderer in his bosom?

You see if you have been a Christian many a year, and are still pleading ignorance over the fourth commandment or any other important matters of Scripture, then you have real cause to doubt your conversion, because there is no excuse; ignorance really is a choice; but when ignorance reigns in the heart about what God has left us to tell us how he wants us to live, His standard for the Christian, His Holy Word, it can only be because we chose to spend our time on other things, of much less importance, to spend our time on trvials because they were more pleasing to our flesh than spending the time it takes to seek out what God says, about this subject or that subject, until we are sure in our mind, and have been taught by the Holy Ghost Himself straight out of the pages of Scripture, and have been like the Bereans and searched the Scriptures, not taken what Calvin said, as the last word, or our pastor or learned friends, only what God teaches us Himself by our diligent study of the Bible is living real faith, anything else is the same thing as the implicit faith of the papists, because this man or that man or woman says so we believe it, without knowing what God says about it HImself. Unless our beliefs be firm and sure, and we are convicted that this is what GOD HIMSELF teaches, then we will remain a loose canon who can easily be talked out of such and such a belief by someone else as equally learned as the first person who talked us into the belief in the first place. The patristic fathers, our learned friends are all good helps and aids for our study, but they should never be the final authority, the only final authority should be an appeal to Scripture and what does God say.
Every soul is heaven born, though we all enter this world at enmity with God, we are God's prized creation for we alone bear his image in us; Yet we live so often in ignorance of what God says and of lowering His standard, to our level, rather than us upping our game to Biblical Christianity and seeking him with all our hearts souls and minds; and what a travesty and tragedy to see the lords of this lower world preferring the husks in the sty like the prodigal, rather than feeding on manna from heaven.
Does anyone believe God left us His written word, and preserved it through all the persecutions of the past, and brought the greatest event since the Apostolic age about in the Protestant Reformation to set it free again, for us to remain ignorant of what He says in it?
Yes, I agree, the Westminster divines, and Calvin's brand of Calvinism, which is often not the same Calvinism we frequently see today, and the puritans did have strict, precise standards, and it was exactly as Richard Rogers says, that he was so precise, because he served a precise God. Like the true neo-puritans of today, they recognized just what the standard of righteousness and holiness is for us required by God, and did not try to lower it, to meet their humanity, but upped their game as they matured in their faith, to rise higher and higher though still imperfectly, but knowing it was the only rule for righteousness and the only standard acceptable to God.
I shall close this blog post with another quote by Joseph Alleine, on something that he heads as: "A secret Enmity against the strictness of religion."

Many moral persons, punctilious in their formal devotions, have yet a bitter enmity against strictness and zeal and hate the life and power of religion. They do not like this forwardness, nor that men should make such a stir in religion. They condemn the strictness of religion as singularity, indiscretion, and intemperate zeal, and with them a zealous preacher or fervent Christian is but a wild enthusiast. These men do not love holiness as holiness (for then they would love the height of holiness) and are therefore undoubtedly rotten at heart, whatever good opinion they have of themselves.
—Joseph Alleine

That blog post created some controversy, though I also had some positive feedback about it away from this blog site itself, but it was not my declaration that all Calvinist's are the frozen chosen, in fact, it was my contention that to be so, is the most uncalvinistic and even more, unchristian outlook one can have. One filled with self and not with God.

Calvin himself, the man of whom Calvinists take their name, though not their faith, but he was the man who after a thousand years of popish darkness set forth the true religion once again, by his immaculate writings that could have only come from the mind of a genius.  From his first edition of the Institutes in 1536, he never varied  from those doctrines, even though he was a young convert at the time.  By the time the last edition was published however, in 1559, he had expanded on them enormously, because his first edition was only six chapters, and he wrote it for the french refugees and Protestants of France as a simple manual or summary of Christian doctrine.  His last edition however,  was more of an introduction to Scripture for any student of God, and particularly of pastors. Since his final edition has over 7,000 Scripture references in it, it can be truly said it is an introduction to Scripture and Biblical doctrine.

I plan to start a series on Calvin, to again debunk many of the myths, fables, and in some cases downright malicious lies that have existed and been handed down the centuries about him, as a monster or the dictator of Geneva.  There is more than ample proof to prove these literary pieces that started the ball rolling in the time of Calvin was nothing more than malicious propaganda and a fulfilling of Isa.:5:20

But going back to my post on Calvinist's should not be the frozen chosen, the very point of that post is that to be a Calvinist and yet act like the frozen chosen towards the brethren, is an oxymoron. And those who do, shame the name of Calvinism, and it's noble heritage and this short quote by B.B. Warfield shows how the man himself of who Calvinist's take their name from was nothing like that.  I have had the dark providence to know many who were not one iota like Calvin, but  I have the good providence in more recent times, to have new Calvinist friends, among many are not like those I formerly knew.

Calvin was a man of letters, no one can dispute that. HIstory bears it out and the works he has left us, about which only half thus far have been translated into English.  But much of his writing comprised of letter writing. The ones that have remained, fill four full volumes of works, and its a sure dunk that many didn't stand the test of time and got lost. Most of the Reformation itself, and the very real spiritual war that was going on, was conducted by letter.  People who criticize the use of email don't seem to know their history very well,  as email is just another form of letter, and in those days when it could take a whole year for a single letter to arrive somewhere, it seems to me with the technological tools we have today, we should also be able to conduct our own reformation with much more power because we are not in those primitive times.

B.B Warfield writes:

Of one other product of his literary activity, however,  a special word seems demanded. Calvin was the great letter-writer of the Reformation age. About four thousand of his letters have come down to us, some of them almost of the dimensions of treatises, many of them practically theological tractates, but many of them also of the most intimate character in which he pours out his heart. In these letters we see the real Calvin, the man of profound religious convictions and rich religious life, of high purpose and noble strenuousness, of full and freely flowing human affections and sympathies. In them he rebukes rulers and instructs statesmen, and strengthens and comforts saints. Never a perplexed pastor but has from him a word of encouragement and counsel; never a martyr but has from him a word of heartening and consolation. Perhaps no friend ever more affectionately leaned on his friends; certainly no friend ever gave himself so ungrudgingly to his friends. Had he written these letters alone, Calvin would take his place among the great Christians and the great Christian leaders of the world.
Benjamin B. Warfield Calvin and Calvinism Vol 5 of the Works of B.B. Warfield.

