The Puritannical Blog

Is it a wonder so many die, and we are witnesses of it, and yet we forget
that we ourselves will die, and come to be covered with clods, and have the
worms creeping through us. Let the consideration hereof stir us up to labour to
have the image of Christ stamped on the body, and that will make it shine. For
it will be an ugly spectacle when the vile body shall rise at a distance with
Christ, and be deformed and destitute of His image [James Durham]

"I am made this day a spectacle unto God, angels and men; and among men I am
made a grief to the godly, a laughing stock to the wicked, and a gazing stock to
all, yet, blessed be my God, not a terror to myself. Although there is but
little between me and death, yet this bears up my heart; there is but little
between me and Heaven. There is a lesser way between me and my Father's house,
but two steps between me and glory. It is but lying down upon the block, and I
shall ascend upon the throne.

I am this day sailing towards the ocean of
eternity, through a rough passage to my haven of rest, through a Red Sea to the
promised land. I think hear God say to me as He did to Moses, "God up to Mount
Nebo, and die there."

Beloved I am this day making a double exchange. I
am changing a pulpit for a scaffold and a scaffold for a throne; and I might add
a third; I am changing this numerous multitude on Tower Hill, for the
innumerable company of saints and angels in Heaven, the holy hill for Zion; I am
changing a guard of soldiers for a guard of angels which will receive and carry
me into Abraham’s bosom. This scaffold is the best pulpit that ever I preached
in. In my church pulpit, God through His grace, made me an instrument to bring
others to heaven, but in this pulpit He will bring me to Heaven."

Excerpts from the speech of Christopher Love upon the scaffold
immediately before martyrdom

It was against an infinite God. It was malum complexum, a voluminous sin, there were many twisted together in it; as Cicero says of patricide, 'He who is guilty of it, Plurima committit peccata in uno, he commits many sins in one;' so there were many sins in this one sin of Adam. It was a big-bellied sin, a chain with many links. Ten sins were in it

(1:) Incredulity. Our first parents did not believe what God had spoken was truth. God said, They shall die the death in the day they eat of that tree. They believed not that they should die; they could not be persuaded that such fair fruit had death at the door. Thus, by unbelief they made God a liar; nay, which was worse, they believed the devil rather than God.

(2:) Unthankfulness, which is the epitome of all sin. Adam's sin was committed in the midst of Paradise. God had enriched him with variety of mercies; he had stamped his own image upon him; he had made him lord of the world; gave him of all the trees of the garden to eat (one only excepted), and now to take of that tree! This was high ingratitude; it was like the dye to the wool, which makes it crimson. When Adam\'s eyes were opened, and he saw what he had done, well might he be ashamed, and hide himself. How could he who sinned in the midst of Paradise, look God in the face without blushing!

(3:) In Adam's sin was discontent. Had he not been discontented, he would never have sought to have altered his condition. Adam, one would think, had enough, he differed but little from the angels, he had the robe of innocence to clothe him, and the glory of Paradise to crown him; yet he was not content, he would have more; he would be above the ordinary rank of creatures. How wide was Adam's heart, that a whole world could not fill it!

(4:) Pride, in that he would be like God. This worm, that was but newly crept out of the dust, now aspired after Deity. 'Ye shall be as gods, said Satan, and Adam hoped to have been so indeed; he supposed the tree of knowledge would have anointed his eyes, and made him omniscient. But, by climbing too high, he got a fall.

(5:) Disobedience. God said, 'Thou shalt not eat of the tree;' but he would eat of it, though it cost him his life. Disobedience is a sin against equity. It is right we should serve him from whom we have our subsistence. God gave Adam his allowance, therefore it was but right he should give God his allegiance. How could God endure to see his laws trampled on before his face? This made him place a flaming sword at the end of the garden.

(6:) Curiosity. He meddled with that which was out of his sphere, and did not belong to him. God smote the men of Bethshemesh for looking into the ark. I Sam 6: I9. Adam would be prying into God's secrets, and tasting what was forbidden.

(7:) Wantonness. Though Adam had a choice of all the other trees, yet his palate grew wanton, and he must have this tree. Like Israel, God sent them manna, angels' food, ay, but they had a hankering after quails. It was not enough that God supplied their wants, unless he should satisfy their lusts. Adam had not only for necessity, but for delight; yet his wanton palate lusted after forbidden fruit.

(8:) Sacrilege. The tree of knowledge was none of Adam's, yet he took of it, and did sacrilegiously rob God of his due. It was counted a great crime in Harpalus to rob the temple, and steal the silver vessels; so it was in Adam to steal fruit from that tree which God had peculiarly enclosed for himself. Sacrilege is double theft.

(9:) Murder. Adam was a public person, and all his posterity were involved and wrapped up in him; and he, by sinning, at once destroyed all his posterity, if free grace did not interpose. If Abel's blood cried so loud in God's ears, 'The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground,' Gen 4: 10; how loud did the blood of all Adam's posterity cry against him for vengeance!

(10:) Presumption. Adam presumed of God's mercy; he blessed himself, saying he should have peace; he thought, though he did transgress, he should not die; that God would sooner reverse his decree than punish him. This was great presumption. What a heinous sin was Adam's breach of covenant! One sin may have many sins in it. We are apt to have slight thoughts of sin, and say it is but a little one. How many sins were in Adam's sin! Oh take heed of any sin! As in one volume there may be many works bound up, so there may be many sins in one sin. From Thomas Watson's Body of Divinity

I have been thinking since my departure from you, of the pride and malice of your adversaries; and ye may not (since ye have had the Book of Psalms so often) take hardly with this; for David's enemies snuffed at him, and through the pride of their heart said, "The Lord will not require it" (Ps x 13). I beseech you therefore, in the bowels of Jesus, set before your eyes the patience of your forerunner Jesus, who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not, but comitted Himself to Him who judgeth righteously (! Pet. ii 23). And since your Lord and Redeemer with patience received many a black stroke on His glorious back, and many a buffet of the unbelieving world, and says of Himself, "I g ave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting." (Isa iv 6); follow Him, and think it not hard that you receive a blow with your Lord. Take part with Jesus of His sufferings, and glory in the marks of Christ. If this storm were over, you must prepare yourself for a new wound; for five thousand years ago, our Lord proclaimed deadly war betwixt the Seed of the Woman the seed of the Serpent. And marvel not that one town cannot keep the children of God and the children of the devil, for one belly could not keep Jacob and Esau (Gen xxv. 22); one house could not keep peacably together Isaac, the son of the promise, and Ishmael, the son of the handmaid (Gen. xxi. 10). Be you upon Christ's side of it, and care not what flesh can do. Hold yourself fast by your Saviour, howbeit you be buffeted, and those that follow Him. Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be. "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed" (2 Cor. iv, 8,9). If you can possess your soul in patience, their day is coming. Worthy and dear sister, know to carry yourself in trouble; and when you are hated and reproached, the Lord shows it to you-"All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy Covenant" (Ps. xliv 17). "Unless Thy law had been my delight, I had perished in mine affliction" (Ps cxix. 92). Keep God's covenant in your trials. Hold you by His blessed Word, and sin not. Flee, anger, wrath, grudging, envying, fretting. Forgive an hundred pence to your fellow-servant, because your Lord hath forgiven you ten thousand talents. For I assure you by the Lord, your adversaries shall get no advantage against you, except you sin and offend your Lord in your sufferings. But the way to overcome is by patience, forgiving and praying for your enemies, in doing whereof you heap coals upon their heads, and the Lord shall open a door to you in your troubles. Wait upon Him as the night watch waiteth on the morning. He will not tarry. Go up to your watch tower and come not down; but by prayer and faith and hope and wait on. When the sea is full it will ebb again; and so soon as the wicked are come to the top of their pride and are waxed high and mighty, then is their change approaching. They that believe make not haste.

