Thought for the Lord's Day - #60

For how in general doth the Holy Spirit teach us and enable us to pray? It is by these three things.

(1.) By giving us a spiritual insight into the promises of God and the grace of the covenant, whereby we know what to ask upon a spiritual view of the mercy and grace that God hath prepared for us.

(2.) By acquainting us with and giving us an experience of our wants, with a deep sense of them, such as we cannot bear without relief.

(3.) By creating and stirring up desires in the new creature, for his own preservation, increase and improvement.

And in answer unto these things, consisteth his whole work of sanctification in us. For it is his effectual communication unto us, of the grace and mercy prepared in the promises of the covenant through Jesus Christ; hereby doth he supply our spiritual want, and sets the new creature in life and vigour. So are our prayers an extract and copy of the work of the Holy Spirit in us, given us by himself.

And, therefore, by whomseover he is despised as a Spirit of supplication, he is so as a Spirit of sanctification also.

Now consider what it is that in your prayers you most labour about? Is it not that the body, the power, the whole interest, of sin in you may be weakened, subdued, and at length destroyed? Is it not that all the graces of the Spirit may be renewed daily, increased and strengthened, so as that you may be more ready and prepared for all duties of obedience? And what is all this but that holiness may be gradually progressive in your souls, that it may be carried on by new supplies and additions of grace, until it come to perfection?

- John Owen
Pneumatologia:
Or, A Discourse Concerning the Holy Spirit,
Wherein an Account is Given of His Name, Nature,
Personality, Dispensation, Operations, and Effects;
His Whole Work in the Old and New Creation is
Explained; and the Doctrine Concerning it Vindicated

(I added the paragraph breaks for clarity)

Worth Waiting For

The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongeth unto, according to the counsel of God's own will, in his appointed time.

On June 6, 2004, Rev. David A. Bass applied the waters of baptism to our son Arnold (he'd be the one in red there).  The grace offered and exhibited to him then was conferred to him recently.  This morning, he made his public profession of faith and was made a member of the fellowship the rest of us joined last year.

Again, seeing this was a privilege I don't deserve.  Helping him to this stage has been a blessing (though, honestly, not one I always remember to see as such).  He took a big step in improving his baptism this morning, but he has many others before him, Lord willing.  Hopefully, his mother and I can continue to help him in this lifelong effort, but our hope and trust is that he who began a good work in Arnold will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

_______________
This is just me talking about my convictions.  This is not a reflection of the beliefs of the Fellowship to which I currently belong.  In the incredibly unlikely event that any other member of this Fellowship is reading this, do know that I am not seeking to foment any type of rebellion against the statement of faith there.  If God, in His mercy, grants a change in the Fellowship's position on the sacrament, I will welcome it, but I will not have had a hand in it beyond my prayers that He would sanctify the body by His truth.  

Offspring had a good day yesterday, pt. 2

The Princess (who can feel free to skip this post) was supposed to go to Church Camp yesterday. But her mom and I decided this weekend that she and her brother wouldn't be attending for reasons that I don't want to get into here, essentially it boils down to some differences between American Evangelicals and Reformed Christians (iow, we can be uptight about worship and sacramentology).

It would've been her first time going away for something like this, and she was really looking forward to it. But it was the right call -- even though it carried the special kind of difficulty only known to Dads of daughters with fully-functional nasolacrimal ducts. But the three of us talked about it, and she understood our thinking.

A couple days later, for fun I read the Offspring questions 107-110 of the Larger Catechism -- not really to teach them anything, but to make them appreciate that they're memorizing the Shorter Catechism 49-52 instead. Still, something must've clicked as I rushed though that.

Yesterday, when her friends were posting statuses and pics to Facebook about getting ready to leave, etc., what's my little girl do? She posts:

Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment?
A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his Word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the Word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one’s place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.

We didn't prompt it, didn't push it -- didn't even see it 'til a couple hours later, actually. Honestly, I didn't even try to convince her we were right in our thinking -- we just explained our position and that we thought it was important -- the Spirit did the rest to her conscience.

I'm not posting this to brag on her, really. But when I read that post, I choked up a little. She's such a precious gift, and seeing the Spirit work in her as He is doing is such a privilege. More than a miserable sinner like me deserves, that's for sure. And I'm glad for the opportunity to express my gratitude for that display of grace.

Soli Deo Gloria.

"Many have Pardon with God that Have not Peace with Themselves"

LXIII. To LADY FINGASK

MADAM, -- Grace, mercy, and peace be to you. -- Though not acquainted, yet, at the desire of a Christian, I make bold to write a line or two unto you, by way of counsel, howbeit I be most unfit for that.

I hear, and I bless the Father of lights for it, that ye have a spirit set to seek God, and that the posture of your heart is to look heavenward, which is a work and cast of the Mediator Christ's right hand, who putteth on the heart a new frame. For the which I would have your Ladyship to see a tie and bond of obedience laid upon you, that all may be done, not so much from obligation of law, as from the tie of free love; that the law of ransom-paying by Christ may be the chief ground of all our obedience, seeing that ye are not under the law, but under grace. Withal, know that unbelief is a spiritual sin, and so not seen by nature's light; and that all which conscience saith is not Scripture. Suppose that your heart bear witness against you for sins done long ago: yet, because many have pardon with God that have not peace with themselves, ye are to stand and fall by Christ's esteem and verdict of you, and not by that which your heart saith.