You see Calvin was not the frozen chosen, he knew how to be a friend to those in need. And he accomplished his labours not only in primitive times, but in the worst of circumstances that anyone could have.  And anyone claiming to be a Calvinist who acts like the frozen chosen is an oxymoron. To be the frozen chosen is to be an antinomian, because if you do not love one's neighbour as oneself, then the whole of the law is broken, and the whole sum of the law, and one's love to God questionable. As only when we love God aright, will we also love our fellow man aright also.

This is a series that will be continued on Calvin uncovered.

The law has become obfuscated in our day and age, of what exactly if any relevance the moral law, the ten commandments has to do with New Testament Christians. You will find all kinds of variances, there is much antinomianism about, and there is still people adding to God’s Word and gong further than Scripture requires.

The order one brings God’s law into having anyone to do with life, at least in sincerity, has a lot to do with this subject. For one to uphold the law as much as we are able, and to attempt to, before we have been justified sinners before God, is legalism, we are trying to work our way to heaven, yet without being justified before God by the blood of Christ and having His righteousness imputed to us, it's all folly and vanity. Much like the lawyers of the New Testament that Christ called a brood of vipers.

No one will get to heaven, or be true Christians, no matter how much we try to live by the Law of God, without first having gone to the Lord in faith, and had your sins washed clean with His precious blood, and so standing righteous in his sight. The order of things is of import. The first thing in the order of faith is the above.

Any good works before that will not merit anyone out of hell.

But there is a lot of confusion today amongst New Testament Christians about exactly how or if the law applies to us today. To try and follow it to the letter, when justified sinners before God, will often get the call of “Legalist” brought down upon our heads. Yet what is the moral Law as given in the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai? It is a reflection of God’s nature, and it tells us who and what He is above almost anything else.

This is not going to be a blog post about the fourth commandment, but I am using the fourth commandment as an example here because it is the one I hear most often that people do not understand how this applies today. That we are not under law but under grace and that it's not put down as clearly as the other commandments are. The rest of the commandments say, thou shalt not, or thou shalt. Thou shalt not kill, is quite easy to interpret, same as thou shalt not commit adultery. We can all understand that in an instant. But some parts of Scripture are not all written in the same exacting way.
It took Tertullian to first bring the doctrine of the Trinity to the church, because in Scripture the Word trinity never appears, and it is only indicated at it being so. Tertullian was a study of Scripture, and this seems often where we go wrong today. We want the answers handed to us on a plate without doing the work that all Christians should do on their own behalf to find out what God is saying about any given subject. We ask this person, or that person; we ask as Calvinist’s what Calvin thought. The one place we don’t seem to go though is to appeal to God to illuminate us and go to His Word to put the hours in, the study in, to find out what is meant exactly by, “Remember the Sabbath day, and Keep it holy.”
Is it a symptom of the immediate everything society we live in? Perhaps. It’s also a sign of sloth and of us not delighting in God’s Word if we are not prepared to study it to that extent, to be like the Berean's and search the Scriptures to see what God is saying and meaning exactly by Exodus 20:8.
In cases like that, we need to go to all of Scripture and find all the places where the subject is brought up, and study all those places together, so that we get a systematic belief that becomes plainer the more systematized it is, and so that we can be left in no doubt. God did not leave us in darkness over the Ten Commandments and what He requires or expects of us. The answers to everything that is not plain in one place can be found by studying the whole of Scripture. Scripture interprets Scripture is an old and very true saying.

Anyone who refuses to do so, but keeps asking this person or that person, instead of going to the source in my opinion has good reason to question their conversion, especially over matters regarding the law. As what was David’s attitude in Psalm 119 that he delighted in the law and meditated on it day and night. In Psalm 19 he calls it perfect. Something perfect is not going to be changed. You cannot improve on perfect, and if the Moral law of God changed, that would indicate that God had changed too, in which case. If He was changeable He would not already be perfect so could not be God.
We read Jesus say: Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
And he did fulfil the law. The only man since Adam and Eve fell and put a curse on the rest of us who ever had or whoever will by living a sinless life. But by his fulfilling it to the letter, then he re-established it for those who are his people who came after him. Following Christ means being conformed to him and to imitate him. He fulfilled the law perfectly, (which we can never do) but the more we try to do so, the being conformed to Christ we will be becoming. Because first comes justification, then we are followers of Christ and having the moral law as our rule of faith and practice is what makes for the sanctified Christian.
The law each and every one of them, has a lot more meat on the bones of what they actually mean, besides the one or two lines stated in the Old Testament. For instance, I have known folk who thought though shalt not commit false witness, simply meant you shouldn’t perjure yourself in court!! There is a whole lot more to that law than that, but the folk who believe that’s what it teaches were not students of Scripture nor delighted in the law of God like David did, or they would have had after many years of professing faith much more than such a basic simple knowledge as that.
You can’t be saved by the law, by doing works without first being justified by God. But you can’t be saved without the law either. Anyone who is truly justified by and before God will do good works and obey the law of God as much as any human can, as a consequence of saving faith and saving grace. God does not tell us to do what he does not give us the tools to do. What God requires of us, he gives the grace to us to do it with. So if we are not following God, and obeying his rules, yes rules I say, Do this and live, or don’t do this and die, which appear in Scripture can quite justly be called rules, the Law of God. God’s Rules and not man’s rules. But if you mention the word rules to folk at times again you will have the word Legalist come crashing down upon your head. A parent gives its child rules to follow. As long as the child obeys it stays in favour with its parents. Once it disobeys it will be punished and out of favour. And God clearly says in both covenants, do this and live. With every promise comes a threatening and a curse, the promise is for if we do obey , the threatening is what will happen and the curse being pronounced upon us if we don’t and are not ignorant new born babes, there is a very good chance we have had no real conversion. Jesus fulfilled the Law as he states in Matt. 5:17 and his people need to establish it upon the earth as his rule of thumb and it is one way He is glorified, and the more people who do, the more dominion and rule Christ will have upon the earth, because his values and morals will be becoming and more and more established the greater number of professing Christians who live the law out in life and practice.