Remember Zion, forget her not, for her enemies are many; for the nations are gathered together against her. "But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they, His Counsel: for He shall gather them as sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh O daughter of Zion" (Michah iv. 12. 13) Behold, God hath gathered His enemies together, as sheaves to the threshing. Let us stay and rest upon these promises." [Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

Though you cannot perform duty without infirmity, yet you do perform duty without known hypocrisy. Though you offend in the manner of performance, yet you would not be false in the end principle of doing. The sincerity of your heart herein maybe your comfort, and from such, though the spirit may withdraw for a while yet it will not be long before He returns again. To humble you, He may for awhile withdraw in anger, yet He will return again. 'In a little moment have I hid my face and forsaken thee, but I will gather thee with everlasting mercy.' [Christopher Love from Sermon 6 on the Flesh and the Spirit.]

He will punish them that with so much solemnity recieved that popish prince among us, who is declared an avowed enemy to the Protestant interest. That has done much to put the copestone on our disgrace. Would England have thought that Scotland would have done it? In England not only the prelatic party but also indifferent formalists wonder at it, and the episcopal folk in England may think themselves much better Protestants than the Presbyterians in Scotland.

He will punish them that recieved favours from the king and rulers when their hands were reeking hot with the blood of the saints at Bothwell; and gentlemen gave in money to take in bonds for them. Oh, let not this be told in Gath! I would not be in the lives of these professing gentlemen that have recieved favours, or connived at them, be they who they will, for all abroad Scotland.

Are there any that are groaning under the burden of sin, sighing and mourning for the abominations of the land? Come and enter the bond of the everlasting covenant; we know no better shelter...as you have have recieved Christ, so walk in him, have your eyes towards him; he will have a remnant, and they will be a people of one language; they will be a piece of cleanly leaven, that leaveneth the whole lump... when he begins to set all things in order in his house, he will make his remnant to shine. Quit not your prayers; quit not secret prayer, enter into your chamber and shut the door; if you quit your duty ere he come, you will think shame to make him welcome. Quit not your confidence, for he will come suddenly to his temple, and do great things. Flee unto him, for there is no shelter, but under his shadow.[Richard Cameron]

"For though weakness of faith is usually accompanied with doubts and fears, and the strength of faith, with assurance, joy and comfort; yet it is possible, that a man may have a great deal of faith, yet may have no assurance, and a man have assurance, not doubting of God's love, and yet may have but little of this grace."you must know, there is a difference between uncomfortable ness and less comfort. If a man be possessed of a great estate in the world, he has more comfort than another who has but the pledge and earnest of it; but though I am not possessed of it, yet if I have the earnest and pledge of it, I may have much comfort in it. Now the least grace is a pledge and earnest of more, yea, of the greatest measure; and is it not a comfortable thing for a man to have the pledge and earnest of glory? Such have all those that are weak, though they be but weak in faith." [from Comfort for weak faith--unfortunately I don't recall the author]

Labels: John Calvin

What are you doing here this day? There are several of you come from afar. Is it your zeal for the Lord of hosts that has brought you here? Oh how few can say that the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up! As for you that have not this end before you, that Christ may come unto this land, and have the crown set upon his royal head, you have little to do here, and we would willingly be rid of you. And we take these hills around us to witness against you this day, if this be not your end to bring Christ back again unto this land.

What are you come here for? Are you come to seek Jesus of Nazereth who was crucified? Last year about this time our Lord was, as it were, upon the Mount of Olives; he rode as it were triumphantly upon the head of a small party to the market cross of Rutherglen, and many cried, 'Hosanna to the Son of David' for a few days after. But since the 22nd of June 1679 how many have cried out, 'Crucify him, crucify him, away with him; we will have no more to do with him; Christ is too dear a Lord for us; these field meetings of his are too costly for us; we wish there had never been any of these field meetings in Scotland'? And are there none of you crying out, 'I have not seen a sigh of him since' and also crying out, 'Oh, where shall I find him?'

But I will tell you sirs, our Lord has appeared to some since. We can instance the day and particular place, wherein the Lord has of late appeared gloriously in this land, even as gloriously as ever heretobefore, if ye will suffer us to say it without boasting or vanity. And may this not beget a longing desire in you, to get a sight of him too; as it is now more than a twelve month since you saw his power and glory in his sanctuary and his meetings? See if you will take him again to be your King; and see if you will put your hands to his crown which is now lying upon the ground, and do what you can to set it upon his royal head again, for it becomes him best of all to wear it.

It was even Israel, a people near unto the Lord. The most of heathens will not do this. Nay, animals of the brute creation will not do it. And yet men, yeah men that are called Christians, will do it; many who are baptized in the name of Christ will do it. But if there be any place of destruction in the caverns of hell, hotter than another, as we doubt not that there is, many of those who call themselves Christians will not rest until they have cast themselves into that place.. There is that in the heart of man that would destroy him. Oh, but man is a blind darkened creature! He has a great aversion to that which is good, and a great proness unto that which is evil. There is no creature upon earth so mad and wild as man.

It is true, you are not bound at the very first (if you can without sin shift it) to tell them; but beware of lying on any account; rather tell them that such a one was there, though you and your house should be ruined by it; yea, though it should tend to the predjudice of the best ministers in Scotland. God will not you thanks for saving ones life by a lie. Let us be strict and ingenuous, both with God and man.

There are many ministers in Scotland (it is true I am but a young man that says it) that shall not be any ministers, if there were no more ministers to be had in it. We must speak against ministers, and we much cry for the sins of the ministers of Scotland, that have betrayed the work of the Reformation; and even gone beyond curates and bishops in betraying and destroying it. The Lord will lay that woe unto their charge.

But let all of us look unto ourselves, and see what we have brought upon ourselves. We will not get a field meeting in Scotland but what is here at this time. Last year we had twenty or thirty, that carried the Lord's banner from one place to another in Scotland. It is not so now; but it is much that we have such a meeting as this. God be thanked for it. But we are brought very low and our persecutors are greater than we; and they are now saying: 'We have got them under, and let us keep them so.' They think they will get us all apprehended, and there is a great appearance of it. They will behead and hang us, if possible eradicate us from the face of the earth. We look upon our right hand, and upon our left hand, and there is no man that knows or cares for us. We are a party on whom few look upon the right hand, few of the ministers and professors. The most part of them have got into towns and country places; and the best news they could hear would be that a party of the enemy had come and cut everyone of us off.

Let us speak about the matters of God, we will scarcely agree together; not one speaks comfortably, nor agrees with another.. We may say, 'Where will we cause our shame to go?' Our enemies laugh at us, and it is sad, that we have done it all with our own hands. If we had kept our hands free of sin, it had been otherwise with us, we might have defied our enemies. But now we are scattered, like sheep without a shepherd, or like a leaf tossed and driven to and fro with the wind.

There is help for us in him who brought Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea. We are not in a more dangerous case than the Israelites were in when came out of Egypt. They had as great an army pursuing them as our king can command; yet they passed through safely, while Pharoah, and all his host were drowned. We are not to look for miracles; but we may look for wonders for the people that own his cause. He is able to save all that come unto him.

Our Lord is saying: 'If you would have help from me, you must take me to be your King; you must take me to be head of the church.'. Our Lord Jesus is, and must be King upon his holy hill of Zion. There is no king in the church besides him; the Lord has given him to be King to rule in you and over you. Now, are you content to be let the King of Glory, the Lord of hosts, enter into your hearts and souls? And, oh, what say you in Galloway and Nithsdale? Will you take Christ to be your King, and to be the anointed King of the Church? And what say you at Clydesdale and Lothian? Are there any of you here content to cast yourselves at his feet, and to enter your name in his list among his subjects? Come and set down your names, and submit unto him, and give away yourselves unto him. There were hope in Israel concerning our case, if there were any this day crying, 'I am content to take him for my King, my Lord, and Saviour.'