Let faith hing by this small thread, that He loved you before He laid the corner-stone of the world, and therefore He cannot change His mind; because He is God and resteth in His love. Neither is sin in you a good reason wherefore ye should doubt of Him, or think, because sin has put you in the courtesy and reverence of justice, that therefore He is wrath with you: neither is it presumption in you to lay the burden of your salvation on One mighty to save, so being that ye lay aside all confidence in yourself, your worth and righteousness. True faith is humble, and seeth no way to escape but only in Christ. And I believe that ye have put an esteem and high price upon Christ: and they cannot but believe and so be saved, who love Christ and to whom He is precious. And it were not like God, if ye should choose Him as your liking and He not choose you again. Nay, He has prevented you in that, for ye have not chosen Him, but He has chosen you.

And the more your Ladyship drink of this love, there is the more room, and the greater delight and desire for this love. Be homely, and hunger for a feast and fill of His love; for that is the borders and march of heaven. Nothing has a nearer resemblance to the color and hue and lustre of heaven than Christ loved. Remember what He is. When twenty thousand millions of heaven's lovers have worn their hearts threadbare of love, all is nothing, yea, less than nothing, to His matchless worth and excellency. Oh so broad and so deep as the sea of His desirable loveliness is! Glorified spirits, triumphing angels, the crowned and exalted lovers of heaven, stand without His loveliness and cannot put a circle on it.

Alas! what do I? I but spill and lose words in speaking highly of Him who will bide and be above the music and songs of heaven, and never be enough praised by us all; to whose boundless and bottomless love I
recommend your Ladyship.

ST ANDREWS, March 27, 1640

(copied from CCEL)

Thought for the Lord's Day - #54

We believe that this true faith, being wrought in man by the hearing of the Word of God and the operation of the Holy Spirit, sanctifies [1] him and makes him a new man, causing him to live a new life, and freeing him from the bondage of sin. Therefore it is so far from being true that this justifying faith makes men remiss in a pious and holy life, that on the contrary without it they would never do anything out of love to God, but only out of self-love or fear of damnation. Therefore it is impossible that this holy faith can be unfruitful in man; for we do not speak of a vain faith, but of such a faith which is called in Scripture a faith working through love, which excites man to the practice of those works which God has commanded in His Word.
These works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, forasmuch as they are all sanctified by His grace. Nevertheless they are of no account towards our justification, for it is by faith in Christ that we are justified, even before we do good works; otherwise they could not be good works, any more than the fruit of a tree can be good before the tree itself is good.
Therefore we do good works, but not to merit by them (for what can we merit?); nay, we are indebted to God for the good works we do, and not He to us, since it is He who worketh in us both to will and to work, for his good pleasure. Let us therefore attend to what is written: When ye shall have done all the things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do. In the meantime we do not deny that God rewards good works, but it is through His grace that He crowns His gifts.
Moreover, though we do good works, we do not found our salvation upon them; for we can do no work but what is polluted by our flesh, and also punishable; and although we could perform such works, still the remembrance of one sin is sufficient to make God reject them. Thus, then, we would always be in doubt, tossed to and fro without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be continually vexed if they relied not on the merits of the suffering and death of our Savior.

The Belgic Confession of Faith, Article XXIV
Man's Sanctification and Good Works

Thought for the Lord's Day - #50

Those who are strict in restraining their own liberty yet ought not to impose those restraints upon the liberties of others, nor to judge of them accordingly. We must not make ourselves the standard to measure others by. A good man will deny himself that liberty which he will not deny another, contrary to the practice of the Pharisees.

- Matthew Henry

Thought for the Lord's Day - #32

Self-righteousness cleaves to us, as naturally and as closely as our skins, nor can any power, but that of an Almighty Hand, flay us of it". . .until you are endued with a faith in Christ’s righteousness, your body is no better than 'the living coffin of a dead soul'.

- Augustus Toplady

Thought for the Lord's Day #31

this one's from The Great Quotes to Take Out of Context collection:

If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong, but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign. It suffices that through God's glory we have recognized the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. No sin can separate us from Him, even if we were to kill or commit adultery thousands of times each day. Do you think such an exalted Lamb paid merely a small price with a meager sacrifice for our sins? Pray hard for you are quite a sinner.

- Martin Luther

Seriously, this counsel to Melanchthon (yet again voted as "Theologian most likely to Have Name Misspelled" for the 487th year running) is well worth meditating on. Even for those of use who are not "preachers of mercy."

Thought for the Lord's Day #30

Thought for the Lord's Day #26

He doesn't post often enough, but when he does, Prof. Shaw typically hits the ball right out of the park. Friday's post "Mental Images of Jesus" does a nice succinct job of dealing with one of the more common objections to the the confessional (read: Biblical) position of applying the 2nd commandment to images of Christ.

It's been a few years since I bothered to buy a SCC album--but for many years I gobbled up everything he put out. And like so many others, couldn't help but be moved at the news of his daughter's tragic death a few months back.

Good Morning America, being the good vultures they are, interviewed the family last week and they were able to provide the clearest testimony of their faith that broadcast TV can allow. Real grief, and real faith. May God continue to bless this family.

If you are desirous to live in peace

Presbyterian Thoughts' Sabbath a'Brakel posts are always worth a read (and usually a re-read), but this one in particular struck me. I grant you, most of my friends (particularly those from #pros) will roll their eyes at the thought of me being this way. But believe it or not, I actually've been trying to live this way for awhile--I just never put it as well, or succienctly, as a'Brakel.

