A Lifting up for the Downcast - Humility vs. Discouragement

Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! - Psalm 100:2, ESV

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you - 1 Peter 5:6, ESV

A man is to be humbled, and not discouraged; not discouraged and yet to be humbled! What is the difference between these two, being humbled and being discouraged?

When a man is humbled, truly humbled, the object of his grief or sorrow or trouble is sin itself, as a dishonour done unto God. The object of discouragement is man's own condition, or sin producing that condition, the ultimate object of discouragement being a man's own condition. When a man is discouraged, you will always find that his trouble is all about his own condition. Oh, says a discouraged person, I have sinned; I have thus and thus sinned, and therefore my condition is bad, and if my condition be bad now, it will never be better; Lord, what will become of my soul? His trouble is always about his own condition. But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin, his trouble is about sin itself, as a dishonour done unto God. To clear this by Scripture: you know Cain was discouraged , but Cain was not humbled. How may that appear? Cain was troubled about his condition. Ah, says he, my punishment is greater than I can bear. On the other side, the poor prodigal was humbled, but not discouraged. How may that appear? His trouble was about his sin, and not about his condition: "I will return unto my Father (says he), and I will say unto him, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants." (pg. 81)

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart....we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed - 2 Cor 4:1, 7-9, ESV

Free Book

I was fortunate to be chosen at the end of May as the recipient of several books from Reformation Heritage Bookstore as a result of my participation in the 2008 Puritan Reading Challenge. One of these is Meet the Puritans by Beeke and Pederson. I already own a copy of this magnificent book, and have decided that I am going to give away this pristine extra copy (I haven't even drooled on it!). I will even pay the shipping stateside, and will consider paying shipping overseas if it won't break the bank.

Here is what you need to do to be eligible. Post a comment to this thread between now and the end of July stating that you want to be considered. I will pick one entry at random, using some type of sophisticated methodology (possibly involving a mayonaisse jar on Funk & Wagnall's porch) at the beginning of August.

Just post a comment, you don't even need to write anything profound. Make sure that you provide your email address so that I will be able to contact you to obtain your shipping information.

Don't thank me, thank Timmy Brister and the good folks at Reformation Heritage. Better yet, give thanks to God.

A Lifting up for the Downcast - Faith, not Feeling

But someone may say, I have reason to be discouraged, for I have no sense and feeling of God's love. We do not live by feeling, but by faith. It is the duty of a Christian to begin with faith, and so to rise up to feeling. You would begin with feeling, and so come down to faith; but you must begin with faith, and so rise up to feeling. (pg. 59)

Good words to remember in our "feel good" culture.

A Lifting up for the Downcast - Introduction

This seventh book of the Puritan Reading Challenge is going to be the most challenging to date. It is only the 4th of the month, and I know that I am already behind in my reading since I have just now completed chapter one (through page 28).

The book of which I speak is William Bridge's A Lifting up for the Downcast, a series of sermons on Psalm 42:11. Bridge (1600-1671) is another English non-conformist minister who endured the persecutions of the 17th century, at one point fleeing to Holland where he served with Jeremiah Burroughs. Bridge served, prior to his excommunication for his non-conformist beliefs, at Norwich, a town familiar to me since I lived for 18 months in its vicinity in Norfolk.

This book is a compilation of 13 sermons that Bridge preached at Stepney, London, in 1648. Once again I am overwhelmed at the systematic exposition of Scripture of these Puritan divines. However, this leads to me being already behind in my reading this early in the month.

Let me state that I am not behind due to the fact that I haven't been reading, or due to the fact that this book is 287 pages (thus necessitating approximately nine pages per day). The reason why I am behind, and anticipate remaining behind, is due to the fact that each page requires thoughtful analysis and reflection. I am finding it impossible to read a single page without significant mental interruption to process what I am reading. Couple this with the fact that this work is more archaic in style than the others that we have read to date, and I am hoping that July ends up having 50 days just so that I can finish!

