Posting
Any readers will know, I usually post here at least once daily. However, I’ve been having a worsening in my health condition the last few days, which makes typing up quotes out of books, very burdensome and difficult to do with any accuracy. Once in a more able place, will restart the quotes though. I rarely copy and paste quotes, as many of my sources are not online.
We All Return to the Earth
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]
We all return to the earth
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]
Favourite Love Quote
I know I've posted this quote before at old blogs, but I always have it on my current quote blog at some point, and today it seemed particuarly relevant for personal reasons.
"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
Favourite Love Quote
I know I’ve posted this quote before at old blogs, but I always have it on my current quote blog at some point, and today it seemed particuarly relevant for personal reasons.
“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
On Original Sin
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
Webspace
[updated blog]
Welll as I posted on my main blog, I’ve been changing service providers for my webspace host, so for now at least my usual ponderizations site is at this addie: For anyone who has followed my blogging from the start, my original Blogger blog archives can now be found here I have to update tahe template and not all the links may be working, but all in good time. They will be soon. But don’t update your bookmarks yet, as owing to me not knowing how thisnew company works entirely, it may not yet be the permanent URL.
On Original Sin
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
Waiting in Patience
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]
On Duty
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.]
Come Enter The Bond
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]
Wait in Patience
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]
On Duty
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.]
Come Enter the Bond
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]
On Comfortablness
"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]
Little Learning is not always Little Faith
Being assured of the good cause, we must be on fire, as is right, to follow God wherever he may call us; his word must have the authority over us that it deserves, and, having forsaken this world, we must be possessed with the quest of the life of heaven. It is beyond strange that although the light of God shines as fully today as ever it has done, yet there is so little zeal that it is a crying shame. If we are not confounded with embarrassment, it is even worse; for we shall indeed have to appear shortly before the great judge, where the evil we try to conceal shall be set forth with such reproaches that there will be plenty to overwhelm us completely. For, if we are obliged to give testimony to God according to the measure of the understanding which he has given us, why is it, I ask you, that we are so cold and fearful about entering the fray, seeing that God is go greatly manifested in these times that one may say he has opened and displayed before us the great treasure of his secrets? Must we not say that we do not reckon with the fact that it is God with whom we have to do? For, if we had any regard for his majesty, we would not dare thus turn the doctrine that proceeds from his mouth into I know not what sort of philosophy or speculation. In short, there is no excuse for this not being a great embarrassment to us, indeed, a horrible condemnation, to have such knowledge of the truth of God, and have had so little courage to maintain it. Especially when we consider the martyrs of the past, we really must detest the poor character that is in us. Most of them indeed, were not people greatly trained in the holy scriptures, so that they would know how to debate any point. They knew that there was one God only, whom one was to adore and serve. They knew they had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, so that they would put complete trust for their salvation in him and in his grace. They also knew that whatever had been dreamed up by men was nothing but rubbish and filth, so that they could condemn every idolatry and every superstition. In sum, their theology was: there is only one God, who created the whole world, and declared his will to us through Moses, by his prophets and finally by Jesus Christ and his apostles; we have only one redeemer, who has bought us by his blood, and by whose grace we hope to be saved; all the idols of the world are accursed and abominiable. Having only this, they went bravely on their way to the flames, or to another sort of death. This was not merely two or three, but in such troops that the number of those who came into the hands of the tyrants is almost endless. [John Calvin– Second sermon on Hebrews 13:13]
On Comfortableness
“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]
Little learning is not always little faith
Being assured of the good cause, we must be on fire, as is right, to follow God wherever he may call us; his word must have the authority over us that it deserves, and, having forsaken this world, we must be possessed with the quest of the life of heaven.
It is beyond strange that although the light of God shines as fully today as ever it has done, yet there is so little zeal that it is a crying shame. If we are not confounded with embarrassment, it is even worse; for we shall indeed have to appear shortly before the great judge, where the evil we try to conceal shall be set forth with such reproaches that there will be plenty to overwhelm us completely. For, if we are obliged to give testimony to God according to the measure of the understanding which he has given us, why is it, I ask you, that we are so cold and fearful about entering the fray, seeing that God is go greatly manifested in these times that one may say he has opened and displayed before us the great treasure of his secrets? Must we not say that we do not reckon with the fact that it is God with whom we have to do? For, if we had any regard for his majesty, we would not dare thus turn the doctrine that proceeds from his mouth into I know not what sort of philosophy or speculation.
In short, there is no excuse for this not being a great embarrassment to us, indeed, a horrible condemnation, to have such knowledge of the truth of God, and have had so little courage to maintain it. Especially when we consider the martyrs of the past, we really must detest the poor character that is in us. Most of them indeed, were not people greatly trained in the holy scriptures, so that they would know how to debate any point. They knew that there was one God only, whom one was to adore and serve. They knew they had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, so that they would put complete trust for their salvation in him and in his grace. They also knew that whatever had been dreamed up by men was nothing but rubbish and filth, so that they could condemn every idolatry and every superstition. In sum, their theology was: there is only one God, who created the whole world, and declared his will to us through Moses, by his prophets and finally by Jesus Christ and his apostles; we have only one redeemer, who has bought us by his blood, and by whose grace we hope to be saved; all the idols of the world are accursed and abominiable. Having only this, they went bravely on their way to the flames, or to another sort of death. This was not merely two or three, but in such troops that the number of those who came into the hands of the tyrants is almost endless. [John Calvin-- Second sermon on Hebrews 13:13]
Setting Christ as King
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]
Setting Christ as King
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]
Hanging on the Promises
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
Hanging on the Promises
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
Lasting and Everlasting
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
Lasting and Everlasting
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
Love's Letter
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
About
Nothing much to tell. I’m walking a single solitary pilgrims walk, in England, that is not an easy one. I am a Calvinistic Covenanter Christian, My Autonomic Nervous system is failing slowly, which has led to severe disability, with an ultra rare disease than medics don’t even understand, often misdiagnose.and will no doubt kill me at some point. But, I trust the Lord to get me where I’m going. All glory to HIM.
The symptomology listed on the link, most porphyrics will only have most of those symptoms if in an acute attack. A few of us, with the ongoing, smouldering symptoms, that never go away, have most if not all of the symptom list, even when not in an acute attack, and are persistent and constant. Anyone who has ever been in the psychiactric system, diagnosed as this or that, even if physically well, should consider this illness could be responsible. King George III, the most famous porphyric, his sole symptom was “insanity.” Its so rare in part, because it’s massively under-diagnosed. But in making this illness known, when it struck me physically a few years ago, God vindicated me from every mis-diagnoses and bersmirchment upon me medically that has ever been made, and has made them all null and void.
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