If you are desirous to live in peace:

(1) Crucify your desire for money, honor, and love; it is neither possible to have a peaceable heart nor to maintain such a disposition without self-denial.

(2) Keep to yourself and let others govern their own matters. Do not appoint yourself as a detective and judge concerning the deeds of others; close your ears for backbiters. Do not listen for what is being said about you. "A whisperer separateth chief friends" (Prov. 16:28); "Where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth" (Prov. 26:20).

(3) Be always the least--both in your own eyes as well as in your conduct toward others. Endure being wronged, and forgive such deeds (Col. 3:13). In all things yield to the will of others insofar as this is not contrary to the will of God.

(4) If someone else encounters you in an unpleasant manner, or if you perceive the first motion of displeasure within yourself, arm yourself at once and resist strife at the very outset; be completely silent (IV: 100-101).

Quote of the Day

When an eagle is happy in an iron cage, when a sheep is happy in water, when an owl is happy in the blaze of the noonday sun, when a fish is happy on dry land - then, and not till then, will I admit that the unsanctified man could be happy in heaven.

- J. C. Ryle

Quote of the Day

The best men are severe to themselves, and tender over others.

- Richard Sibbes

one day, if God is gracious...one day....

Special Times that Require Extra Effort in Keeping the Heart, pt. 2: Going Outside Ourselves

The series thus far, Keeping the Heart; What the Keeping of the Heart Presupposes and Signifies; Some Reasons Why Keeping the Heart Needs to be "The Great Business" of our Lives; and Special Times that Require Extra Effort in Keeping the Heart, pt. 1

The first two seasons that Flavel explored had to do with how things affected believers personally, the third and fourth seasons on his list look to the world outside us--The Church and our Country.

3. The third season that calls for more than ordinary effort--extraordinary diligence--in keeping the heart is "the time of Zion's Troubles." When the church is persecuted and oppressed, or otherwise troubled.

Eli died when he heard the ark had been lost, Nehemiah could not enjoy the pleasures of the court because of Jerusalem's woes. And God's saints will react that way naturally.

yet it will not please [God] to see you sit like pensive Elijah under the juniper tree. 'Ah, Lord God! it is enough, take away my life also.' No: a mourner in Zion you may and ought to be, but a self-tormentor you must not be; complain to God you may, but complain of God (though by the language of your actions) you must not.

How ought we to not be overwhelmed with the burdens of Zion's troubles? Zion ought to be our chief joy, so it would make sense that our heart sink when it is oppressed and troubled, but that should not go too far.

A.

Settle this great truth in your heart, that no trouble befalls Zion by the permission of Zion's God; and he permits nothing out of which he will not ultimately bring much good to his people.

Saints like Job, Eli, David and Hezekiah were comforted by this, we ought to be as well. "That the Lord did it was enough for them: and why should it not be so to us?"

consider that God's permissions all meet at last in the real good of his people, this will much more quiet our spirits. Do the enemies carry away the best among the people into captivity? This looks like a distressing providence; b but God sends them thither for their good....The end of his so doing is 'that he may accomplish his whole work upon Mount Zion.' If God can bring much good out of the greatest evil of sin, much more out of temporal afflictions; and that he will, is as evident as that he can do so.

B. Meditate on this--whatever troubles fall on Zion--her King is in her.

What! hath the Lord forsaken his churches? Has he sold them into the enemy's hands? Does he not regard what evil befalls them, that our hearts sink thus? Is it not shamefully undervaluing the great God, and too much magnifying poor impotent man, to fear and tremble at creatures while God is in the midst of us?

Caleb and Joshua's argument is as true today as it was then: 'The Lord is with us, fear them not.'

Discouraged souls how many do you reckon the Lord for? Is he not an overmatch of all his enemies? Is not one Almighty more than many mighties? 'If God be for us, who can be against us?'

Let then his presence give us rest; and though the mountains be hurled into the sea, though heaven and earth mingle together, fear not; god is in the midst of Zion, she shall not be moved.

C. Think about the great advantages that attend the Church in an afflicted condition. Our dejection about the afflicted and low state of the church "is not only irrational, but ungrateful" if that is what's really best.

if you estimate the happiness of the church by its worldly ease, splendour and prosperity, then such times of affliction will appear to be unfavourable; but if you reckon its glory to consists in its humility, faith, and heavenly-mindedness, no condition so much abounds with advantages for these as an afflicted condition. [Almost, thou persuadest me to be a Amillennialist].

Experience teaches us that the afflicted condition ordinarily blesses God's people with spiritual fruits more than others.

It is indeed for the saints' advantage to be weaned from love of, and delight in, ensnaring earthly vanities; to be quickened and urged forward with more haste to heaven; to have clearer discoveries of their own hearts; to be taught to pray more fervently, frequently, spiritually; to look and long for the rest to come more ardently....Is it well then to repine and droop, because your Father consults the advantage of your soul rather than the gratification of your humours? because he will bring you to heaven by a nearer way than you are willing to go?

D. We must be careful not to overlook "the many precious mercies" God grants in his people's trouble. "pardon of sin; interest in Christ; the covenant of promise; and an eternity of happiness in the presence of God, after a few days are over."

Oh that a people entitled to such mercies as these should droop under any temporal affliction, or be so much concerned for the frowns of men and the loss of trifles. you have not the smiles of great men, but you have the favour of the great God; you are perhaps diminished in temporal, but you are thereby increased in spiritual and eternal goods....Will you grieve so much for these circumstances as to forget your substance? Shall light troubles make you forget weighty mercies?

there is much matter of praise; for electing lovehas distinguished, though common providence has not.