We will either accept the whole moral law, or we reject it, and if we do that, we reject Christ along with it, because the law is the Revelation of God’s character and nature. And if we try to keep the ones that are desirous and pleasing to us, but not the ones that don't please our flesh, we break one law, the whole law is broken. (James 2:10)
When we are justified before God, and his righteousness imputed to us, the law leads to our sanctification. The unsanctified Christian does not exist it’s an oxymoron, at least Christians that have professed so any length of time. The law teaches us what is right and wrong and what is meant by being holy. Because the sum of holiness is summed up in those ten commandments, but again, we have to dig a lot deeper to find out the full scope of each law.
Let us be like the Berean's and search the Scriptures to see what God is saying to us and to testify of Him who perfectly kept and fulfilled the Law. (John 5:39) Ignorance is a choice if we do not. As every bit of Scripture is for our good. 1 Tim. 3:16 The Law is alive the Law is real, and without it, no one will go to Heaven. Because only those who are justified before God will be given the grace needed to obey it and so be sanctified by it.
Obey God by doing His revealed will, and do this and live. It’s the only path a true Christian, one justified before God, can follow.  If the moral law was not still enforce, then no one would need a Saviour.

And let us pray along with Augustine: Grant what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt. Because unless that is fulfilled, we will not see the face of God.

As Walter Marshall wrote:

One cause of these errors, that are so contrary one to the other, is, that many are prone to imagine nothing else to be meant by salvation, but to be delivered from hell, and to enjoy heavenly happiness and glory: hence they conclude, that, if good works be a means of glorification, and precedent to it, they must also be a precedent means of our whole salvation; and that, if they be not a necessary means of our whole salvation, they are not necessary at all to glorification. But though salvation be often taken in Scripture by way of eminency, for its fperfection in the state of heavenly glory; yet according to its full and proper signification, we are to understand by it, all that freedom from evil of our natural corrupt state, and all those holy and happy enjoyments that we receive from Christ our Saviour either in this world by faith, or in the world to come by glorfication. Thus justification, the gift of the Spirit to dwell in us, the priviledges of adoption are parts of our salvation which we take part of in this life. Thus also, the conformity of our hearts to the law of God, and the fruits of righteousness with which we are filled by Jesus Christ, in this life, are a necessary part of our salvation.—God saveth us from our sinful uncleanness here, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost as well as from hell hereafter (Ezek. xxxvi.29; Titus iii.5). Christ was called Jesus, that is a Saviour, because he saved his people from their sins. (Matt i. 21). Therefore it is part of our salvation to deliver us from our sins, which is begun in this life, by justification and sanctification, and perfected by glorification in the life to come.

The chains fell off and at once I
was like Bunyan's Christian in Pilgrim's Progress:

What a fool I have been, to lie like this in a stinking dungeon, when I could have just as well walked free. In my chest pocket I have a key called Promise that will, I am thoroughly persuaded, open any lock in Doubting-Castle." "Then," said Hopeful, "that is good news. My good brother, do immediately take it out of your chest pocket and try it." Then Christian took the key from his chest and began to try the lock of the dungeon door; and as he turned the key, the bolt unlocked and the door flew open with ease, so that Christian and hopeful immediately came out.—John Bunyan

Bunyan spoke of the often painful experience of conversion in his excellency of a broken heart, And he spoke from experience and it is one I can so relate with. That kind of torment and angush may not be common to everone's conversion experience but it is to some.

Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think . . . . It is wounding work, of course, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding there is no saving. . . . Where there is grafting there is a cutting, the scion must be let in with a wound; to stick it on to the outside or to tie it on with a string would be of no use. Heart must be set to heart and back to back, or there will be no sap from root to branch, and this I say, must be done by a wound. —John Bunyan

Faith, and expeirmental religion, is not just a word its a whole man change and all at once. Yes, someone can be a babe in Christ, and yet the whole man is still changed, and a new convert there most pleasing hours will be spent on meditating on the lovliness of Christ and our best endeavours to please him by being obedient children, will be driving us on to grow in grace and holiness and the power of godliness. Except for it was somewhere in the last 18 months I cannot say when, but I know the change took place. So that my sufferings, and the hauntings of a painful most incredible past, don't control me, or bring out behavour in me that does not belong in the life of a Christian. The power of godliness is real, and alive, and you cannot fake it in this much affliction, tho that may not be true for most average folks, and even so I still lack assurance, and yet when I read things that is speaking of examining our own hearts, I don't just feel the checklist kind of thing like I used to do, that never be so blatant for me to say I didn't pass the questions, there was room for doubt, now even though I am a poor doubting Christian in many respects, I know by every bit of my fibre, that the change God has wrought in me was supenatural and only by the power of godliness could I now rise above this furnace that is seven times hotter to praise God even when in the hottest part of it. Sometimes, despite how ill I am, and how alone in that awful amout of illness, I spend hours thinking about God's providence and the change he has wrought in me and how he did it. I don't do it to feel pleased about myself, but his love is so manifest in it, so wondrous to me how he did it, in such extraordinary circumstances, when I did not have the aids, benefits and encouragments or even teaching as other folks get, and with cognitive impairment to boot, I marvel at his works at how wondrous they are, and how nothing can stop him from make those he chose from before the foundation of the world his blessed childen; no hindrances, obstacles, stumbling blocks, or the plagues of our own hearts will stop him, and he will go to extraordinary or unusual means to make this happen if ordinary means are not available. Because God is all powerful and nothing can thwart hsi will. When I think about where I've been, what I've seen, and lived through, and what a life of terrible affliction I am still left with and yet feel so blessed and so content despite it, that it can only be the power of godliness and I rejoice in my Lord for making it so. I would live a hundred years in this condition if He willed me to, rather than the last six preceding it, where in temporal terms I was actually richer, because God alone is my portion and what a wondrous God he is, to stoop so low to someone like me; the one the world rejected from the day I was born. It makes me weep, but not with sadness, but at the love of a perfect Saviour, for someone who was so rebellious and denied his goodness for so long, because of my afflictons, it makes me weep, that he stooped so low, despite myself. And when the going gets tough, I remember how but for amazing grace, I could be in hell now. Or tomorrow or next week, and remember the wickedness of my own heart and how in such utter torment, I hurt the people I loved most of all. Yes I am forgiven, but I will never forget. Because what such affliction in the middle of the spiritual anguish of never quite closing with Christ had never been part of my personality before, and I loathe what came out of my heart, towards the people who were kindest to me, and least deserving of it. I think its very true that when we are hurting, we really do hurt the ones we love, not because we get pleasure out of it, but because we don't know how not to.
I was on a roundabout that I couldn't get off and so wanted it to stop, but I didn't know how to make it stop, until the power of godliness was put in me by God giving me a through conversion. And yes, this life can be hard, and awefully lonely, but I never weep for my afflictions in any longer without also weeping for my sins.
I had Charles Spurgeon's Lectures to my student's come the weekend, and he wrote this:

People go to their place of worship and sit down comfortably and think they must be Christians, when all the time all that their religion consists in, is listening to an orator, having their ears tickled with music, and perhaps their eyes amused with graceful actions and fashionable manners; the whole being no better than what they hear and see at the opera.–not so good, perhaps, in point of aesthetic beauty, and not an atom more spiritual. Thousands are congratulating themselves, and even blessing God that they are devout worshippers, when a the same time they are living in an unregenerate Christless state, having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. He who presides over a system which aims at nothing better than formalism, is far more a servant of the devil than a minister of God.
—Charles Spurgeon

Though aimed at ministers it applies to all professors of Christ. People often make rash judgements over another's soul on the silliest pretext, yet, sometimes judgements can be made and should be made, righteous judgments. If someone has Christ, they will have the power of godliness. They will be living to serve God and not themselves, and following the commandments he gives us in the moral law to stay within his will and keep his favour. What child likes to displease or be out of favour with a parent? If the power of godliness is not there, and you have someone who practices antinomianism, because they do not have the power of godliness to follow the commands of God required of his chosen people, there is a time for either thinking their profession is in vain, or stepping back and thinking it likely they be unsaved despite their profession, but be in wait and see mode, to see if they grow in godliness and if the power of godliness comes through in their lives. If it doesn't, then there is little reason or rationale to consider them true believers. The power of godliness is not empty or weak or vain. It's power is saving, its power is changing, and its a power that the believer will be consumed by, even though we all have our dry seasons or seasons of lethargy.
Let us pray we have the power of godliness and do as much as lies in us, to hold onto it, by caring for our souls as carefully as we should, and not being reckless, as often it just takes one small step out of the right way, for you to find yourself completely out of the way. Let us pray for God to keep us, and to give us the power to do, all we need to do, to be true servants of his, truly joined to him, and not only by a profession, without that power of godliness ruling our lives and God and the authority of Scripture being our first and last measure of eveyrthing in life.

Matthew Henry writes this on 2 Peter 1:3

1. An account of the way and means whereby grace and peace are multiplied–it is through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ; this acknowledging or believing in the only living and true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, is the great improvement of spiritual life, or it could not be the way to life eternal, Joh 17:3.

2. The ground of the apostle's faith in asking, and of the Christian's hope in expecting, the increase of grace. What we have already received should encourage us to ask for more; he who has begun the work of grace will perfect it. Observe, (1.) The fountain of all spiritual blessings is the divine power of Jesus Christ, who could not discharge all the office of Mediator, unless he was God as well as man. (2.) All things that have any relation to, and influence upon, the true spiritual life, the life and power of godliness, are from Jesus Christ; in him all fulness dwells, and it is from him that we receive, and grace for grace (Joh 1:16), even all that is necessary for the preserving, improving, and perfecting of grace and peace, which, according to some expositors, are called here in 2Pe 1:3 godliness and life. (3.) Knowledge of God, and faith in him, are the channel whereby all spiritual supports and comforts are conveyed to us; but then we must own and acknowledge God as the author of our effectual calling, for so he is here described: Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Observe here, The design of God in calling or converting men is to bring them to glory and virtue, that is, peace and grace, as some understand it; but many prefer the marginal rendering, by glory and virtue; and so we have effectual calling set forth as the work of the glory and virtue, or the glorious power, of God, which is described Eph 1:19. It is the glory of God's power to convert sinners; this is the power and glory of God which are seen and experienced in his sanctuary (Ps 63:2); this power or virtue is to be extolled by all that are called out of darkness into marvellous light, 1Pe 2:9. (4.) In the 2Pe 1:4 the apostle goes on to encourage their faith and hope in looking for an increase of grace and peace, because the same glory and virtue are employed and evidenced in giving the promises of the gospel that are exercised in our effectual calling. Observe, [1.] The good things which the promises make over are exceedingly great. Pardon of sin is one of the blessings here intended; how great this is all who know any thing of the power of God's anger will readily confess, and this is one of those promised favours in bestowing whereof the power of the Lord is great, Nu 14:17. To pardon sins that are numerous and heinous (every one of which deserves God's wrath and curse, and that for ever) is a wonderful thing, and is so called, Ps 119:18. [2.] The promised blessings of the gospel are very precious; as the great promise of the Old Testament was the Seed of the woman, the Messiah (Heb 11:39), so the great promise of the New Testament is the Holy Ghost (Lu 24:49), and how precious must the enlivening, enlightening, sanctifying Spirit be! [3.] Those who receive the promises of the gospel partake of the divine nature. They are renewed in the spirit of their mind, after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness; their hearts are set for God and his service; they have a divine temper and disposition of soul; though the law is the ministration of death, and the letter killeth, yet the gospel is the ministration of life, and the Spirit quickeneth those who are naturally dead in trespasses and sins. [4.] Those in whom the Spirit works the divine nature are freed from the bondage of corruption. Those who are, by the Spirit of grace, renewed in the spirit of their mind, are translated into the liberty of the children of God; for it is the world in which corruption reigns. Those who are not of the Father, but of the world, are under the power of sin; the world lies in wickedness, 1Jo 5:19. And the dominion that sin has in the men of the world is through lust; their desires are to it, and therefore it rules over them. The dominion that sin has over us is according to the delight we have in it. MHWBC

John Calvin who is quite greivously slandered and misrepresented in death as much as he was in life, made this well known statement:

Doctrine is not an affair of the tongue, but of the life; is not apprehended by the intellect and memory merely, like other branches of learning; but is received only when it possesses the whole soul, and finds its seat and habitation in the inmost recesses of the heart.

