A Puritan at Heart

‘Tis worth the while to take a great deal of pains to learn to read and understand the Scriptures.
I would have you all of you think of this.
When there is such a book that you may have, how can you be contented without beng able to read it?
How does it make you feel when you think there is a Book that is God’s own Word?
Parents should take care that their children learn…
This will be the way to be kept from the Devil…Devil can’t bear [the Bible.] Kept from hell. To be happy forever.
But if you let the Word of God alone, and never use, and you can’t expect the benefits of it…
You  must not only hear and read, etc, but you must have it sunk down into your heart. Believe. Be affected. Love the Word of God.
Written in your heart.
Must not only read and hear, but DO the things. Otherwise no good; but will be the worse for it.
And you should endeavour to understand. To that end to learn the English tongue.
If you had the Bible in your own language, I should not say so much.
Consider how much it is worth the while to go often to your Bible to hear the great God Himself speak to you.
There you may hear Christ speak.
How much better must we think this is that the word of men.
Better than the word of the wisest man of the world.
How much wiser is God than man.
Here all is true; nothing false.
Here all is wise; nothing foolish.  [Jonhathan Edwards sermon notes from a sermon to the Indians at Stockbridge]

We are often told that we limit the atonement of Christ, because we say that Christ has not made satisfaction for all men, or all men would be saved. Now, our reply to this is that, on the other hand, our opponents limit it, we do not. The Arminians say, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men? They say, “No, certainly not.” We ask them the next question-Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They say, “No.” They are obliged to admit this if they are consistent. They say, “No; Christ has died so that any man may be saved if”-and then follow certain conditions of salvation. We say then, we will just go back to the old statement-Christ did not die so as beyond a doubt to secure the salvation of anybody, did He? You must say “No;” you are obliged to say so, for you believe that even after a man has been pardoned, he may yet fall from grace and perish. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why you… We say Christ so died that He infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ’s death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved, and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. You are welcome to your atonement; you may keep it. We will never renounce ours for the sake of it. [Charles H. Spurgeon]

What have we our time and strength for, but to lay both out for God? What is a candle for, but to be burnt? Burnt and wasted we must be, and is it not fitter we should be in lightening men to heaven, and in working for God, than in living to the flesh? What comfort will it be at death, that you, lengthened your life by shortening your work? He that works much, lives much. [Richard Baxter]

If any man doth ascribe aught of salvation, even the very least, to the free will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, and he hath not learned Jesus Christ aright. [Martin Luther]

Not only does God require holiness indispensibly in all believers, but this is all that he requires of them or expects from them; for it comprises the whole duty of man. [John Owen]

The work of conversion is the great thing that we must first strive at, and labour with all our might to effect…He that will let a sinner go to hell for want of speaking to him doth set less by souls than the Redeemer of souls did, and less by his neighbour than rational charity will allow him to do by his greatest enemy. Therefore brethren, whomsoever you neglect not the most miserable..ply this great work of converting souls, whatever else you leave undone![Richard Baxter]

God tries the graces of his people by persecutions, that the truth and power of his grace in them may appear to his own glory, both before men, angels, and devils. One end is that by such a discovery of the truth and strength of their faith and love, he may as it were triumph over Satan; and make him to see what a victory is obtained over him, by so rescuing those souls that were once his captives from his power; and convince him of the real success of his design of redeeming and sanctifying souls–notwithstanding all that he had done to [them], whereby he thought he had utterly ruined mankind, and put t hem past the possibility of a cure. For this end God tried Job. God gloried in Job as a perfect and upright man that did good and eschewed evil [Job 1:8]. Satan don’t own the truth of it but charges that Job was a hypocrite, and his service mercenary. But God’s tries Job with grievous affliction for Satan’s conviction. So it is in the church in general, their trials being for Satan’s conviction. [Jonathan Edwards]

When faith is of the kind that God awakens and creates in the heart, then a man trusts in Christ. He is then so securely founded on Christ, that he can hurl defiance at sin, death, hell, the devil, and all God’s enemies. He fears no ill, however hard and cruel it may prove to be…
Right faith is a thing wrought by the Holy Ghost in us, which changeth us, turneth us into a new nature…Faith is a lively ting, mighty in working, valiant and strong: so that it is impossible that he who is endued therewith should not work always good works without ceasing..for such is his nature. [Martin Luther]

A good conscience sweetens evils to to a man, as trouble, crosses, sorrows, afflictions. If a man has true peace in his conscience, it comforts him in them all. When things abroad do disquiet us, how comfortable it is to have something at home to cheer us? So when troubles and afflictions without, turmoil and vex us and add sorrow to sorrow, then to have peace within, the peace of conscience, to allay all and quiet all, what happiness is this? When sickness and death cometh, what will a good conscience be worth then? Sure, more than all the world besides…The conscience is God’s echo of peace to the soul, in life, in death, in judgment it is unspeakable comfort. [William Fenner]

Is it so delightful to receive the visits of Jesus for an hour? And will it not be infinitely more so, to dwell with him forever? ‘Lord,’ may you well say, ‘When I dwell with thee, I shall dwell in holiness, for thou art thyself holiness; I shall dwell in love, for thou art love thyself; I shall dwell in joy, for thou art the fountain of joy, as thou art in the Father and the Father in thee. [Philip Doddridge]

There is no man whatever that hath any want in reference unto the things of God, but Christ will be unto him that which he wants..Is he dead? Christ is life. Is he weak? Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Hath he the sense of guilt upon him? Christ is complete righteousness… Many poor creatures are sensible of their wants, but know not where theremedy lies. Indeed, whether it be life or light, power or joy, all is wrapped up in him. [John Owen]