E. However low the church may be oppressed and troubled, she shall rise again.

There is no reason to fear the ruin of that people who thrive by their losses and multiply by being diminished.

F. Look to Church History--see how God has cared for his people in former troubles. Wave after wave of persecution has come upon the church and she stands. Nothing that has risen against her has prospered. God is as able to save now as before, he cares for the church as much now as before.

G. If none of these work--think of this: your heart being troubled by this is evidence of your spiritual health. If you didn't have a great interest in Zion, you would not be troubled by the danger she is in. And if you are so concerned about the church--you can be assured that our Lord Jesus Christ, her groom, is far more concerned. "And he will have an eye of favour upon them that mourn for it."

4. The fourth season calling for special care for our hearts "is the time of danger and public distraction." Everyone who can remember the difference between September 10th and September 12th of the year 2001 knows exactly what Flavel is talking about here--that sense of fear, foreboding...at first blush, "public distraction" seems like an odd phrase--but tell me it doesn't fit after some thought. Even Paul, he points out, complained of "fightings within" and "fears without."

But that shouldn't be our frame of mind. We should be like David, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps. 27:1)

Let none but the servants of sin be the slaves of fear; let ahem that have delighted in evil fear evil. Let not that which God has threatened as a judgment upon the wicked, ever seize upon the hearts of the righteous.

Yes, there is natural fear in every man, and it's impossible to remove that totally. Flavel insists he isn't commending "a stoical apathy" or that fear which serves as a "cautionary preventive." That which enables us to see danger coming and to find a lawful use of means to prevent it. But he does want to persuade us to keep our heart from

that tyrannical passion which invades the heart in times of danger, distracts, weakens and unfits it for duty, drives men upon unlawful means, and brings a snare with it.

Some rules to keep our heart from sinful fear:

A. Think about every creature as in God's hand, managing all their actions--"limiting, restraining and determining them at his pleasure." When the horses of Revelation 6 are "prancing and trampling up and down in the world, here is a consideration that may quiet our hearts; God has the reins in his hand."

B. Remember that this God who holds all creatures in his hand, is your Father. He is "much more tender of you than you are, or can be, of yourself." Ask the most timid woman if there isn't "a great difference between the sight of a drawn sword in the hand of a bloody ruffian, and of the same sword in the hand of her own tender husband?"

C. "Urge upon your heart" Christ's specific prohibitions against this. "And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified" (Lk. 21:9); "and not frightened in anything by your opponents." (Phil. 1:28)--in Matthew 10, within six verses we're told three times not to fear man. "Does the voice of a man make thee to tremble, and shall not the voice of God?"

We cannot fear creatures sinfully till we have forgotten God: did we remember what he is, and what he has said, we should not be of such feeble spirits.

D. Remember how much trouble your fears have brought you before without anything actually happening.

And here I cannot but observe a very deep policy of Satan in managing a design against the soul by these vain fears. . .he acts as soldiers do in teh siege of a garrison, who to wear out the besieged by constant watchings, and thereby unfit them to make resistance when they storm it in earnest, every night rouse them with false alarms, which though they come to nothing yet remarkably answer the ultimate design of the enemy.

E. Even if that which we fear will happen comes to pass, there is more evil in our own fear than in the things feared.

and that, not only as the least evil of sin is worse than the greatest evil of suffering; but as this sinful fear has really more trouble in it than there is in that condition of which you are so much afraid. Fear is both a multiplying and a tormenting passion; it represents troubles as much greater than they are, and so tortures the soul much more than the suffering itself.

F. Remember the many precious promises in Scripture, given for comfort and support in times of trouble. Both the general promises and those fit for particular times and situations--these are refuges to which we ought to fly. Plead them to God like Jacob did--"But you said, 'I will surely do you good'" (Gen. 32:12).

G. Record and reflect on our past experiences of God's care and faithfulness in former troubles. Flavel brings up, time and time again, the importance of remember how God has acted in the past--and if you consider all the memorials that saints of the Bible would erect, that makes sense. We need these ebenezers to help us make it through hard times.

H. Be content, satisfied even, in doing our duty--"and that will beget holy courage in times of danger." If we're doing what is right, what is our duty--we can commit our selves to God's care fully and trust the results to him. This will give us great courage.

I. Guilt upon our conscience makes cowards of our spirits, so if we have our conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ form all guilt, our hearts will not fear.

J. "Make it your business to trust God with your life and comforts, and your heart will be at rest about them." Ps. 112:7, "[The righteous] is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD." It's not that he'll be kept from bad news, but his firm heart trusts in the Lord even when he receives bad news.

K. Concern yourself more with the honor of Christianity than your personal safety. Seeing Christians "as timorous as hares to start at every sound"--what message does that send to the world? The world is more likely to judge Christianity in what we do than in our principles, so however much we talk of assurance and commend faith--if when the troubles come, if we don't trust in those things more than the unbeliever, what is the world to think of our religion?

L. If our soul is secured in the hands of Christ, our heart can be secured from fear.

The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies, and say, 'Is this the worst that you can do?'

M. We need to learn to quench all slavish fears in the reverential fear of God--Flavel calls this "a cure by diversion."

It is an exercise of Christian wisdom to turn those passions of the soul which most predominate, into spiritual channels; to turn natural anger into spiritual zeal, natural mirth into holy cheerfulness, and natural fear into a holy dread and awe of God."

"Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." (Is. 8:12-13)

N. Prayer is the best outlet to fear--so pour out our fears in prayer in times of danger. Look to Christ himself--what did he do when the hour of his danger and death grew near? He went to the garden and prayed--prayed unto agony!

Special Times that Require Extra Effort in Keeping the Heart, pt. 1

The series thus far, Keeping the Heart; What the Keeping of the Heart Presupposes and Signifies; and Some Reasons Why Keeping the Heart Needs to be "The Great Business" of our Lives

Now, it's clear that this is a duty we are always obligated to perform--it's always to our benefit to keep our hearts. However, there are some specific times--"critical hours"--that require more than the usual amount of vigilance. Flavel outlines twelve of these. I'll probably break this up into a few posts.

1. The first season requiring extra vigilance is a time of prosperity, times of "happy providences". Where one is tempted to grow confident in himself, in his life, in the world. When one can think of finding security and hope in worldly things. As the Lord himself warned Israel on the verge of the Promised Land,

And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you--with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant--and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Deut. 6:10-12)

And of course, we know, that Israel did not heed that warning as they ought. How then can a Christian? Flavel has a few suggestions:

A. "Consider the dangerous ensnaring temptations attending a pleasant and prosperous condition." We cannot go into a time of prosperity blind--we must know the dangers, the pitfalls, the temptations that lie all about. We must remember how easy the camel headed for a needle has it in comparison to a rich man heading to heaven.

B. Consider that many Christians have been the worse for their success.

Outward gains are ordinarily attended with inward losses.

He, indeed, is rich in grace whole graces are not hindered by his riches.

Yes, there was Jehoshaphat, who "had great riches and honor" and whose "heart was courageous in the ways of the LORD". (2 Chron 17:5,6). But he is an exception, as a brief survey of the OT--or history--will readily show.

C. Remember that God is not concerned with worldly glory, or outward excellencies. God is concerned with internal realities, internal graces.

D. Consider the bitterness with which many have "bewailed their folly" in putting worldly success first in their life as they are on their deathbed.

E. Consider how earthly things can impede, or burden the soul heading to heaven.

If thou consider thyself as a stranger in this world, traveling for heaven, thou has then as much reason to be delighted with these things as a weary horse has to be pleased with a heavy burden.

F. Remember on the Day of Judgement, our accounts will be reviewed. We are but stewards of all the mercies God has given us and "to whom much was given, of him much will be required."

2. The second season that requires more than typical diligence is the time of adversity. "Troubles, though sanctified, are troubles still." So we are to look to our heart, keep it from "repining against God, or fainting under his hand."

Some helps in this situation:

A. Remember that afflictions come by God's determined counsel. The afflictions come as he works his purposes--our sanctification--in our lives. Flavel tells us to think,

"My Father is about a design of love upon my soul, and do I well to be angry with him? All that he does is in pursuance of and in reference to some eternal, glorious ends upon my soul. It is my ignorance of God's design that makes me quarrel with him."

B. While God will afflict his people, he has tied his own hands by promise never to take away his loving kindness from them.

If he had cut off his love, or discovenanted my soul, I had reason to be cast down; but this he hath not done, nor can he do it.

C. Call to mind the fact that the afflictions are not just working according to God's purpose, but every aspect of them is ordered by God. "Not a creature moves hand or tongue against thee but by his permission."

D. God regards you the same whether in high or low condition.

Men may look shy upon you, and alter their respects as your condition is altered; when Providence has blasted your estate, your summer-friends may grow strange, fearing you may be troublesome to them; but will God do so? No, no: 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'

E.

What if by the loss of outward comforts God preserves your soul from the ruining power of temptation?

Earthly pleasures are cause for temptation, cause for stumbling, cause for shrinking in times of trial. If God preserves us from those because of adversity, there is only reason to rejoice.

F. (Personal favorite: this was so helpful to me when I read it.) Consider this: these adversities may be God's way of answering your prayers to be kept from sin, to find out the depths of depravity in your heart, mortifying your flesh, etc. This is so good, let me just quote:

Wouldst thou be kept from sin? Lo, he hath hedged up thy way with thorns. Wouldst thou see the creature's vanity? Thy affliction is a fair glass to discover it; for the vanity of the creature is never so effectually and sensibly discovered, as in our own experience. Woudldst thou have thy corruptions mortified? This is the way: to have the food and fuel removed that maintained them; for as prosperity begat and fed them, so adversity, when sanctified, is means to kill them. Wouldst thou have thy heart rest nowhere but in the bosom of God? What better method could Providence take to accomplish thy desire than pulling from under thy head that soft pillow of creature-delights on which you rested before?

And yet you fret at this: peevish child, how dost thou try thy Father's patience! If he delay to answer thy prayers, thou are ready to say he regards thee not; if he does that which really answers the end of them, though not in the way which you expect, you murmur against him for that; as if instead of answering, he were crossing all thy hopes and aims. is this ingenuous? Is it not enough that God is so gracious as to do what thou desirest: must thou be so impudent as to expect him to do it in the way which thou prescribest?

G. If you could see God's designs in our life, we would rejoice over them! God is working the best method for our salvation, "did you but see this, I need say no more to support the most dejected heart."

H. Our own discontent does more damage than all our afflictions. "Did you but lie quietly under the hand of God, your condition would be much more easy than it is."