Experimental religion doesn't just appear as good theology, and doctrinal learning, it reaches into every recess of our lives and practices, it affects the whole man in the whole of life. It certainly doesn't make us blocks of stone, because true Christianity, is about having tender hearts, and having the attributes that God does, though in a less perfect way, some of those ways being compassion, loving-kindness, long-suffering, and a few others I could mention.
This is a subjet that until a short time ago, I could not have written about without it turning into a rant at the cold, discompassionate Christians I have known, who have only sought their own or immediate families welfare, and anyone outside of that doesn't count, and their soul is not worth nurturing, but now I am detached enough from the hurts I have felt for a very long time, since first being strapped to a sick bed, and left to basically die alone, by Christian "friends" both in my local vicinity and "friends" in the online world, whose faith didn't extend outside their own four walls, or barely at least. But it is long over-due for saying even so.
In the times of the Reformers and puritans and Scots Covenanters, these people had a deep care and concern for the welfare of their brethren. Calvin never heard of an afflicted church, or someone awaiting martrydom, but he would write them a letter of comfort and consolation even if they were in different countries. He was not one of the frozen chosen.
This was displayed clearly in his concern for Servetus. Forget the fables you have read about that whole case, if you want to read an accurate account of events of Calvin and Sevetus then I may suggest you read an accurate and well researched account I posted some time ago, HERE.
If Michael Servetus at the last, escaped the flames of hell, it would have been because of how God used John Calvin to talk him out of his heresy. And there are some reports that when in the flames the last words he was heard to utter was, "eternal Father, accept my Spirit" I hope that is the case. But Calvin persevered so tirelessly in the case of Servetus because of his concern for his soul. It is why he was so frequent a visitor to him in his prison cell as he awaited execution, because he wanted him to repent before he died. Calvin certain wasn't one of the frozen chosen.

The Wesminster Directory for the Publick Worship of God says this about visiting the sick:
Concerning Visitation of the Sick.

IT is the duty of the minister not only to teach the people committed to his charge in publick, but privately; and particularly to admonish, exhort, reprove, and comfort them, upon all seasonable occasions, so far as his time, strength, and personal safety will permit.

He is to admonish them, in time of health, to prepare for death; and, for that purpose, they are often to confer with their minister about the estate of their souls; and, in times of sickness, to desire his advice and help, timely and seasonably, before their strength and understanding fail them.

Times of sickness and affliction are special opportunities put into his hand by God to minister a word in season to weary souls: because then the consciences of men are or should be more awakened to bethink themselves of their spiritual estate for eternity; and Satan also takes advantage then to load them more with sore and heavy temptations: therefore the minister, being sent for, and repairing to the sick, is to apply himself, with all tenderness and love, to administer some spiritual good to his soul, to this effect.

He may, from the consideration of the present sickness, instruct him out of scripture, that diseases come not by chance, or by distempers of body only, but by the wise and orderly guidance of the good hand of God to every particular person smitten by them. And that, whether it be laid upon him out of displeasure for sin, for his correction and amendment, or for trial and exercise of his graces, or for other special and excellent ends, all his sufferings shall turn to his profit, and work together for his good, if he sincerely labour to make a sanctified use of God's visitation, neither despising his chastening, nor waxing weary of his correction.

If he suspect him of ignorance, he shall examine him in the principles of religion, especially touching repentance and faith; and, as he seeth cause, instruct him in the nature, use, excellency, and necessity of those graces; as also touching the covenant of grace; and Christ the Son of God, the Mediator of it; and concerning remission of sins by faith in him.

He shall exhort the sick person to examine himself, to search and try his former ways, and his estate towards God.

And if the sick person shall declare any scruple, doubt, or temptation that are upon him, instructions and resolutions shall be given to satisfy and settle him.

If it appear that he hath not a due sense of his sins, endeavours ought to be used to convince him of his sins, of the guilt and desert of them; of the filth and pollution which the soul contracts by them; and of the curse of the law, and wrath of God, due to them; that he may be truly affected with and humbled for them: and withal make known the danger of deferring repentance, and of neglecting salvation at any time offered; to awaken his conscience, and rouse him up out of a stupid and secure condition, to apprehend the justice and wrath of God, before whom none can stand, but he that, lost in himself, layeth hold upon Christ by faith.

If he hath endeavoured to walk in the ways of holiness, and to serve God in uprightness, although not without many failings and infirmities; or, if his spirit be broken with the sense of sin, or cast down through want of the sense of God's favour; then it will be fit to raise him up, by setting before him the freeness and fulness of God's grace, the sufficiency of righteousness in Christ, the gracious offers in the gospel, that all who repent, and believe with all their heart in God's mercy through Christ, renouncing their own righteousness, shall have life and salvation in him. It may be also useful to shew him, that death hath in it no spiritual evil to be feared by those that are in Christ, because sin, the sting of death, is taken away by Christ, who hath delivered all that are his from the bondage of the fear of death, triumphed over the grave, given us victory, is himself entered into glory to prepare a place for his people: so that neither life nor death shall be able to separate them from God's love in Christ, in whom such are sure, though now they must be laid in the dust, to obtain a joyful and glorious resurrection to eternal life.