Due to the fact that I made a commitment to read these works, and not necessarily to blog on them, it has become apparent to me that my spiritual life would be better served by concentrating primarily on the reading alone. However, before I drop out of sight, let me share the following:

But I pray tell me, did those who have had all this trouble, did they purchase or buy their peace at the hand of Christ with all this trouble? or did Christ give them that peace and comfort freely? Buy it! you reply, no surely; they did never purchase it, never buy it, but Christ gave it them freely. Why, if Christ gave it them freely after all their trouble, why may He not give it you after less trouble? I have read, and so have you, in the gospel, a parable about two that came into the vineyard to work; the one in the beginning of the day, who bare the heat of the day, and the other at the latter end of the day; and both had a penny. When they were both paid, he that was there at the beginning of the day, murmurs, saying, I have been here all this day, and I have borne the heat of the day, and I have but a penny; and the other, that came in at the latter end of the day, has a penny as well as I. The man that had been there working at the beginning and in the heat of the day, murmurs; but he that came at the latter end, he did not murmur, nor say, Surely, my penny is naught, because I have a penny given me, as well as he that hath borne the heat of the day. If any should complain, those that have borne the heat of the day, that have been much troubled, should in reason be the persons. But has the Lord taken you, and given you a penny, the same peace with him who bare the heat of the day; and will you complain, and say, Surely, my penny is false coin, and my peace naught, because I have not endured so much trouble as another has? (pg. 21-22)

It is going to be a tough slog, but I think that it will be worth the effort to digest this work.

An Update

Even though I finished reading John Owen's Mortification of Sin, I have not posted on it for more than two weeks. During that time we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary, and hosted an event attended by approximately 50 family members and friends at which we renewed our vows. Hectic is the single word that I would use to describe the past three weeks, and as a result I am not even going to attempt to catch up on posting my thoughts on last month's reading.

Onward and upward, we move on to William Bridge's A Lifting Up for the Downcast, a series of 13 sermons on Psalm 42:11. Hopefully I will be more diligent in my postings here during the month of July.

(When you look at the funny hat I am wearing, just remember the two words that keep you married for 30 years: "Yes Dear".)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Ten

Seeing Sin for What It Is

After addressing the guilt and the danger of sin, Owen speaks of the present evil on pages 73-75:

Consider the present evils of it. Here are some of the many evils that attend unmortified lust:

i. It grieves the holy and blessed Spirit, Who is given to believers to dwell in them and abide with them.

ii. The Lord Jesus Christ is wounded afresh by it. His new creation in the heart is wounded; his love is foiled, His adversary is gratified.

iii. It will take away a man's usefulness in his generation.

Thus, we must keep in mind the danger of such lust. We must keep alive in our hearts the guilt, danger and evil of it. We should be much in the meditation of these things, and cause the heart and mind to dwell on them. We should engage our thoughts in these considerations. We should not let them go from us until they have a powerful influence upon our souls, and make us tremble.

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Nine

The Dangerous Symptoms of Sin

1. Firm establishment over a long period of time and settlement as a habitual practice. If a sin has been corrupting your heart for a long time, and you have allowed it to prevail and abide in power, without vigorously attempting to kill it, and heal the wounds that it causes, this is a serious condition. (pgs. 54-55)

2. Another dangerous symptom is when the beast pleads to be thought in a good state, yet all the while allows the continuance of a lust without any attempt at its mortification. (pg. 56)

3. A third dangerous symptom is when sin frequently succeeds in obtaining the consent of the will. When the will finds delight in a sin, even though it is not outwardly performed, the temptation is successful. (pg. 58)

4. A fourth dangerous symptom is when a man fights against a sin only because of the consequences or penalty of that sin. (pg. 59)

5. A fifth dangerous symptom is when it is probable that trouble over a sin or lust is a punishment from God. I am sure God sometimes leaves even His own children for former sins. 'O Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not?' (Isa. 63;17). No one would question that God deals with unregenerate men in this way, but how can a saved man know that there is the chastening hand of God behind his troubled heart? (pg. 61) (Please note that this is a difficult section, requiring another full page of explanation from Owen, at the end of which I still have questions.)

6. A sixth dangerous symptom is when your lust has already withstood particular dealings from God against it. This is described in Isaiah 57:17: 'Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry. I struck him; I hid my face and was angry, but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.' (pg. 62) (Another difficult section, and I am not yet sure if I fully understand what Owen intends his readers to understand. However, I do understand fully the next statements that I list below.)