I. Compare your condition with that of those in hell--which is where you deserve to be.

Some Reasons Why Keeping the Heart Needs to be "The Great Business" of our Lives

For the first two posts in this series, see Keeping the Heart and What the Keeping of the Heart Presupposes and Signifies

Having considered what keeping the heart is, what it means, what it implies, etc. Flavel moves on to ask--why do we need to focus on this? Why is this important? It doesn't take long before you really understand why.

1. Heart-evils are "sins of deeper guilt" than outward sins. If you doubt,

"He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. Isaiah 66:3

Flavel says,

Such is the vileness of mere heart-sins, that the Scriptures sometimes intimate the difficult of pardon for them

Great incentive indeed to keep the heart inclined as it ought to be.

2. It's a sign of the sincerity of our profession.

Most certainly that man who is careless of the frame of his heart, is but a hypocrite in his profession, however eminent he be in the externals of religion.

That's quite the attention-getting idea. Flavel uses Simon Magus and Jehu as his examples for this.

Think of everything Jehu did against the house of Ahab. The great feats he accomplished--and for which God greatly rewarded him. But he took no heed to walk in the ways of the Lord as he did so. And therefore he was a hypocrite and God rejected him (not his work) for it.

Flavel offers this timely comfort,

If any upright soul should hence infer, 'I am a hypocrite too, for many times my heart departs from God in duty; do what I can, yet I cannot hold it close with God;' I answer, the very objection carries in it its own solution. Thou sayest, 'Do what I can, yet i cannot keep my heart with God.' Soul, if thou does what thou canst, thou hast the blessing of an upright, though God sees good to exercise thee under the affliction of a discomposed heart.

Partly through laying up the word in our heart to prevent wayward thoughts, etc.; party in our efforts to engage our heart to God; and party in our asking God to graciously keep us from sin in a duty, we can take heart that we are fighting hypocrisy as we fight "some wildness in [our] thoughts and fancies." It is an evidence of right standing before god if we oppose these thoughts as they arise. Not after they've done damage in our hearts.

If with Hezekiah thou are humbled for the evils of thy heart, thou hast no reason, from those disorders, to question the integrity of it; but to suffer sin to lodge quietly in the heart, to let they heart habitually and without control wander from God, is a sad, a dangerous symptom indeed.

3.

Saints shine as the lights of the world; but whatever lustre and beauty is in their lives, comes from the excellency of their spirits' as the candle within puts lustre upon the lantern in which it shines.

It's out of the heart, after all, that evil thoughts, murders and so on proceed. The converse is true as well, when our hearts are in order, our lives will be as well.

When the heart is up with God, and full of God, how dexterously will he insinuate spiritual discourse, improving every occasion and advantage to some heavenly purpose! Few words then run to waste. And what can be the reason that the discourses and duties of many Christians are become so frothy and unprofitable, their communion both with God and with one another becomes as a dry stalk, but this, their hearts are neglected?

Flavel rightly points out that this is a great measure lost in his time (can't imagine what he'd say about ours), which is "to the unspeakable detriment of religion." He closes this section with a stirring call:

Time was, when Christians conducted [their lives] in such a manner that the world stood gain at them. Their life and language were of a different strain from those of others; their tongues discovered them to be Galileans wherever they came. But now, since vain speculations and fruitless controversies have so much obtained, and heart-work, practical godliness is so much neglected among professors, the case is sadly altered: their discourse is become like other men's ; if they come among you now, they may 'hear every man speak in his own language'. And I have little hope of seeing this evil addressed, and the credit of religion repaired, till Christians do their first works, till they apply again to heart-work: when the salt of heavenly -minded ness is cast into the spring, the streams will run more clear and more sweet.

4. Assurance depends on it. Yes, it's the work of the Spirit to grant assurance, but we must "take pains" with our hearts if we ever attain it in the ordinary way God grants it.

You may expect your comforts upon easier terms, but I am mistaken if ever you enjoy them upon any other: give all diligence; prove yourselves; this is the scriptural method.

(he's so good on this point...so...Puritan) The Spirit testifies to our adoption (which is what assurance consists of) in 2 ways:

The first is objectively--by producing the "graces in our souls" that match the promise, you might say by producing the fruits of the Spirit. You can where He is by the effects of his presence--"in his operations." How you can tell that the Spirit is producing those things without serious searching and watching of the heart doesn't seem possible.

Secondly, the Spirit witnesses to our adoption "by irradiating the soul with a grace discovering light, shining upon his own work." In other words, He shows us that He's working in us.

5. The improvement of our graces, the bearing of fruit depends on our hearts being kept. Fruit isn't borne on a careless soul. As we seek to improve our graces, we have to keep our heart focused properly. Conversely, as we keep our hearts, we shall bear much fruit.

6. Finally, if our hearts are not well-kept, they will be more susceptible to temptation. Satan's "principal batteries are raised against the heart; if he wins that he wins all." As the fortress which is well-guarded is harder to conquer, so is the heart.

it is the greate3st wisdom to observe the first motions of the e heart, to check and stop sin tehre. The motions of sin are weakest at first; a little care and watchfulness may prevent much mischief now.

Thanksgiving?

So, it's Thanksgiving today. Been a very up and down kind of day for me. On the one hand, I cannot count the number of ways the Lord has blessed me this year. On the other hand, all those blessings have come in the shadow of some truly horrible events.