We must cry we will have no other king but Christ. If you would have him be for you, you must cut off his king, and these princes, and make able men to be rulers, endued with suitable qualifications both of body and mind, that employ their power for the cause and interest of God. If we had the zeal of God within us we would not call him our king; and even with regard to the nobles and magistrates of this land, we would not acknowledge them to be magistrates. The Lord knows we are obliged to speak these things. I will tell you, if ever you see a good day in Scotland without disowning the present magistrates, then believe me no more. I know not if this generation will be honoured to cast off these rulers; but those that the Lord makes instruments to bring back Christ, adn to recover our liberties civil and ecclesiastic, shall be such as shall disown the king, and those inferiors under him, against whom our Lord is denouncing war. Let them take heed to themselves; for though they should take us to scaffolds, or kill us in the fields, the Lord will yet raise up a party who will be avenged upon them. And are there none to execute justice and judgment upon those wicked men who are both treacherous and tyrannical? The Lord is calling men of all ranks and stations to execute judgment upon them. And if it be done, we cannot but justify the deed; and such are to be commended for it, as Jael was.

Let us fight against those wicked rulers with the weapons of Spiritual warfare, the arms of secret prayer. Let us pray unto the Lord to cut them off; and the Lord will raise up those that will contemn and despise them. The juncture of tiem is such, that we must state ourselves in opposition to those enemies. WE must not trifle with them any more. We must be content either to quit them all, or comply with them. If we would resovle to quit all for Christ, he would return su all, and give us as much as we had, and twice as good and more. [from a sermon by Richard Cameron]

To his faithful servants he hath promised that he will be with them, that he will put his Spirit upon them, and his word into their mouths, and that Satan shall fall before them as lightning from heaven. But where is there any such promise to ungodly ministers Nay, do you not, by your hypocrisy and your abuse of God, provoke him to forsake you, and to blast all your endeavors, at least as to yourselves,’ though he may bless them to his chosen? For I do not deny but that God may do good to his Church by wicked men; yet doth he it not so ordinarily, nor so eminently, as by his own servants. And what I have said of the wicked themselves, doth hold in part of the godly, while they are scandalous and backsliding, in proportion to the measure of their sin. From Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor

There will quickly be an end to thy sadness, but their will never be an end to thy happiness; there will soon be an end to thy calamity and misery, there will never be an end to thy felicity and glory. The kingdoms of this world are not lasting, much less are they everlasting; they all have there climacaterical years, but the kingdom of Heaven is an everlasting kingdom; of that there is no end. Who can look upon those eternal mansions that are above and those and those everlasting pleasures that be at God’s right hand, and say that this affliction is long! Well, Christian, let thy affliction be never so long, yet one hours being in the bosom of Christ will make thee both the length and strength of all they afflictions. Thomas Brooks

Labels: Thomas Brooks

July 15th, 1651 [the day he expected to be executed from the Tower of London]

"My Dearest Beloved,

"I am now going to my long home, yet I must write a word before I go hence and shall be seen no more. It is to beg thee to be comforted in my gain and not to be troubled in they loss. Labour to suppress thy inward fears now that thou art under outward sorrows. As thy outward sufferings abound, let they consolations in Christ also abound. I know thou art a woman of a sorrowful spirit. My time is short; I have but a few words of counsel to give thee, and then I shall leave thee to God who careth for thee and thine.

1. While thou art under desertions, labour rather to strengthen and clear up they evidences for Heaven than question them

2. Remember a faith of adherence or reliance on the Lord Jesus brings thee to Heaven, though thou want the faith of evidence or assurance.

3. Labour to find that (and more also) in God which thou hast lost in the creature.

4. Spend not thy days in heaviness for my death. If there were knowledge of things below or sorrow in heaven, I should grieve to think my beloved should mourn on earth.

5. Lie under a soul-searching ministry. I know thou art not a spongy hearer, sucking in foul water as well as fair. God hath given thee a good understanding, to be able to discern things that differ. As the mouth tastes meat, they ear trieth words.

6. Be conversant in Christian meetings and much in the exercises of mortification, in fasting and prayers, yet have respect to the weakness of they body and they present condition.

7. Have a care of thyself and babes. God will take care of thee and them. I can write no more; farewell my dear, farewell, farewell.

My dear, I be thee to be satisfied. My heart is greatly comforted in God. I can quietly submit to the good pleasure of His will, and I hope thou dost so also. I am delivered by the determinate counsel of God; the will of the Lord be done. Read for thy comfort when I am dead and gone, Jeremiah 49:11 and the beginning of 12; Isaiah 9:6-8; Psalm 5:6 and 146:9; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 and Hebrews 12:6-7
These are the last words written by thy dying yet comforted husband.

Christopher Love

Observe from Job's way of answering, in granting what is true and denying what is false, that in every temptation readily there are two things: (1) A true ground. (2) A false conclusion from it. Satan will say, "You are in such a condition, therefore you are not a child of God." Learn then with Job to grant the ground but deny the conclusion. See it also in the woman of Canaan. She is said to be [outside] the covenant, and called a dog; and she grants it is true, yet she pleads that there is some allowance for such. Therefore because something is true, do not believe all is true. It is suggested there is much unmortified sin in you; you have been so long under ordinances, and have not thrived. Yea, you are backslidden. It may be all this is true, yet the conclusion will not follow [that] there you have nothing ado with God.

On the terribleness of God to Job, observe that God may show himself terrible, and yet not be angry at the person. He may set you up as a butt [target], cleave your reins assunder, pour out your gall, run upon you like a lion or giant, and yet keep love. Therefore measure not God's love by even his spiritual dispensations, as if God loved not when he looks angry-like. Our senses are not good judges. It is not right reasoning to say, "God lays his heavy hand upon me, therefore he will not look upon me." What if Job reasonsed so? (2) It should stir up folks to consider what God's terribleness will be, when he has no love, and comes to render vengeance to all that know him not. When the fierceness of his countenance shall make all the families of the earth to mourn, who believe God is a consuming fire. (Heb. 12:29). What will be to the wicked?

Job's sincerity bears him out in all this. Observe [that] the efficacy of sincerity, and an inward testimony of conscience can keep the soul quiet, and hold a grip of God in the greatest trouble, anxiety and grief. Therefore a good conscience is a rich reward and worth itself. The meek shall inherit the earth. If folks know the worth of this, they would study above all things to keep a good conscience before God and men.

The vehemency of Job's asseverations [emphatic assertions], and using them so frequently, and doubling them, is to let us see that it is holy wisdom, and no presumption, when temptation is so violent and presses violently for the soul, not to deny its interest in God, but to assert it the more confidently, and take in fair upon him the head and score of God's grace (so to speak) and in a sort to presume. I say not, presumption is lawful at any time; but because faith will then be presumption to sense, we would set ourselves to do that which seems presumption, to ride near on that side, when the wind blows to such a shore to ply against it; so strong is the way of believing, that the more it is borne down, it breaks the more out. God help us to k eep the right midst [mid-point; center]. {James Durham's Lectures on Job, Chapter 16}