Advice also may be given, as to beware of an ill-grounded persuasion on mercy, or on the goodness of his condition for heaven, so to disclaim all merit in himself, and to cast himself wholly upon God for mercy, in the sole merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, who hath engaged himself never to cast off them who in truth and sincerity come unto him. Care also must be taken, that the sick person be not cast down into despair, by such a severe representation of the wrath of God due to him for his sins, as is not mollified by a sensible propounding of Christ and his merit for a door of hope to every penitent believer.

When the sick person is best composed, may be least disturbed, and other necessary offices about him least hindered, the minister, if desired, shall pray with him, and for him, to this effect:

"Confessing and bewailing of sin original and actual; the miserable condition of all by nature, as being children of wrath, and under the curse; acknowledging that all diseases, sicknesses, death, and hell itself, are the proper issues and effects thereof; imploring God's mercy for the sick person, through the blood of Christ; beseeching that God would open his eyes, discover unto him his sins, cause him to see himself lost in himself, make known to him the cause why God smiteth him, reveal Jesus Christ to his soul for righteousness and life, give unto him his Holy Spirit, to create and strengthen faith to lay hold upon Christ, to work in him comfortable evidences of his love, to arm him against temptations, to take off his heart from the world, to sanctify his present visitation, to furnish him with patience and strength to bear it, and to give him perseverance in faith to the end.

That, if God shall please to add to his days, he would vouchsafe to bless and sanctify all means of his recovery; to remove the disease, renew his strength, and enable him to walk worthy of God, by a faithful remembrance, and diligent observing of such vows and promises of holiness and obedience, as men are apt to make in times of sickness, that he may glorify God in the remaining part of his life.

And, if God have determined to finish his days by the present visitation, he may find such evidence of the pardon of all his sins, of his interest in Christ, and eternal life by Christ, as may cause his inward man to be renewed, while his outward man decayeth; that he may behold death without fear, cast himself wholly upon Christ without doubting, desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, and so receive the end of his faith, the salvation of his soul, through the only merits and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, our alone Saviour and all-sufficient Redeemer."

The minister shall admonish him also (as there shall be cause) to set his house in order, thereby to prevent inconveniences; to take care for payment of his debts, and to make restitution or satisfaction where he hath done any wrong; to be reconciled to those with whom he hath been at variance, and fully to forgive all men their trespasses against him, as he expects forgiveness at the hand of God.

Lastly, The minister may improve the present occasion to exhort those about the sick person to consider their own mortality, to return to the Lord, and make peace with him; in health to prepare for sickness, death, and judgment; and all the days of their appointed time so to wait until their change come, that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, they may appear with him in glory.

The whole document can read at one of my sister sites 2. Covenanted Reformation.

William Perkins, who is said to be the father of English puritans, and the first puritan, first  congregation was in a jail in Cambridge. He worked tirelessly with these men, many of them facing execution for their crimes, and he worked often never seeing the wages for his work.  One day however, a young man was awaiting execution at the jail, came to him in great distress about facing death, and his fear of it.  Perkins begged him and pleaded with him in tears, to accept Christ, telling him of the Gospel and how he could be sure of being like the thief on the cross and after execution be with Christ in paradise.  His tears and pleadings so affected the young prisoner that he did accept Christ, and he faced his execution with great courage, and it was a testimony to God's grace at how bravely he met his death.  William Perkins, was not one of the frozen chosen. Neither were the Westminster divines who penned the Director of Publick Worship.

It is often said of Samuel Rutherford, that his life was one self sacrifice and consisted of: "always praying, always preaching, always visiting the sick, always catechising, always writing and [always] studying."   Samuel Rutherford, was not one of the frozen chosen.

If you read for any time through Calvin's letters, you will see his words of comfort and consolation to those facing death, awaiting martydrom, exhorting them to be constant to the end, not only out of his pastors heart, but out of real concern for their souls.

Oliver Cromwell, whatever one may think of him in history, is another one who was deeply moved by the sufferings of the puritans.  Oliver Cromwell was not one of the frozen chosen.

If people are sick, and facing death or uncertain futures, they need to be built up and prepared to die, to be ready to meet their maker, for their souls to matter enough to spend time in trying to get them  to a good spiritual estate.  I was blessed to have one friend who was not one of the frozen chosen.

Richard Baxter in his "The Reformed Pastor" wrote his of ones duties towards the sick and/or dying.

We must be diligent in visiting the sick, and helping them to prepare either for a fruitful life, or a happy death. Though this should be the business of all our life and theirs, yet doth it, at such a season, require extraordinary care both of them and us. When time is almost gone, and they must now or never be reconciled to God, oh, how doth it concern them to redeem those hours, and to lay hold on eternal life! And when we see that we are like to have but a few days or hours more to speak to them, in order to their everlasting welfare, who, that is not a block or an infidel, would not be much with them, and do all he can for their salvation in that short space!
Will it not awaken us to compassion, to look on a languishing man, and to think that within a few days his soul be in heaven or hell? Surely it will try the faith and seriousness of ministers, to be much about dying men! They will thus have opportunity to discern whether they themselves are in good earnest about the matters of the life to come. So great is the change that is made by death, that it should awaken us to the greatest sensibility to see a man so near it, and should so excite in us the deepest pangs of compassion, to do the office of inferior angels for the soul, before it departs from the body, that it may be ready for the convoy of superior angels to the "inheritance of the saints in light." When a man is almost at his journey's end, and the next step brings him to heaven or hell, it is time for us, while their is hope, to help him if we can.
—Richard Baxter, "The Reformed Pastor" B.O.T. pp. 102