My life right now doesn't even remotely resemble what it was one year ago. And the amount of tears, fears, doubts, and trouble that have gotten be from Point A to Point B is simply breathtaking. There's a part of me that's shocked that I'm still breathing (smaller part was disappointed for a while that I was). So I don't want to be thankful. I don't want to feast. I want to be angry. I want to be depressed. I want to be resentful.

And then I'm trying to get Arnold down for that nap that he so wants and so needs. So I'm singing softly to him (anyone would rush towards unconscious state to avoid my voice). But I'm mangling the standards--shuffled so many lines around in "Be Thou My Vision," I might have conjured up a demon. Couldn't remember the "new" tune for "Rock of Ages." So I reach for my mental psalter, since I'm pretty sure that showtunes wouldn't do the trick--I know "Love, unrequited, robs me of my rest" would just rile him up (especially if I do my killer Mandy Patinkin impression) Stop laughing, girlfriday, Lucy and Huck!

Ahem. Where was I? Oh right.

So there I am singing to my boy, and I say these words.

Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear none ill,
For thou art with me; and thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

My table thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

-from Ps. 23
(via the Scottish Psalter 1650)

and then I stop and think about what I just sang. I think about the table covered in food we'd just left--and that wasn't even in front of my enemies. hmmm.

Yeah, but what about all that craptactular mess my life is so full of? What about the trials? It's then that my old friend, my constant companion of late, James 1:2 comes to mind, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds." And I remember the words of Geoffrey Thomas on that verse,

This is a command. It is as much a command as, "Thou shalt not steal" or "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." We are under obligation to the Lord we serve who told our brother James to tell us 'we must count it pure joy whenever we face trials.' That is our duty. We are sinning if we disobey these words.

And I know I agree with those words, because I quoted them when I preached on the passage a couple of years ago. :)

And if I'm counting something as joy...what should me reaction be to it?

Gratitude.

So we're back where we started.

Thank you Lord, for all the skubalon in my life. Thank you for the discipline. Thank you for the trials. Thank you for the hardships. Thank you for the long, dark nights of the soul. If for no other reason, I'm thankful because in your wisdom, You have determined to bring them into my life. I'm thankful because I'm reminded that "testing of [my] faith produces steadfastness." And when that has its full effect, I will "be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

More than that, I'm thankful for the blessings you've granted in the midst of this mess. Thank you for the comforts--materially, emotional, and spiritual You have granted. I thank you for the means by which you've brought them to me--Your Word, Your Spirit, my kids, my family, my friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ. For those who make me laugh, those who distract me, those who support me, those who encourage me, those who pray for me. Particularly for the few who do all of those.

Thank you, Father.

How good it is to thank the Lord,
And praise to thee, Most High, accord,
To show thy love with morning light,
And tell thy faithfulness each night;
Yea, good it is thy praise to sing,
And all our sweetest music bring.
- from Ps. 92

(via The Psalter, 1912)

Musings on HC's Lord's Day 1

Q1: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A1: That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him.

Q2: How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die happily?
A2: Three things: First, the greatness of my sin and misery. Second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery. Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.

Today in Sunday School, we reviewed The Heidelberg Catechism's Lord's Day 1. Again, as I think practically every time I read those questions, really, Ursinus could've put the pen down and walked away at that point--and he'd still have done the Church much good.

Not that I'm not happy that he kept going, mind you, just don't think he needed to.

This morning, as our elder read the first question, my reflex was to object to the word "only." There are many comforts in this life (the Westminster Standards say so, so neener). Really, think about it--a nice cup of hot chocolate on a winter day, ice cold beer on a summer afternoon, blanket fresh from the dryer when you've just need to sleep, a well-timed hug from a friend, a kind word spoken in season...and that's just a handful. Those are real comforts in this life--temporary, to be sure, at best. But real. So did the boys in Heidelberg get it wrong?

Nah. First of all, for the believer--where do you think the comforts come from? They come from Christ! If not for His grace, we wouldn't be able to enjoy any of the blessings--small or large--that He gives. I could go into this big thing stealing from Doug Wilson's sermon series on Ecclesiastes. But I'll hold off on that from now.

And secondly, note that it's a comfort in death as well. That's the part that made me accept this question as valid. Granted, I haven't died yet--but a couple of times I wondered if I was in the vicinity. And no cup of hot chocolate was gonna do much for me then. There's only one comfort that will work in life and death. And that's knowing that I belong to Christ. Nothing else is any good then. The love of a good woman, hug from your first-born, that might make you feel a little better--but it won't be a comfort when the final enemy is at your door. Only the knowledge that you belong to Christ.

And what a real comfort we have in life and death! We are not our own. We have been bought. We are owned. And not by just anybody. But by our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. If it comes down to being owned, I'd rather be owned by Him than by me. For one thing, I know He'll take better care of me. Body and soul, in life and death, He owns me, He paid for me, He will take care of his own. As long as I live my faithful Savior will protect, care for, watch over my body. And He will continue to do so when I'm dead and this corpse is rotting in some grave, "being still united to Christ" (WSC 37) He will show the same care and attention He does now.

Not that such things are important to 20th and 21st century Christians; we know that the body is just a prison house of the soul. Which is why I prefer 16th and 17th century theology :) God created us body and soul, Jesus purchased both body and soul, the Spirit works in both body and soul, and we will be raised both body and soul.

Not even a hair would fall without the will of my Father! Now, in my case, that's been plenty. But our Father cares enough to plan each follicle's demise. That’s the level of attention He pays. If He goes to that level of trouble, over such inconsequential things (even though we humans obsess over it), what attention He will pay to the major things in our life! How can that not be a comfort?