The Psalms, it follows, that in proportion to the proficiency which a man shall have attained in
understanding them, nill be his knowledge of the most important part of
celestial doctrine. Genuine and earnest prayer proceeds first from a sense
of our need, and next, from faith in the promises of God. It is by perusing
these inspired compositions, that men will be most effectually awakened
to a sense of their maladies, and, at the same time, instructed in seeking
remedies for their cure. In a word, whatever may serve to encourage us
when we are about to pray to God, is taught us in this book. And not only
are the promises of God presented to us in it, but oftentimes there is
exhibited to us one standing, as it were, amidst the invitations of God on
the one hand, and the impediments of the flesh on the other, girding and
preparing himself for prayer:thus teaching us, if at any time we are
agitated with a variety of doubts, to resist and fight against them, until the
soul, freed and disentangled from all these impediments, rise up to God;
and not only so, but even when in the midst of doubts, fears, and
apprehensions, let us put forth our efforts in prayer, until we experience
some consolation which may calm and bring contentment to our minds. fa11
Although distrust may shut the gate against our prayers, yet we must not
allow ourselves to give way, whenever our hearts waver or are agitated
with inquietude, but must persevere until faith finally come forth
victorious from these conflicts. In many places we may perceive the
exercise of the servants of God in prayer so fluctuating, that they are
almost overwhelmed by the alternate hope of success and apprehension of
failure, and gain the prize only by strenuous exertions. We see on the one
hand, the flesh manifesting its infirmity; and on the other, faith putting
forth its power; and if it is not so valiant and courageous as might be
desired, it is at least prepared to fight until by degrees it acquire perfect
strength. But as those things which serve to teach us the true method of
praying aright will be found scattered through the whole of this
Commentary, I will not now stop to treat of topics which it will be
necessary afterwards to repeat, nor detain my readers from proceeding to
the work itself. Only it appeared to me to be requisite to show in passing,
that this book makes known to us this privilege, which is desirable above
all others — that not only is there opened up to us familiar access to God,
but also that we have permission and freedom granted us to lay open
before him our infirmities which we would be ashamed to confess before
men. Besides there is also here prescribed to us an infallible rule for
directing us with respect to the right manner of offering to God the
sacrifice of praise, which he declares to be most precious in his sight, and
of the sweetest odour. There is no other book in which there is to be found
more express and magnificent commendations, both of the unparalleled
liberality of God towards his Church, and of all his works; there is no
other book in which there is recorded so many deliverances nor one in
which the evidences and experiences of the fatherly providence and
solicitude which God exercises towards us are celebrated with such
splendor of diction, and yet with the strictest adherence to truth, in short,
there is no other book in which we are more perfectly taught the right
manner of praising God, or in which we are more powerfully stirred up to
the performance of this religious exercise. Moreover although The Psalms
are replete with all the precepts which serve to frame our life to every part
of holiness, piety, and righteousness, yet they will principally teach and
train us to bear the cross; and the bearing of the cross is a genuine proof of
our obedience, since by doing this, we renounce the guidance of our own
affections and submit ourselves entirely to God, leaving him to govern us,
and to dispose of our life according to his will, so that the afflictions which
are the bitterest and most severe to our nature, become sweet to us,
because they proceed from him. In one word, not only will we here find
general commendations of the goodness of God, which may teach men to
repose themselves in him alone, and to seek all their happiness solely in
him; and which are intended to teach true believers with their whole hearts
confidently to look to him for help in all their necessities; but we will also
find that the free remission of sins, which alone reconciles God towards us
and procures for us settled peace with him, fa12 is so set forth and
magnified, as that here there is nothing wanting which relates to the
knowledge of eternal salvation. [From Calvin's preface to his commentary on the Psalms]

One should not therefore wonder at not seeing people today who are inclined to suffer for the gospel, or that most people who call themseles Christians don't even know what it means to be one. For they are all rather nonchalant and and are not concerned to either read or hear [the Word of God]. Rather, they are content to have had a taste of the Christian faith. This is why there is so little to hold them fast, and, if they are assailed, they find themselves immediately at a loss. This should incite us to enquire more dilligently into the truth of God, in order to be more sure of it.

Yet, being well instructed is still not the whole of the matter. One sees people who seem to be near perfect as to sound doctrine, who nontheless are quite devoid of zeal and affection, as if they had never known anything of God, except some passing fancy. And why is it so? Only because they never comprehended the majesty of the holy Scriptures. And indeed, if we, in our present condition, would duly consider that it is God who is speaking to us, it is quite certain that we would be much more attentive and reverent listeners. If we considered that in reading the Scripture, we are in the school of angels, we would have quite a different care, and desire to apply ourselves, to the teaching set before us. [John Calvin]

Labels: John Calvin

Flee anger, wrath, grudging, envying, fretting. Forgiven an hundred pence to your fellow-servant, because your Lord hath forgiven you ten thousand talents. For I assure you by the Lord, your adversaries shall get no advantadge against you, except you sin and offend your Lord in your sufferings. But the way to overcome is by patience, forgiving and praying for your enemies, in doing whereof you heap coals upon their heads, and your Lord shall open a door to you in your troubles. Wait upon Him, as the night watch waiteth for the morning. He will not tarry. Go up to your watch-tower and come nod won; but by prayer and faith and hope and wait on. When the sea is full, it will ebb again; and so soon as the wicked are come to the top of their pride, and are waxed high and mighty, then is their change approaching. They that believe make not haste.

Remember Zion, forget her not, for her enemies are many; for the nations are gathered against her. "But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel; for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion." (Michah iv. 12, 13). Behold, God hath gathered his enemies together, as sheaves to the threshing. Let us stay and rest upon these promises. Now again, I trust in our Lord you shall be faith sustain yourself, and comfort yourself in the Lord, and be strong in His power; for you are in the beaten and common way to heaven when you are under the Lord's crosses. You have reason to rejoice in it, more than in a crown of gold; and rejoice and be glad to be the reproaches of Christ. [Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

All human inventions which are set up to corrupt the simple purity of the Word of God, and to undo the worship which he demands and approves, are true sacrileges, in which the Christian man cannot participate without blaspheming God, and trampling his honour underfoot. [John Calvin]

Labels: John Calvin

"Do not think the catechism is a little thing to be read hastily and cast aside. Although I am a doctor, I have to do just as a child and say word for word every morning and whenever I have time the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments, the Creed and Psalms. I have to do it every day and yet, I cannot stand as I would. But these smart folks in one reading want to be doctors of doctors. Therefore I beg thee wise saints to be persuaded that they are not such a great doctor as they think. To be occupied with God's Word helps against the world, the flesh and the Devil, and all bad thoughts. This is the true holy water with which to excorcise the Devil." [Martin Luther]

Labels: Martin Luther

Even now, we see that the devil ceases not, and he has innumerable wiles to oppress us; we know what force he is of, and he is not without cause termed the prince of the world. He comes with so great a cruelty, and passes all the force of our fleshly enemies. On the other side, the world is full of ambushes against us. To be short, when we have bethought us never so well of the enemies whom we see, there are an infinite multitude of enemies [whom we see not] which seek nothing but to overthrow us when we should do good. Therefore let us sit still in humility, to the end, being shrouded under the shadow of God, we may be upheld and maintained by Him. Let us look well to it then, that we follow not what each of us thinks good in himself, but submit ourselves to God's good
will. [John Calvin]

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"To my beloved Daughter, Dorothy Cromwell, of Husrley.

"From aboard the John, 13th August 1649

"My Dear Daughter,

"Your Letter was very welcome to me. I like to see anything from your hand; because indeed I stick not to say, I do entirely love you. And therefore I hope a word of advice will not be unwelcome or unacceptable to thee.

"I desire you both to make it above all things your business to seek the Lord: to be frequently calling upon Him, that He would manifest Himself to you in His Son; and be listening what return He makes to you, --for He will be speaking in your ear and in your heart, if you attend there unto. I desire you to provoke your Husband likewise there unto. As for the pleasures of this life, and outwards business, let that be upon the bye. Be above all these things by comfort of them,--and not otherwise. I have much satisfaction in hope your spirit is this way set; and I desire you may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and that I may hear thereof. The Lord is very near: which we see by His wonderful works; and therefore He looks that we of this generation draw near to Him. This late great mercy of Ireland si a great manifestaion thereof." [News had just arrived that the Irish army before Dublin had been defeated.] "Your husband will acquaint you with it. We should be much stirred up in our spirits to thankfulness. We needmuch of the Spirit of Christ to enable us to praise God for so admirable a mercy.

"The Lord bless thee my Dear Daughter,
"I rest, thy loving father,
"Oliver Cromwell."