These six symptoms, and others with them, show a lust to be very dangerous, if not deadly. (pg. 63)

Before I proceed, I must give you one caution so that you will not be misled by what has been said so far. The evils mentioned may ensnare true believers, but do not conclude that because you experience these you are a true believer. These things may ensnare a believer, but they are not marks of a believer. A man might conclude, with equal show of reasoning, that he is a believer because he is an adulterer, since David fell into adultery. It is wrong to reason that you are a believer because you experience the struggles against sin that a believer also might. If you are looking for evidences of being a believer, look for those evidences that constitute a believer. Anyone who has these serious symptoms may safely conclude, 'If I am a believer, I am a most miserable one.' If such a man is seeking assurance, he needs to look for other evidences in order to have true peace. (pgs. 63-64)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Eight

God Requires Universal Obedience

You cannot mortify a specific lust that is troubling you, unless you are seeking to obey the Lord from the heart in all areas! (pg. 49)

If we will do anything, we must do everything. So then, our need is not only an intense opposition to this or that particular lust, but a universal humble frame and temper of heart that watches over every evil, and seeks the performance of every duty that is pleasing to God. (pg. 51)

He who truly and thoroughly seeks to mortify any disquieting lust, must be equally diligent in all parts of obedience. We must see that every lust and every omission of duty is a burden to God. If we do not seek to obey in every area of our lives, our soul becomes weak. If we seek only to have victory over the sin that troubles us, and do not consider the filth and guilt of it, we are selfish and offer a constant provocation to God. There will not be any positive outcome to the spiritual duties we undertake, and we will not gain the victory over this great lust, if we do not seek universal obedience. (pg. 53)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Seven

Once again, I have been deficient in keeping this blog updated. Hopefully I will rectify this situation in the next few minutes.

Only Believers Can Mortify Sin

Unless a man is a true believer, and grafted into Christ, he can never mortify a single sin. Mortification is the work of believers: 'If by the Spirit you...' (Rom. 8:13), that is, you believers, to whom there is no condemnation, (verse 1). Only believers are exhorted to mortification: 'Put to death therefore what is earthly in you' (Col. 3:5). Who should mortify? You who 'have been raised with Christ' (verse 1), and whose 'life is hidden with Christ in God', who also will 'appear with him in glory' (verse 4). (pg. 40)

We must let men know that mortification is their duty, but in its proper place; I do not encourage men to come away from mortification, but to come to conversion. He that shall call a man from mending a hole in the wall of his house, to quench a fire that is consuming the whole building, is not his enemy. Poor soul! It is not your sore finger but your great fever you need to notice. You set yourself against a particular sin, and do not realize that you are nothing but sin. (pgs. 46-47)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Six

Chapter Six - What Mortification Is

The mortification of a lust consists in three things:

1. A habitual weakening of the lust. (pg. 32)

2. A constant fight and contention against sin. (pg. 36)

3. A degree of success in the battle. ( pg. 38)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Four

Chapter Four - How Life and Comfort Depend on Mortification

I do not say they proceed from it, as though they were necessarily tied to it. A man may be carried on in a constant course of mortification all his days, and yet perhaps never enjoy a good day of peace and consolation. So it was with Heman in Psalm 88. His life was a life of perpetual mortification and walking with God, yet terrors and wounds were his portion all his days.

But God singled out Heman, a choice friend, to make him an example to those who afterwards should be in distress. Can we complain if it is with us as it was with heman, that eminent servant of God? This shall be his praise to the end of the world. God makes it His prerogative to speak peace and consolation. 'I will do that work', says God, 'I will comfort him' (see Isa. 57:18-19). But how? By an immediate work of the new creation: 'I create it', says God. The use of means for the obtaining of peace is ours. the bestowing of it is God's prerogative. (pgs. 21-22)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Three

Life has been hectic, and while I have had no problem keeping up with my reading, I have found very little time to blog my observations. As a result, this and the next couple of posts will consist of highlights drawn from John Owen's The Mortification of Sin.

Chapter Three - The Work of the Spirit in Mortification

How does the Spirit mortify sin?

i. By causing our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the works of the flesh.

ii. By the effective destruction of the root and habit of sin, to weaken, destroy, and take it away.

iii. He brings the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith, and gives communion with Christ in His death, and fellowship in His sufferings. (pgs. 17-19)

Mortification of Sin - Chapter Two

...always be killing sin, or it will be killing you. (pg. 5)

You really, really need to read this entire chapter, as does every Christian. I will, however, excerpt a couple of important sections:

Indwelling sin always abides while we are in this world; therefore, there is always a need for it to be mortified. Some have wrongly and foolishly believed that we are able in this life to keep the commands of God perfectly and are wholly and perfectly dead to sin. Through ignorance of the true live in Christ and His power in believers, they have invented a new righteousness that is not in the gospel. They are vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds. Indwelling sin continues to live in believers in some measure and degree while we are in this world. ((pg. 6)