Richard Baxter was not one of the frozen chosen. But through my pilgrimage through this world in such an afflicted condition the last few years I seem to have sure come across and known and even been friends with alot of the frozen chosen, or as Baxter calls them "blocks or infidels."
It is not always the case among Calvinists today, but sadly it is too rife and I have seen and experienced that from the sharp end. Doctrine and theology maketh no man. A man with good doctrine and all his theological ducks lined up, and maybe even with the voice of an angel for the holy words he speaks, if his actions say otherwise, it counts not one iota, and the puritans and reformers, of which just a few instances there are above and there could be countless others added to it, were both theologically astute, but also practiced experimental religion and were very self denying and self sacrificing. Their brethren's sufferings mattered to them, they wept with those who wept, and had concern for their souls.
But finally, what does our good Lord say about the frozen chosen? In Matthew 25:31-46 he says thus which should deter anyone from being so self seeking or self serving only, to not be those mentioned in this passage because of the end that is threatened to them

Matthew 25:31-46 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Faith and religion is not passive, or just holy sounding words. Actions speak far louder than words, and show the inclination of our hearts, much more readily than any amount of holy sound words can ever do. Let us get back to the days of experimental religion. In the above example the whole sum of the law is broken, by not loving our neighboutr as ourself. And if we do not do so, then we do not love God aright either. As only when we love God rightly, we will be able to love our fellow man aright too. It does not only apply to Pastors, because we are all part of the royal priesthood

God would save all men if he could. He will actually save the greatest number achievable, without violating their free-will.

If the god that Geisler speaks of, was the God of Heaven and Earth, what an impotent god he would be. And man would be his own god, by having the casting vote on if God can do as He wills or not
Sadly, Geisler is respected often in Calvinistic circles. James White had a well-known debate with him a few years ago, over his book, Chosen but free–The Potter's Freedom.

Baxter had no doubt that the impulse and the ttheology behind the Antinomian quest for 'comfort' at all costs came from the pit, for its outcome in practice was this; men went to the Antinomians troubled about their sins and all the advice they recieved was to be troubled about them no longer for Christ had taken them away. Where the puritans had said, Put sin out of your life, the Antinomian said, Put it out of youro mind. Look at the law, consider your guilt, learn to hate sin and fear it and let it go, said the puritan. Look away from the Law, and forget your sins and guilt, look away from yourself and stop worrying, said the Antinomian. [J.I. Packer]

How familiar that viewpoint sounds today and how widespread it is among the church. It is of course a recoverable error, a repentable sin, but I still believe if not repented of, that it will lead those who hold to it to the end to the pit of hell.

And what method does Bunyan use to expose the deceit of the prosperity gospel?:

Mr Byends question:

Suppose a man, a minister ,a tradesman or such should see before him the favourable possibility of getting good things from this life. And suppose there is no way he can obtain them without at least in appearance becoming extraordinarily zealous in the points of religion with which he has no experience. May he not use this means to attain his end and yet remain a perfectly honest man?

Christian's Answer:

Even a babe in religion may answer ten thousand such questions. If it's unlawful to follow Christ to obtain loaves, as shown in John six, how much more, how much more abominable is it to make of Him and religion a stalking-horse to get and enjoy the world? Nor do we find anyone but heathen, hypocrites, devils and sorcerers who hold this opinion.

Those names are what Bunyan is calling Joel Osteen and other teachers of the prosperity gospel, and even more sadly, those who buy into it and have been seduced by lying spirits.

Yet the congregation were awed by this fellow. Just like many are today, by teachers of bad theology, or in some cases just plain heresy. And I also agree with Fuller, when he says that anyone who has sat under the ministry of the Word for any number of years, should be able to discern better. Ignorance is a choice in many instances. If we remain ignorant, after many years as a Christian, something is amiss. We cannot blame bad teachers because we all have the holy spirit. And those who led the battle cry of the Reformation, had without exception almost, all been deeply indoctrinated and immersed in the popish religion prior to the true conversion. Those men show and prove, that sometimes we make excuses for people, when we shouldn't.

Understanding that a certain preacher, who was reported to be more than ordinary evangelical, was to deliver a sermon in the town where I reside, and hearing some of my neighbours talk of going to hear "the gospel," I resolved to go too. I thought that I loved the gospel, and felt a concern for my neighbours' welfare: I wished therefore to observe, and form the best judgment I could of what it was to which they applied with an an emphasis that revered name.

I arrived, I believe unobserved, just after the naming of the text; and staid, though with some difficulty till the discourse was ended. I pass over what relates to manner and also much whimsical interpretation of Scripture; and shall now confine my remarks to the substance and drift of the discourse.

There were a few good things delivered, which, as they are stated in the Bible, are the support and joy of pious minds. I thought I could see how these things might please the real Christian though, on account of the confused manner of their being introduced, not the judicious christian. Pious people enjoy the good things they hear, and thus, being thus employed, they attend not to what is erroneous; or if they hear the words, let them go as points which they do not understand, but which they think the wider preacher and hearers do.

I cannot give you the plan of the sermon, for the preacher appeared not have had one. I recollect, however, in the course of his harangue, the following things.- -"Some men will tell you," said he, "that it is the duty of men to believe in Christ. These men say that you must get Christ, get grace, and that of yourselves; convert yourselves, make yourselves new creatures, get the Holy Spirit yourselves."&c. Here he went on with an a abundance of misrepresentation and slander, too foul to be repeated.

He asserted with the highest tone of confidence I ever heard in any place, much less in a pulpit, his own saint-ship; loudly and repeatedly declaiming to this effect.–"I must go to glory–I cannot be lost–I am safe as Christ—all the devils, all sins cannot hurt me!" In short, he preached himself, not Christ Jesus the Lord. He was his own theme. I believe, throughout one half at least of his sermon. He went over what he called his experience, but seemed to shun the dark part of it; and the whole tended to proclaim what a wonderful man he was. Little of Christ could be seen: he himself stood before him: and when his name did occur, I was shocked at the dishonour which appeared to be cast upon him.

All accurate distinction of character, such as is constantly maintained in the Scriptures, vanished before his vociferation. The audience was harangued in a way which left each one to suppose himself included among the blessed. This confusion of character was the ground on which he stood exclaiming, "I am saved–I am in Christ–I cannot be lost–sins and devils may surround me, but though I fall and sin, I am safe–Christ cannot let me go–lusts and corruptions may overwhelm me in filth and pollution, as a sea rolling over my head; but all this does not, cannot affect the new man–the new nature is not touched or sullied by this: it cannot sin, because it is born of God–I stand amidst this overwhelming sea unhurt." All this the hearers were told in substance, and persuaded to adopt; and it was sin and unbelief not to do so!