"truly I pity them, they know not what they are doing. They may shut me in where they please, but they cannot shut out God from me. I am as content to be here as I was in the Tower; was as content there as I was when at liberty; and hope to be as content on the scaffold as any of them all." Marquis of Argyll about to be martyred

That scouring and rubbing which frets others shall make them shine the brighter; and that weight which crushes and keeps others under, shall be make them, like the palm tree, grow better and higher; and that hammer which knocks others all in pieces, shall but knock them the nearer to Christ, the corner stone. Stars shine brightest in the darkest night; torches give the best light when beaten; grapes yield most wine when most pressed; spices smell sweetest when pounded; vines are the better for bleeding; gold looks the brighter for scouring; junper smells sweetest in the fire; chamonile the more you tread it the more you spread it; the salamander lives best in the fire, the jews were best when most afflicted; the Athenians would never mend, till they wer in mourning; the Christ’s cross, saith Luther, is no letter in the book, and yet, saith he, it hath taught me more than all the letters in the book. Grace shines the brighter for scouring, and is most glorious when it is most clouded. Thomas Brooks--Mute Christian under the smarting rod

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Question: Might not God have kept Job from [these] infirmities and would it not have been more for God’s honour?

Answ: God works his end in Job’s trial more by letting his infirmities [appear]. 1. because the more Job’s infirmities [appear], and that like a spate or flood of waters, the more [appears] his grace in Job that is not drowned with it. The messenger of Satan is sent to buffet Paul (2 Cor 12:7) and his weakness must kyth, that God’s grace over passion is mre than if his passion had not broken out. 2. The Lord gains his end better, because as he had one end before him, to stop Satan’s mouth, so he had this end, to let Job and all his children know what they hold of him, and how he will have them in his reverence. Therefore the best of the Saints with Jacob have a halt [limp], that they may know the strength whereby they stand, and to whom they are obliged for the victory. 3. God’s end was not only that Job may have the victory being tried, but that he might b e a pattern to these that should come after, and therefore he will have his infirmities to kyth, and yet do them away, and give him the victory: bring him to the brink of despair, and yet uphold him, and give him an outgate [deliverance], that other saints may not be discouraged or despair though their condition should be like his. And often Job’s infirmities [appearing], have proven as comfortable to the people of God as his patience and other graces. James Durham--Lectures on Job

"wait and hasten" saith Peter, "for the Coming of our Lord." All is night that is here, in respect of ignorance of daily ensuing troubles, one always making way to another, as the ninth wave of the sea to the tenth; therefore sigh and long for the dawning of that morning, and the breaking of that day of the Coming of the Son of Man, when the shadows shall flee away. Persuade yourself the King is Coming: Wait with the wearied night watch for the breaking of the eastern sky; and think that ye have not a tomorrow. As the wise father said, who being invited against tomorrow to dine with his friend answered: "Those many days I have had no morrow at all." I am loth to weary you. Show yourself a Christian by suffering without murmuring, for which sin fourteen thousand and seven hundred were slain. (Numb xvi 49). In patience, posess your soul. They lose nothing who gain Christ. I commend you to the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus, assuring you that your day is coming, and that God's mercy is abiding in you. [Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

"Nevertheless, he saved them for his name's sake."—Psalm 106:8.
We tender our exhortation to believers, in particular, who have run to this strong tower of salvation, the name of the Lord. O admire his goodness, admire his name. He knows all your sins against him, and against his name; yet for his name's sake, he shows mercy. O! let sin against so good a God be abhorred: let his goodness lead you to repentance more and more: "The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." O believer, are you called by his name; praise him for his mercy, truth, faithfulness: "According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth; thy right hand is full of righteousness," Psal. 18:10. O sirs, ascribe all the mercy you met with to his name; and study to be meet objects for God's name, to be more and more glorified, upon his engaging his name for your help. Study to become such persons as the scriptures require: for though sinners have a ground of hope, that he MAY do, for his name's sake; yet saints have a ground of hope that he WILL do for his name's sake: the graceless may run to him with hope, that he may begin the good work, for his name's sake; but the gracious may run to him with hope that he will perfect the good work for his name's sake. His name is engaged.

In a word, O improve his name in every case; for he hath a name suiting every want, every need. Do you need wonders to be wrought for you? His name is Wonderful; look to him so to do, for his name's sake. Do you need counsel and direction? His name is the Counsellor: cast yourself on him and his name for this. Have you mighty enemies to debate with? His name is the mighty God; seek that he may exert his power for his name's sake. Do you need his fatherly pity? His name is the everlasting Father; "As a Father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Plead his pity, for his name's sake. Do you need peace external, internal, or eternal? His name is the Prince of Peace; seek, for his name's sake, that he may create peace. Do you need healing? O sirs, his name is JEHOVAH-ROPHI, the Lord the healer and physician; seek, for his name's sake, that he may heal all your diseases. Do you need pardon? His name is JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU, the Lord our righteousness; seek, for his name's sake, that he may be merciful to your unrighteousness. Do you need defence and protection? His name is JEHOVAH-NISSI, the Lord your banner. Seek for his name's sake, that his banner of love and grace may be spread over you. Do you need provision in extreme want? His name is JEHOVAH-JIREH, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen, the Lord will provide. Do you need his presence? His name is JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, the Lord is there: IMMANUEL, God with us: look to him to be with you, for his name's sake. Do you need audience of prayer? His name is the Hearer of prayer. Do you need strength? His name is the Strength of Israel. Do you need comfort? His name is the Consolation of Israel. Do you need shelter? His name is the city of refuge. Have you nothing and need all? His name is All in All. Sit down and devise names to your wants and needs, and you will find he hath a name suitable thereunto; for your supply, he hath wisdom to guide you; and power to keep you; mercy to pity you; truth to shield you; holiness to sanctify you; righteousness to justify you; grace to adorn you; and glory to crown you. Trust in his name, who saves for his name's sake.--Ralph Erskine

"I am persuaded that, if many men knew distinctly the torments of hell, they would never walk in a way of sin that leads to hell as they do. I persuade myself that if this doctrine of hell were well-studied and better known by the people, they would take more care to avoid hell and vainglory than they do. If men knew that they who live and die unrepenting, who lie burning in their lusts, shall one day burn in fire; if they but knew that they who swallow bowls of wine and drink to excess shall one day drink drafts of brimstone in hell; if men knew that they who grind their teeth through hatred and indignation against the godly here shall one day gnash their teeth in ehll hereafter; if men knew that they who oppress the people of God by persecution and haul them into prison shall one day be dragged into an everlasting prison and hauled by devils into hell; that those who could ot endure the company of saints on earth should be with devils and damned spirits in hell; if men knew this doctrine well, t hey would not be so profane and sinfully wicked as they are nowadays." From the first sermon on hell's Terror--Christopher Love

Death is not only no death for them, but is a kind of translation to a more glorious life, and is turned into a kind of resurrection from the dead. Death is a happy change to them, and a change that is by far more like a resurrection than a death. It is a change from a state of much sin and sorrow, and darkness, to a state of perfect light, and holiness and joy. When a saint dies, he awakes as it were, out of sleep. This life is a dull, lifeless state; there is but a little Spiritual life, and a great deal of deadness; there is but a little sight and a great deal of darkness; there is but a little sense and a great deal of stupidity and senselessness. But when a godly man dies, all this deadness and darkness, and stupidity and senselessness are gone forever, and he enters immediately into a state of perfect life, and perfect light, and activity and joyfulness. [Johnathon Edwards]