The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach today, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth. I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox’s gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again. {C H Spurgeon]

Thus doth our blessed Jesus step up to be arbitrator, mediator, and referee betwixt God and sinners. This is the case; God and man are at variance in consequence of Adam’s apostacy.. How must these be made friends? Infinite love and wisdom have found out, and an expedient that is sufficient to effect it, even the second person of the Trinity, assuming the nature of man, and interposing two ways:—1. By suffering the penalty that man had deserved, and satisfying justice by his meritorious oblation of himself…and thus he hath reconciled God and man by his death on the cross…2. The intercession of Christ, now in heaven; he is our advocate because he is the proitation for our sins, 1 John 2:1-2. Thus Christ is now in heaven to pursue the same design he had upon the cross, so that Christ’s intercession sets out the perpetual efficacy of his sacrifice, and the continual app[lication of it to believers...[Oliver Heywood]

1. First see that thou be a fit person for mirth, and that thou shall not be a miserable slave of Satan in an unregenerate, unholy, unjustified state.

2. Yet do not destroy nature by over much heaviness, under pretence that thou hast no right to be merry.

3. Mark well, the usefulness and tendency of all thy mirth. A Christian that hath acquaintance with himself and with the work of holy watchfulness, may discern what his mirth is, by the tendency and effects, and know whether it doth him good or harm.

4. Take heed that the flesh defile not your mirth.

5. Consider what your mirth is like to prove to others, as well as to yourslves.

6. Never leave out reason and godliness from any of your mirth. Abhor that mirth that maketh man a fool, or playeth the fool.

7. Watch your tongues in all your mirth; for they are very apt to take liberty then to sin. Mirth is to the tongue as as holidays and playdays to idle scholars; who are glad of them as time in which they think they have liberty to game and fight and do amiss. [Richard Baxter]

Mutual communion is the soul of all true friendship; and a familiar converse with a friend hath the greatest sweetness in it…(so) besides the common tribute of the daily worship you owe to (God), take occasion to come into his presence on purpose to have communion with him. This is truly friendly, for friendship is most maintained and kept up by visits; and these, the more free and less occasioned by urgent business..they are, the more friendly they are..We use to check our friends with this upbraiding. You still (always) come when you have some business, but when will you come to see me?…When thou comest into his presence, be telling him still how well thou lovest him; labour to abound in expressions of that kind, that which… there is nothing more taking with the heart of any friend. [Thomas Goodwin]

Therefore, to be drawn to Christ by the Father, and to hear and learn of the Father in order to come to Christ, is nothing else than to receive from the Father the gift by which to believe in Christ. For it was not the hearers of the gospel that were distinguished from those who did not hear, but the believers from those who did not believe, by Him who said, ‘No man cometh to me except it were given him of my Father. [Augustine]

When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this. I can recall the very day and hour when first I received those truths in my own soul - when they were as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron; and I can recollect how I felt that I had grown all of a sudden from a babe into a man - that I had made progress in scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God … I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith, and so the whole doctrine of grace opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make this my constant confession, I ascribe my change wholly to God. [Charles H. Spurgeon]

None are fitter for comfort than those that think themselves furtherest off. Men, for the most part, are not lost enough in their own feeling for a Saviour. A holy despair in ourselves is the ground of true hope. In God the fatherless find mercy (Hos. 14:3); if men were more fatherless, they should feel more God’s fatherly affection from heaven, for the God who dwells in the highest heavens dwells likewise in the lowest soul (Isa. 57:15). Christ’s sheep are weak sheep, and lacking in something or other; he therefore applies himself to the necessities of every sheep. He seeks that which was lost, and brings again that which was driven out of the way, and binds up that which was broken, and strengthens the weak (Ezek 34:16). His tenderest care is over the weakest. The lambs he carries in his bosom (Isa. 40:11). He says to Peter, ‘Feed my lambs’ (John 21:15). He was most familar and open to troubled souls. How careful he was that Peter and the rest of the apostles should not be too much dejected after his resurrection! ‘Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter’ (Mark 16:7). Christ knew that guilt of their unkindness in leaving him had dejected their spirits. How gently did he endure the unbelief of Thomas and stooped so far unto his weakness, as to suffer him to thrus his hand into his side. [Richard Sibbes]

I confess I would rather, much rather, spend all my time and days in making up and healing the breaches and schisms that are amongst Christians than one hour in justifying our divisions, even therein wherein, on the one side, they are capable of a fair defence. But who is sufficient for such an attempt? The closing of differences amongst Christians is like opening the book in the Revelation—there is none able or worthy to do it, in heaven or in earth, but the Lamb; when He will put forth the greatness of His power for it, it shall be accomplished, and not before. In the meantime, a reconciliation amongst all Protestants is our duty, and practicable, and had perhaps ere this been in some forwardness of accomplishment had men rightly understood wherein such reconciliation, according to the mind of God, doth consist. When men have laboured as much in the improvement of the principle of forbearance as they have done to subdue other men to their opinions, religion will have another appearance in the world. [John Owen]

They ought indeed to be thorough in preaching the Word of God, without mincing the matter at all; in handling the sword of the Spirit, as the ministers of the Lord of hosts, they ought not to be mild and gentle; they are not to be gentle and moderate in searching and awakening the conscience, but should be sons of thunder. The word of God, which is in itself sharper than any two-edged sword, ought not to be sheathed by its ministers, but so used that its sharp edges may have their full effect, even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, joints and marrow. [Jonathan Edwards]