Before proceeding, I cannot but note that even though there is in this generation a growing number of professors, a great noise of religion, religious duties in every corner, and preaching in abundance, there is little evidence of the fruit of true mortification. Perhaps we might find that, judging by the principle of mortification the number of true believers is not as multiplied as it appears from those who have made a mere profession. Some speak and profess a spirituality that far exceeds the former days, but their lives give evidence of a miserable unmortified heart. If vain spending of time, idleness, envy, strife, variance, emulations, wrath, pride, worldliness, selfishness (1 Cor 1.) are the mark of Christians, we have them among us in abundance. May the good Lord send us a spirit of mortification to cure our distempers, or we will be in a sad condition! (pg. 11)

Fellow Southern Baptists, please keep the preceding paragraph in mind as you participate in the convention in Indianapolis, especially as you vote on Tom Ascol's resolution on regenerate church membership. Can we really claim to have "umpty-ump millions" of members when we don't even know where the majority of them are?


Is it any wonder that lost people want nothing to do with Christ, His church, and his followers when the following is true?

Others are hardened in their own sin by persuading themselves that they are in just as good a condition as the unmortified professor. They see their zeal for religion, but it is not accompanied with righteousness. They view their worldly and selfish lives. They see them talk spiritually but live vainly. they hear them mention communion with God, and yet they are in every way conformed to the world. They see them boast of forgiveness of sins, and yet never forgive others. Thus, as they see the stain of sin in the unmortified professor, they harden their own hearts in their unregeneracy. (pg. 13)

...always be killing sin, or it will be killing you. And, it appears, others as well.

Mortification of Sin - Chapter One

From page 1:

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom 8:13)

This is the main text and foundation upon which this discourse is based. In this text we find:

1) To whom it is directed: 'You believers.'
2) The condition: 'If you.'
3) The means of accomplishment: 'The Spirit.'
4) A duty: 'Put to death the deeds of the body.'
5) A promise: 'You will live.'

Owen is often considered hard to read, but this Puritan Paperback has been Abridged and made easy to read by Richard Rushing. Yet, as can be seen from the section above, there is still plenty of meat to chew on in this abridgement.

Mortification of Sin - Introduction

Today's post is the introduction to John Owen's The Mortification of Sin, which is the June selection in The Puritan Reading Challenge. Please note that even though you might only now be learning of this challenge that it is not too late to dive in. June is an especially good month, since this abridged version of Owen's classic is less than 130 pages, and even if you were to order the book today you should have it in plenty of time to complete it this month.

John Owen (1616-1683), is one of the best known of the English Puritan divines, and one of the most prolific. No stranger to suffering, he knew both the challenge of losing position and fortune during the religious upheavals of 17th century England as well as the death of all 11 of his children, 10 of them in infancy. Privileged to preach in high places, including Parliament, as well as low; he also served as Oliver Cromwell's chaplain in Ireland.


John Piper describes Owen's conversion as follows:

When Owen was 26 years old he went with his cousin to hear the famous Presbyterian, Edmund Calamy at St. Mary's Church Aldermanbury. But it turned out Calamy could not preach and a country preacher took his place. Owen's cousin wanted to leave. But something held Owen to his seat. The simple preacher took as his text Matthew 8:26, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" It was God's appointed word and appointed time for Owen's awakening. His doubts and fears and worries as to whether he was truly born anew by the Holy Spirit were gone. He felt himself liberated and adopted as a Son of God. When you read the penetrating practical works of Owen on the work of the Spirit and the nature of true communion with God it is hard to doubt the reality of what God did on this Sunday in 1642.


No stranger to controversy, Owen appears to defend truth against all challenges, whether coming from friend or foe. As the premier pastor/theologian of Puritanism, the movement was almost at an end at the time of his death.

A good source for all things Owen is http://www.johnowen.org/

Come and Welcome - Conclusion

One of the reasons why I haven't blogged much on this book is due to the fact that I really enjoyed it. So much so that I decided that any spare time was better spent reading this book than writing about it.