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I have sadness to ballast me and weight me a little. It is but His boundless wisdom which have taken the tutoring of His witless child. And He knoweth that to be drunken with comforts is not safest for our stomaches. However it be, the din and noise and glooms of Christ's cross are weightier than itself. protest to you, (my witness is in Heaven) that I could wish many pound weights added to my cross to know that by my sufferings Christ were set forward in His Kingly office in this land. O, what is my skin to His glory! or my losses or my sad heart, to the apple of the eye of our Lord and His beloved spouse, His precious truth, His royal privileges, the glory of manifested justice in giving His foes a dash, the testimony of His faithful servants who do glorify Him, when He rideth upon poor weak worms, and triumpeth in them! I desire you to pray that I may come out of this furnace with honesty, and that I may leave Christ's truth no worse than I found it; and that this most honourable cause may neither be stained nor weakened. [Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

>"Few men, if any, have iron memories. How soon is a sermon preached forgotten, when a sermon written remains! Augustine writing to Volusian, saith, "That which is written is always at hand to be read when the reader is at leisure." Men do not easily forget their own names, nor otheir father's house, nor the wives of their bosoms, nor the fruit of their loins, not to eat their daily bread; and yet, ah! how easily do they forget that word of grace, that should be dearer to them than all! Most mens' memories, especially in the great concernments of their souls, are like a sieve or boulter, where the good corn and fine flour goes through, but the light chaff and coarse bran remain behind; or like a strainer, where the sweet liquor is strained out, but the dregs left behind; or like a grate that lets the pure water run away, but if there be any straws, sticks, mud or filth, that it holds as it were with iron bands. Most men's memories are very treacherous, espeically in good things; few mens' memories are a holy ark, a heavenly storehouse or magazine for their souls, and therefore they stand in more need of the written word." [Thomas Brooks--Mute Christian under the Rod dedicatory epistle]

Labels: Thomas Brooks

If ever you would pleasure me, entreat the Lord for me, now when I am so comfortless, and so full of heaviness, that I am not able to stand under the burden any longer. The Almighty hath doubled his stripes upon me, for my wife is so sore tormented night and day, that I have wondered why the Lord tarrieth so long. My life is bitter unto me, and I fear the Lord be my contrair party. It is (as I know now by experience) hard to keep sight of God in a storm, especially when He hides Himself, for the trial of His children. If He would be pleased to remove His hand, I have a purpose, to seek Him more than I have done. Happy are they that can win away with their soul. I am afraid of His judgements. I bless my God that there is a death, and a heaven. I would weary to begin again to be Christian, so bitter is it to drink of the cup that Christ drank of, if I knew not that there is no poison in it. God give us not of it till we vomit it up again, for we have sick souls when God's phsyic works not. Pray that God would not lead my wife into temptation. Woe is my heart, that I have done so little against the kingdom of Satan in my calling; for he would fain attempt to make me blaspheme God to His face. I believe, I believe, in the strength of Him who hath put me in His work, he shall fail in that which he seeks; I have comfort in this, that my Captain, Christ, hath said, I must fight and overcome the world, and with a weak, spoiled, weaponless devil, "the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me. I(John xvi 33) [Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

1I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, and he will hear me.
2In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
3When I remember God, I moan;
when I meditate, my spirit faints.
Selah



4You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5I consider the days of old,
the years long ago.
6I said,[b] "Let me remember my song in the night;
let me meditate in my heart."
Then my spirit made a diligent search:
7"Will the Lord spurn forever,
and never again be favorable?
8Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time?
9Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?"
Selah



10Then I said, "I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High."[c]



11I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah



16When the waters saw you, O God,
when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
indeed, the deep trembled.
17The clouds poured out water;
the skies gave forth thunder;
your arrows flashed on every side.
18The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lighted up the world;
the earth trembled and shook.
19Your way was through the sea,
your path through the great waters;
yet your footprints were unseen.[d]
20You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

"I am accused of being an apostate, of being a turn-coat, of being this, of being that, of being anything but what I am. In general, I will tell you, I bless my God, a high court, a long sword, a bloody scaffold have not made me in the least to alter my principles or to wrong my conscience."

"Take heed of those doctrines that come under the notion of "new light." Those doctrines you ought to suspect as to whether they are true, which the broachers of them say are new, for truth is as old as the Bible. Many things go under the notion of "new light" yet they are but old darkness, old heresies raked out of the dunghill, and which were buried in former ages of the Church with contempt and reproach many hundreds of years ago."

"Here I come to that which you call an untimely end and shameful death, but (blessed be God) it is my glory and it is my comfort. I shall justify God; He is righteous because I have sinned. He is righteous though He cuts me off in the midst of my days and in the midst of my ministry."

"I conclude with the speech of the Apostle, 2 Timothy 4:6-7, "I am now to be offered up, and the time of my departure is at hand; I have finished my course, I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith, henceforth there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me; and not for me only, but for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ," through whose blood I expect remission of sins and eternal salvation. And so the Lord bless you all."

The Old English Puritan was such a one that honored God above all, and under God gave every one his due. His first care was to serve God, and therein he did not what was good in his own, but in God's sight, making the word of God the rule of his worship. He highly esteemed order in the House of God: but would not under color of that submits to superstitious rites, which are superfluous, and perish in their use. He dared not worship God after the traditions of men. He made conscience of all God's ordinances, though some he esteemed of more consequence. He was much in prayer; with it he began and closed the day. It is he was much exercised in his closet, family and public assembly. He esteemed that manner of prayer best, whereby the gift of God, expressions were varied according to present wants and occasions; yet did he not account set forms unlawful. He esteemed reading of the word an ordinance of God both in private and public but did not account reading to be preaching. The word read he esteemed of more authority, but the word preached of more efficiency. He accounted preaching as necessary now as in the Primitive Church, God's pleasure being still by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe. He esteemed the preaching best wherein was most of God, least of man, when vain flourishes of wit and words were declined, and the demonstration of God's Spirit and power studied: yet could he distinguish between studied plainness and negligent rudeness. He accounted perspicuity the best grace of a preacher: And that method best, which was most helpful to the understanding, affection, and memory. To which ordinarily he esteemed none so conducible as that by doctrine, reason and use. He esteemed those sermons best that came closest to the conscience: yet would he have men’s consciences awakened, not their persons disgraced. He was a man of good spiritual appetite, and could not be contented with one (spiritual) meal a day. An afternoon sermon did relish as well to him as one in the morning. He was not satisfied with prayers without preaching: which if it were wanting at home, he would seek abroad: yet would he not by absence discourage his minister, if faithful, though another might have quicker gifts. A lecture he esteemed, though not necessary, yet a blessing, and would read such an opportunity with some pains and loss. The Lord’s Day he esteemed a divine ordinance, and rest on it necessary, so far as it conduced to holiness. He was very conscientious in observance of that day as the mart day of the soul. He was careful to remember it, to get house, and heart in order for it and when it came, he was studious to improve it. He redeems the morning from superfluous sleep, and watches the whole day over his thoughts and words, not only to restrain them from wickedness, but worldliness. All parts of the day were like holy to him, and his care was continued in it in variety of holy duties: what he heard in public, he repeated in private, to whet it upon himself and family. Lawful recreations he thought this day unseasonable, and unlawful ones much more abominable: yet he knew the liberty God gave him for needful refreshing, which he neither did refuse nor abuse. The sacrament of baptism he received (upon salvation) The Lord’s Supper he accounted part of his soul’s food: to which he labored to keep an appetite. He esteemed it an ordinance of nearest communion with Christ, and so requiring most exact preparation. He endeavored to have the scandalous cast out of communion: but he cast not out himself, because the scandalous were suffered by the negligence of others. He condemned that superstition and vanity of Popish mock-fasts; yet neglected not an occasion to humble his soul by right fasting: He abhorred the popish doctrine of opus operatum in the action. And in practice rested in no performance, but what was done in spirit and truth. He thought God had left a rule in his word for discipline, and that aristocratical by elders, not monarchical by bishops, nor democratical by the people. Right discipline he judged pertaining not to the being, but to the well-being of a church. Therefore he esteemed those churches most pure where government is by elders, yet unchurched not those where it was otherwise. Perfection in churches he thought a thing rather to be desired, than hoped for. And so he expected not a church state without all defects. The corruptions that were in churches he thought his duty to bewail. He put not holiness in churches, as in the temple of the Jews; but counted them convenient like their synagogues. He would have them kept decent, not magnificent: knowing that the gospel requires not outward pomp. His chief music was singing of psalms wherein though he neglected not the melody of the voice, yet he chiefly looked after that of the heart. He disliked such church music as moved sensual delight, and was as hinderance to spiritual enlargements. He accounted to visit the fatherless and widows: yet did he distinguish between authority and lusts of magistrates, to that he submitted, but in these he durst not be a servant of men, being bought with a price. Just laws and commands he willingly obeyed not only for fear but for conscience also; but such as were unjust he refused to observe, choosing rather to obey God than man; yet his refusal was modest and with submission to penalties, unless he could procure indulgence from authority. He was careful in all relations to know, and to duty, and that with singleness of heart as unto Christ. He accounted religion an engagement to duty, that the best Christians should be best husbands, best wives, best parents, best children, best masters, best servants, best magistrates, best subjects, that the doctrine of God might be adorned, not blasphemed. His family he endeavors to make a church, both in regard of persons and exercises, admitting none into it but such as feared God; and laboring that those that were borne in it, might be born again unto God. He blessed his family morning and evening by the word and prayer and took care to perform those ordinances in the best season. He brought up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and commanded his servants to keep the way of the Lord. He set up discipline in his family, as he desired it in the church, not only reproving but restraining vileness in his. He was conscientious of equity as well as piety knowing that unrighteousness is abomination as well as ungodliness. He was cautious in promising, but careful in performing, counting his word no less engagement than his bond. He was a man of tender heart, not only in regard of his own sin, but others misery, not counting mercy arbitrary, but a necessary duty wherein as he prayed for wisdom to direct him, so he studied for cheerfulness and bounty to act. He was sober in the use of things of this life, rather beating down the body, than pampering it, yet he denied not himself the use of God's blessing, lest he should be unthankful, but avoid excess lest he should be forgetful of the Donor. In his habit he avoided costliness and vanity, neither exceeding his degree in civility, nor declining what suited with Christianity, desiring in all things to express gravity. He own life he accounted a warfare, wherein Christ was his captain, his arms, prayers, and tears. The Cross his banner, and his word, Vincit qui patitur . He was immovable in all times, so that they who in the midst of many opinions have lost the view of true religion, may return to him and find it.