The whole was interspersed with levity, low wit, and great irreverence. On the most solemn subjects of "hell, devils and damnation," he raved like a Billingsgate or blasphemer. On the adorable and amazing names of the ever-blessed God, he rallied and sported with lightness and rant as was truly shocking. This was especially the case in his repeating of the words of the prophet Isaiah: "Who among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light; let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." The manner in which the sacred name was here used was highly profane and impious.

On returning from the place, I was affected with the delusion by which some of my neighbours were borne away, crying up the preacher as an oracle, "a bold defender of the gospel." To me his words appear to answer with great exactness to what is called by the apostle to Timothy, "profane and vain babbling;" and which, from an accurate observation, Paul declared, "Would increaser unto more ungodliness; and would eat as doth a canker," or gangrene. Need I ask, Can this be true religion The effects which it produces, both on individuals and on societies, sufficiently ascertain its nature. It was and is affecting to me to think what a state the world is in; so few making any profession of serious religion, and so few of those who do have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil. To think of Christian congregations who have heard the word of truth for a number of years being carried away with such preaching as this is humiliating and distressing to a reflecting mind. Alas, how easily men are imposed upon in their eternal concerns! It is not so with them in other things; but here the grossest imposture will go down with applause. Yet why do I thus speak? "There must needs be heresies, that they who are approved may be made manifest." [The Works of Andrew Fuller, B.O.T. pp. 1003]

Works of Andrew Fuller

They are both of course, globally recognized historical names of the church.  The true Church? Only God can know that for sure.  But John Wesley was the enemy of the Reformed faith in many ways, his being a rank Arminian.  Of course, no scholar of the Scriptures will ever be wrong about everything.  The same is true of Wesley.  But his name does not belong along side those of the Reformed tradition, do not mistake this.

I have had people use John Wesley to perhaps find a point of agreement with me, because they felt his name was synonymous with my beliefs.  Yet never was it further from the truth.

Recently, I had a commenter at one of my sites, advocating  Wesleyan like Perfectionism, something John Wesley also believed and taught.   I see this as a heresy, because it denies some very fundamental truths of the Scriptures. That of the sinfulness of man, it distorts what is meant by the sanctification of believers, and is just full of error. Whether it be a damnable heresy I would not like to say. But heresy I call it, and believe it is.

As an unbeliever, I knew the name of John Wesley, yet had never heard of Charles Spurgeon. His name goes before him, and his renown is much more out there and visible than more godly men, for the most part.  England is a Calvinistic deadlands, so its not that suprising it should be the case, since Wesley was an Arminian, and in that sense an enemy of the Reformed faith. Enemy of God?  Only God knows that.

In the book of Job we have Job in the opening sentences described as a perfect man who was upright and eschewed evil. [Job 1:1} Does this mean that Job had attained to this state of perfection that Wesley taught?

NO!

Perfect: Not that he had a legal perfection; such a perfection as the Papists now contend for; and assert possibly attainable, yet actually attained by many in this life: For what is man that he should be clean? And job himself, presses, Job.  9:20, If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse; he acknowledeth, Job 7:20. I have sinned. The perfection here spoken of is not an absolute legal perfection. [Joseph Caryl, "Practical observations on Job Vol 1]

You see, Wesley really was an enemy of the Reformed faith, because his Wesleyan perfectionism is actually papistry at its core.  So please can we quit, using the name of John Wesley, in Reformed circles or orthodox circles to think it carries any weight or has much credence associated with it.  And please can we quit turning out CD's with the likes of Calvin, Edwards, and Spurgeon on accompanied also by the name of John Wesley works, because the former have little to nothing in common with the latter!

Those of us who study church history, (as all Christians should–one cannot be a good Christian unless one does, IMO) often see this bunch mentioned, and some of their gross  debaucheries they committed, and often times violence. They have absolutely no relation at all to what we know as "Baptists."

"Upon Luther's first teachings in Germany, there arose many, who building on some of his principles, carried things much further than he did. The chief foundation he laid down, was that 'Scripture was to be the only rule of Christians.' Upon this many argued that the mystery of the Trinity and Christ's incarnation and sufferings, of the fall of man, and the aids of grace, were indeed philosophical subtleties, and only pretended to be deduced from Scripture, as almost all opinions of religion were, and therefore they rejected them. Amongst these, the baptism of infants was one. They held that to be no baptism, and so were re baptized. But from this, which was taken most notice of, as being a visible thing they carried all the general name of Anabaptists. [Bishop Burnet's History, Volume 2, p. 112.]

The thing I, Personally find sad when reading the above is that this little bit, Scripture was to be the only rule of Christians"  is now practiced as a minority even among the so-called Reformed churches.  We go so far, but only as far as it doesn't inconvenience us or go against our will. We pick and choose which Scriptures we embrace, and all the while we do it, we speak against the papists, as if they are the only enemies of religion, yet, by in my experience, far more harm is done to Christ, his church and His Cause, by those who are taught the Truth, Biblical Truth, and have it, yet don't embrace it, or only half-heartedly or luke-warm.  And we know what Scripture says about that. [Rev 3:16]  The reformation of Religion,  was never more again needed than today, but we shouldn't start with the outside in, of thinking we can correct the papists or anabaptists or any other false religions,  until we have cleansed from the inside out, and got our own house in order first.  The Reformed church today, though it has its solid faithful believers and teachers within it,  is the very essence of the cup, [Matt 23:25; Mark 7:4]

The false religions, as harmful and despicable as they are, are much easier to live with, than those who sit under  a faithful ministry, perhaps for many a long year, and are taught faithful doctrine, and  yet still reject the truth, because it is unpalatable, though they may accept the bits that are palatable to them. Which is why the Reformed church at large, has wandered far from the old paths, and far wide of the narrow or strait gate.  [Matt 7:13]