In one of my early posts I spoke of the fact that Bunyan exhibits a beautiful joining of Reformed theology with a heart for evangelism. He is no "hyper-Calvinist", and his concern for lost souls pours off of the pages of Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ. Two final examples of this union:

Life is in Christ, that it might be sure to all the seed. Alas! The best of us, if life was left in our hand, to be sure, we would forfeit it, over, and over, and over. Or, if it was in any other hand, we should, by our often backslidings, so offend him, that at last he would shut up his bowels in everlasting displeasure against us. But now it is in Christ, it is with one that can pity, pray for, pardon, yes, multiply pardons. It is with one that can have compassion upon us, when we are out of the way; with one that has a heart to fetch us again, when we are gone astray; with one that can pardon without upbraiding. Blessed be God that life is in Christ! For now it is sure to all the seed. (pg. 199)

God has strewed all the way, from the gate of hell, where you were, to the gate of heaven, where you are going, with flowers out of his own garden. Behold how the promises, invitations, call, and encouragements, like lilies, lie round about you! Take heed that you do not tread them under foot, sinner. With promises, did I say? Yes, he has mixed all those with his own Name, his Son's Name; also, with the name of mercy, goodness, compassion, love, pity, grace, forgiveness, pardon, and what not, that may encourage the coming sinner. (pg. 221-222)

Oh what blessed promises are contained in the text that Bunyan so thoroughly exposits in this book:

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. - John 6:37, KJV

Come and Welcome - Lazy Post

I was going to post Bunyan's 25 comparisons between faith and unbelief later today, but Timmy Brister beat me to it.

Rather than repost, I will be lazy and link to him.

Good stuff.

Come and Welcome - Militant Unbelief

I have sometimes been taken aback by the militancy of many who don't believe. Whether atheism, agnosticism, paganism, or a variety of other "isms", there is often a strident militant opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is nothing new, and is something that John Bunyan dealt with as well.

But, faithless sinner, let us a little explore the matter. What has this man done against you, that is coming to Jesus Christ? Why do thou make him the object of your scorn? Does his coming to Jesus Christ offend you? Does his pursuing of his own salvation offend you? Does his forsaking of his sins and pleasures offend you? (pg. 139)

Last I checked, nobody was forcing people to convert to Christianity at the point of a gun. It could even be argued that those historical attempts at forced conversion were not representative of Christ and His church, but instead a perversion of Biblical Christianity. Even so, can anyone point to a single contemporary example of force being used in connection with Christian evangelism?

Yet, the presentation of the Gospel message of salvation in Christ Jesus is often met with ridicule, scorn, opposition, and , in many places, persecution. Even in "tolerant" cultures it is considered acceptable to be intolerant of the biblical message.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God i in that name. - 1 Peter 4:12-16, ESV

Come and Welcome - Evangelical Calvinism

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts this month that John Bunyan was thoroughly Calvinistic in his soteriology while at the same time wholly evangelistic. Even a cursory reading of Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ would show the latter to be true. Passages like the following show that my earlier premise is true as well:

There are some men who think they may not be contradicted when they plead for the will, wisdom, and power of man in reference to the things that are of the kingdom of Christ. But I will say to such a man, he never yet come to understand what the Scripture teaches concerning himself; nor has he ever known what coming to Christ is, by the teaching, gift, and drawing of the Father. He is such a one that has set up God's enemy in opposition to him, and that continues in such acts of defiance; and what his end, without a new birth, will be, the Scripture teaches also; but we will pass this. (pg. 136)

When Bunyan states "he never yet come to understand what the Scripture teaches concerning himself" he recognizes the total depravity and inability of that man. None of us, being dead in trespasses and sins, can exercise any "will, wisdom, and power" in matters of salvation. We need a Savior, One who really and completely saves, Jesus Christ.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. - Psalm 14:3, ESV (compare Romans 3)

Come and Welcome - Conversion vs. Profession

'And him that cometh.' He says not, and him that talks, that professes, that makes a show, a noise, or the like; but, him that comes. Christ will take leave to judge, who, among the many that make a noise, are those indeed that are coming to him. It is not him that says he comes, nor him of whom others affirm that he comes; but him that Christ himself shall say does come, that is concerned in this text. (pg. 103)

We might talk a good talk, making a great show, and a grand noise, and yet be far from the Kingdom. When you look at the last century of evangelicalism you see a leaning towards "easy believism" and "repeat this prayer after me" decision making. Describe the state of the lost under the wrath of God? We wouldn't want to scare them off. Preach about hell? More of the same.

Heaven forbid that we would call men and women to turn from their sins and forsake the world. That wouldn't be "seeker sensitive".

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26)

Profession without repentance is false conversion. Christ might find you where you are at, but He won't leave you there. To think otherwise is a dangerous folly.