"Man is born crying, lives lamenting, and dies with a groan. This world has been a step-mother to me, I have waited for Thy Salvation, O my God." [Thomas Boston]

I believe your hell is dried up, and ye have only these two shallow brooks, sickness and death to pass through; and ye have also a promise that Christ shall do more than meet you, even that He shall come Himself and go with you foot for foot, yea and bear you in His arms. O then! for the joy that is set before you; for the love of the Man (who is also "God over all blessed for ever") that is standing upon the shore to welcome you, run your race with patience. The Lord go with you. Your Lord will not have you, nor any of His servants to exchange for the worse. Death in itself includeth both death of the soul and death of the body; but to God's children the bounds and limits of death are abridged and drawn into a more narrow compass. So that when ye die, a piece of death shall only seize upon you, or the least part of you shall die, and that is the dissolution of the body; for in Christ ye are delivered from the second death; and therefore, as one born of God, commit not sin (although ye cannot live and not sin), and that serpent shall but eat your earthly part. As for your soul, it is above the law of death. But it is fearful and dangerous to be a debtor and servant to sin; for the count of sin ye will not be able to make good before God, except Christ both count and pay for you. [Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

"Let us mark then, that here the devil betrays a desease wherewith we are all tainted, until God has healed us by His grace; that is to wit that in time of prosperity we can bless God; but if He afflicts us we change our mind, and thenceforth we change our mind, and begin to grudge against Him, forgetting all the praise which we have given Him so long as He dealt with us after our desires. And so there may be hypocrites which cannot be known nor discovered until God sends them adversity. For so long as they’re easy and be at rest, they show not the rebelliousness that is within them, but let it lie hid Lo here the c ause why the Scripture oftentimes shows us that God trys those that are his, sifting them by afflictions, and c asting them as it were gold into a furnace, not only to purge them, but also to make them known" Calvin's fifth sermon on 1st chapter of Job

Madam--All dutiful obedience in the Lord remembered. I have heard of your Ladyship's infirmity and sickness with grief; yet I trust ye have learned to say, "It is the Lord, let Him do whatsoever seemeth good in His eyes." It is now many years since the apostate angels made a question, whether their will or the will of their Creator should be done; and since that time, froward mankind hath always in that same suit of law compared to plead with them against God, in daily repining against His Will. But the Lord being both party and judge, hath obtained a decreet, and saith, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (Isa xlvi 10). It is then best for us, in the obedience of faith, and in an holy submission, to give that to God which the law of His almighty and just will have of us. Therefore Madam, your Lord willeth you, in all states of life, to say, "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven;" and herein shall ye have comfort, that He, who seeth perfectly through all your evils, and knoweth the frame and constitution of your nature, and what is most healthful for your soul, holdeth every cup of affliction to your head, with His own gracious hand. Never believe that your tender-hearted Saviour, who knoweth the strength of your stomache, will mix that cup with one drachm weight of poison. Drink then, with the patience of the Saint's, and the God of patience, bless your physic. [From the Letters of Samuel Rutherford]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

1 I love the Lord, because my voice
and prayers he did hear.
2 I, while I live, will call on him,
who bowed to me his ear.


3 Of death the cords and sorrows did
about me compass round;
The pains of hell took hold on me,
I grief and trouble found.


4 Upon the name of God the Lord
then did I call, and say,
Deliver thou my soul, O Lord,
I do thee humbly pray.


5 God merciful and righteous is,
yea, gracious is our Lord.
6 God saves the meek: I was brought low,
he did me help afford.


7 O thou my soul, do thou return
unto thy quiet rest;
For largely, lo, the Lord to thee
his bounty hath expressed.


8 For my distressed soul from death
delivered was by thee:
Thou didst my mourning eyes from tears,
my feet from falling, free.


9 I in the land of those that live
will walk the Lord before.
10 I did believe, therefore I spake:
I was afflicted sore.


11 I said, when I was in my haste,
that all men liars be.
12 What shall I render to the Lord
for all his gifts to me?


13 I'll of salvation take the cup,
on God's name will I call:
14 I'll pay my vows now to the Lord
before his people all.


15 Dear in God's sight is his saints' death.
16 Thy servant, Lord, am I;
Thy servant sure, thine handmaid's son:
my bands thou didst untie.