Arguing from the lesser to the greater--if He's taking care of little things like my hair, He is fully capable of making sure that "indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation"! Another translation puts some additional flavor to it by rendering that line, "all things must be subservient to my salvation.” (Sidenote: varying translations of confessional standards...ugh. Another reason to go Presby, baby!) Every trial, every 'hard providence,' every up, every down, every moment of rejoicing, every moment of despair, every injustice, every just end, everything is subservient to my salvation. Everything is working for my salvation. Everything in my life. Great comfort indeed.

Answer 2's three things we are to know are so spot-on. Can't help but notice that it's not just those nasty, small-minded Puritans that reduce Christianity to propositions, either, btw. These three points are so profound, so precise, so to the point, it's a shame they've been reduced to the silly mnemonic: Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude (almost as bad as TULIP, but will spare you all that rant for now). Anything that doesn't describe the Christian life in those terms, IMHO, just isn't gonna cut it.

The question is interesting itself. We're to live and die, what? Contentedly? No. Stoically? No. Somberly? No. Grimly-Determined? No. Dourly? No. Happily. What?!?!

We're to live and die happily. That's the result of our comfort in life and death--happy living. And then happy dying. But...but...but...Calvinists are nasty and dour! Christianity is hard! (narrow path and all that) What about dying to self? Mortifying the flesh? Living a holy life? Not denying all of that. But if we really, really grasp the greatness of our sin and misery; how we have been redeemed from all of it (sola gratia!), we will be thankful--even more thankful when we see that God has directed our expression of our thankfulness. And that will all make us happy.

I'm sure not there. Why aren't I? Initial thought: 'cuz while I'm not my own, I keep trying to act like I am. Other guesses: I don't really get the greatness of my sin and misery and how I've been redeemed from them both.

What the Keeping of the Heart Presupposes and Signifies

(NB: all italics original)

Naturally, to keep the heart presupposes regeneration. For without it, there will neither be the ability or desire to keep it. Unless grace has made the heart right, it cannot be maintained.

Man, by the apostacy, [sic] is become a most disordered and rebellious creature, opposing his Maker, as the First Cause, by self-dependence; as the Chief Good, by self-love; as the Highest Lord, by self-will; and as the Last End, by self-seeking.

This soul-disorder is reset through regeneration, "the renovation of the soul after the image of God."

self-dependence is removed by faith; self-love, by subjection and obedience to the will of God; and self-seeking by self-denial. The darkened understanding is illuminated, the refractory will sweetly subdued, the rebellious appetite gradually conquered. Thus the soul which sin had universally depraved, is by grace restored.

That's basic. Every Christian knows that to some extent--maybe not phrased as nicely as Flavel gets it, but the meaning is known. Given that, it's pretty easy to figure out what he means by keeping the heart.

nothing but the constant care and diligence of such a renewed man to preserve his soul in that holy frame to which grace has raised it.

Even tho' the soul has been rectified, been restored, given "an habitual heavenly temper," sin often disturbs it...gets it a little off course, and it needs to be set right again.

To keep the heart then, is carefully to preserve it from sin, which disorders it; and maintain that spiritual frame which fits it for a life of communion with God.

Flavel lists six parts of this, some of which seem self-evident...others, not so much:

1. "Frequent observation of the frame of the heart." Not a morbid introspection, but an honest appraisal of the state of your heart. "The heart can never be kept until its case be examined and understood."
2. "Deep humiliation for heart evils and disorders." Sin affects our hearts. Period. We have to it for what it is--disgusting, disturbing, something to be mourned over and ashamed of before we can move on.

   if a small dust get into the eye if will never cease twinkling and watering till it has wept it out: so the upright heart cannot be at rest till it has wept out its troubles and poured out its complaints before the Lord.

3. "Earnest supplication and instant prayer for purifying and rectifying grace when sin had defiled and disordered the heart." Repentance is essential. It comes, as the catechism says, out of a true sense of one's sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ. Flavel prays as an example to his reader,

   'O for a better heart! Oh for a heart to love God more; to hate sin more; to walk more evenly with God. Lord! deny not to me such a heart, whatever thou deny me: give me a heart to fear thee, to love and delight in thee, if I beg my bread in desolate places.'

   May I learn to pray like that.
4. "Imposing of strong engagements upon ourselves to walk more carefully with God, and avoid the occasions whereby the heart may be induced to sin." It is frequently helpful to be like Job who made a covenant with his eyes. Maybe you have a different organ of 5 to make a covenant with--maybe just your mind, but to guard against some special sin, such a covenant can be "very useful." "By this means holy men have overawed their soul, and preserved themselves from defilement."
5. "A Constant and holy jealousy over our own hearts." We must be on constant watch for the stirrings of affections, the beginnings of temptation, and react against it. Be on guard from the stirrings.

   Happy is the man that thus feareth always. By this fear of the Lord it is that men depart form evil, shake off sloth and preserve themselves from iniquity.

6. "The realizing of God's presence with us, and setting the Lord always before us." When we remember we are living coram Deo (thanks, Dr. Sproul), when we meditate upon what that means--"we dare not let out our thoughts and affections to vanity."

These are the ways in which Christians express the care they have of their hearts. Preventing corruptions from erupting in times of temptation, careful to keep the sweetness and comfort received in religious duties.

This is the work, and of all works in religion it is the most difficult, constant, and important work.

this has nothing to do with anything, but isn't the phrase "refractory will" a keeper?