17 Thank off'rings I to thee will give,
and on God's name will call.
18 I'll pay my vows now to the Lord
before his people all;


19 Within the courts of God's own house,
within the midst of thee,
O city of Jerusalem.
Praise to the Lord give ye.

I take God to record upon my soul, I would not exchange this scaffold with the palace and mitre of the greatest prelate in Britain. Blessed be God who has shown mercy to me such a wretch, and has revealed His Son in me, and made me a minister of the everlasting Gospel…Jesus Christ is my Life and my Light, my Righteousness, my strength, and my Salvation and all my desire! O Him, I do with all the strength of my soul commend to you. Bless Him, O my soul, from henceforth even forever. Lord, now let your servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen your salvation. [James Guthrie upon the Scaffold]

Neither do I believe, that the Magistrate is not subordinate to the Kingdom of Christ, as mediator, but subordinate to God as creator only. Though some divines teach, that there should have been kings and supreme powers in the world, though man had never fallen in sin, and a Saviour had never been in the world, and so that kings are warranted by the law of nature, and nations, and not by any law evangelic and mediatory; yet we think with reverence, this argument not strong, for generation and creation and multiplication of mankind should have been in the world, though never a sinner nor a Saviour shoudl have been in the world, yet are creation, generation and multiplication of mankind, by our divines, junus trelacaitus, gomaras, Calvin, Beza, Melanchton, Polarnus, Rollucus and many others, and with warrant of the word of God, made means subordinate to the excecution of the decree of predestination to Glory, which decree is executed in Christ, as the mean and meritorious cause of salvation purchased in his blood. What [though] heathen Magistrates as Magistrates know not Christ as mediator; ergo, they are not means subordinate to Christ's Mediatory Kingdom[?]. It follows not; for by Christ, the wisdom of God, kings do reign, [cf Prov 8], though many of them know him not. As they are created by Christ, as the second person of the Trinity [cf John1], though they know not the second person of the Trinity. It is their sin that they know him now. [1644] [Samuel Rutherford on the extent of the Mediatorial reign of Christ]

Labels: Samuel Rutherford

More Dear to me than Ever,

It adds to my rejoicing that I have so good and gracious a wife to part with for the Lord Jesus. In thy grief, I have been grieved; but in thy joy I have been comforted. Surely, nature could never help thee to bear so heavy a stroke with so much silence and submission to the hand of God! Oh, dearest, every line which thou writest me gladdeneth my heart. I dare not think that there is such a creature as Mary Love in the world. For Kit and Mall [the two living children], I can think of them without trouble, leaving them to so good a God and so good a mother.

Be comforted concerning thy husband, who may more honour God in his death than in his life. The will of the Lord be done; he is fully satisfied with the hand of God. Though there is but little between him and death, he knows there is but little between him and heaven, and that ravisheth his heart.

The Lord bless and requite for thy wise and good counsel. Thou hast presented me; the very things I thought to have written to thee, thou hast written to me. I have had more comfort from thy gracious letters that from all the counsel I have had elsewhere in the world. Well, be assured, we shall meet in heaven. I rest till I rest in heaven, thy dying but comforted friend.

Christopher Love

“Dear Cousin,
“I thankfully acknowledge your love in your kind remembrance of me upon this opportunity. Alas you do too highly prize my lines and my company. I may be ashamed to own your expressions, considering how unprofitable I am, and the mean improvement of , my talent.
“Yet to honour my God, by declaring what He hath done, for my soul, in this I am confident, and I will be so. Truly, then this, I find: that He gives springs in a dry barren wilderness where no water is. I live you know where in Meshec, which they say signifies prolonging; in Kedar which signifies blackness; yet the Lord foresaketh me not. Though He do prolong, yet I He will I trust bring me to His tabernacle, to His resting place. My soul is with the congregation of the First-born, my body rests in hop: and if here, I may honour my God, either by doing or by suffering, I shall be most glad.
“Truly no poor creature have more need to put himself forth in the cause of God than I. have had plentiful wages beforehand; and I am sure I shall never earn the least mite. The Lord accept me in His Son, and give me to walk in the light, as He is the light! He it is that enlighteneth our blackness, our darkness, I dare not say He hideth His face from me. He giveth me to see light in His light. One beam in a dark place has much refreshment in it:--blessed be His name for shining upon so dark a heart as mine! You know what manner of life mine hath been. Oh, I lived in and loved darkness and hated light; I was the chief; a chief of sinners. This is true: I hated godliness, yet God had mercy upon me. O the riches of His mercy! Praise Him for me, pray for me that He who hath begun a good work would perfect it in the day of Christ.
“Salute all my friends in that family whereof you are yet a member. I am much bound unto them for their love. I bless the Lord for them; and that my son by their procurement is so well. Let him have your prayers, your counsel; let me have them.
“Salute your sister and husband from me;- He is not a man of his word! He promised to write of Mr Wrath of Epping, but as yet I have received no letters; put him in mind to do what with the convieniency maybe done for the poor cousin I did solicit him about.

“Once more, farewell. The Lord be with you, so prayeth
Your truly loving cousin,
“Oliver Cromwell”

"They are all but dung, yet they are Christ's creatures, and out of obedience to him I take them; my eyes shall see my redeemer, I know he shall stand the last day upon the earth, and I shall be caught up in the clouds to meet him in the air, and I shall be ever with him, and what would you have more, there is an end; there is an end; I have been a wretched sinful man, but I stand at the best pass that ever a man did, Christ is mine, and I am his. I shall live and adore him; glory, glory, to my Creator, and to my Redeemer for ever; glory shines in Immanuel's land." [some of Samuel Rutherford's last words]

The sands of time are sinking,
The dawn of Heaven breaks,
The summer morn I've sighed for
The fair sweet morn awakes;
Dark, dark hath been the midnight,
But day-spring is at hand
And glory, glory dwelleth
In Immanuel's land. [a verse of a longer poem penned by Mrs. A.R. Cousin woven to repeat many of Samuel Rutherford's utterances-- The above was woven from his letters no's 79, 147]

And lest any of you, who sometimes have heard us press the oath of the Covenant and in these lands, should nowadays think it alterable, and look upon it as a thing to be dispersed with, we are, through God's strength, from Scripture, to make out the indissoluable tie of the Coveneant. "Every oath and Covenant of God is a thing inviolable, that is, may not and cannot be broken.But we take the Covenants in this place, to be of men's duties in the land; and for keeping them the better, we take an oath upon us in things that are neither morally evil nor goodm but indifferent. But a man once engaged by oath cannot retract. Though they be not commanded duties, yet once entered into, they must stand for when we open our mouthst of the Lord we cannot go back. [John Guthrie Minister of Tarbolton]

It should be your wisdom to labour more to avoid hell than to endeavour to find out the place where hell is. If you do not labour to avoid hell, be sure, wherever hell is, hell will find you to receive you into everlasting torments. This use Chrysostom makes of this point: if a man's house were on fire, he would not inquire how it came, but how to quench it.

Though it is uncertain where the precise place of hell is, yet you may certainly know that sin is the very road to hell, and the direct way there. You may not know the place for certain, yet this i most certain: sin will lead you to hell. Proverbs 7:27: "Whosoever goes into a whore, her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." And the more prodigal you are in sinning, the faster you run towards the place of the damned.

Do you not know where hell is distinctly? this should teach you to take heed of sin in every place, for hell follows sin at the heels. If you sin against God, God knows how near hell you are. You have a phrase, Genesis 4:7, God's speech to Cain: "If thou dost ill, behold, sin lies at thy door;" that is, the punishment due to sin--if you are drunk within, or swear within, or cheat within--behold, hell is at your door, damanation at your door. You know not how near you are to hell if you sin against God. Therefore take heed of sin in every place seeing you know not where the particular place of hell is.

Though we know not where hell is, yet of this we are sure; there are some men who carry the resemblance of hell about them wherever they go. A guilty and galled conscience joined with a profane and wicked life is the lively picture of hell itself. [Christopher Love--3rd sermon on hell's terrors]

I have seen my abominable vileness. if I were well known, there would be none in this kingdom ask how I do. Men take my ten to be a hundred; but I am a deeper hypocrite or shallower professor than everyone believeth. God knoweth I feign not. But I think my reckonings written on the one page written in great letters, and his mercy to such a forlorn and wretched and bankrupt on the other, more than a miracle. If I could get my finger-end upon full assurance, I think I should grip fast: but my cup wanteth not gall. And upon my part, despair might almost be excused, if everyone in this land saw his innerside. But I know I am one of those that have made a great sale and a free market to free grace. If I could be saved, as I would fain believe sure I am that I have given Christ's blood, his free grace and the bowels of his mercy a large field to work upon. And Christ hath manifested his art, I dare not say to the uttermost, (for he can if he would forgive all the devils and condemned reprobates in respect of the widness of his mercy), but I say to an admirable degree.--Samuel Rutherford

Labels: Samuel Rutherford