Included in a recent order of Puritan paperbacks from Westminster Bookstore I received a copy of Samuel Rutherford's The Loveliness of Christ. This tiny little volume is packed with gems from the pen of someone who knew Christ and His suffering. In the introduction (pg. xvii) we read: " An English merchant who heard him preach in St. Andrews says, 'I went to St. Andrews where I heard a sweet majestic-looking man [Blair], and he showed me the majesty of God. After him I heard a little fair man [Rutherford], and he showed me the loveliness of Christ.
I have carried this little volume around with me this past week, reading it while waiting for a haircut, standing in lines, etc. Fortunately, the volume has a small glossary in the back for those of us not living in the 17th Century (does anyone reading know what conclamatum est* means without looking it up?). I finished it today, but I will re-read and re-read it in the future. It truly is "a small casket stored with many jewels". (pg. ix)
One excerpt:
How soon will some few years pass away, and then when the day is ended, and this life's lease expired, what have men of the world's glory, but dreams and thoughts? O happy soul for evermore, who can rightly compare this life with that long-lasting life to come, and can balance the weighty glory of the one with the light golden vanity of the other.
(*conclamatum est - a declaration that a death has taken place; hence, beyond all hope.)
Friday, January 4, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Weekly Puritan II - Bruised Reed, Chapter 2
We must be bruised.
Not bruised so as to injure us, but bruised so as to lead us to forsake our sin and cling to our Savior. Bruising that may be as painful as any invasive medical procedure, but that which is needed for our healing. Bruising not only at the hands of the Lord, but bruising from our own hands as we humble ourselves under His mighty hand.
The plague of sin which inflicts us requires severe remedies, leading to bruising and pain but resulting in our healing. Yet in the midst of the pain and the suffering we can "come boldly to the throne of grace" (Heb 4:16) and joyfully receive His peace and presence.
Not bruised so as to injure us, but bruised so as to lead us to forsake our sin and cling to our Savior. Bruising that may be as painful as any invasive medical procedure, but that which is needed for our healing. Bruising not only at the hands of the Lord, but bruising from our own hands as we humble ourselves under His mighty hand.
The plague of sin which inflicts us requires severe remedies, leading to bruising and pain but resulting in our healing. Yet in the midst of the pain and the suffering we can "come boldly to the throne of grace" (Heb 4:16) and joyfully receive His peace and presence.
Weekly Puritan - Valley of Vision
Confession and Petition
Holy Lord,
I have sinned times without number,
and been guilty of pride and unbelief,
of failure to find thy mind in thy Word,
of neglect to seek thee in my daily life.
My transgessions and short-comings
present me with a list of accusations,
But I bless thee that they will not stand against me,
for all have been laid on Christ;
Go on to subdue my corruptions,
and grant me grace to live above them.
Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings
of the mind bring my spirit into subjection,
but do thou rule over me in liberty and power.
I thank thee that many of my prayers have been refused-
I have asked amiss and do not have,
I have prayed from lusts and been rejected,
I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness.
Go on with thy patient work,
answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers,
and fitting me to accept it.
Purge me from every false desire,
every base aspiration,
everything contrary to thy rule.
I thank thee for thy wisdom and thy love,
for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject,
for sometimes putting me into the furnace
to refine my gold and remove my dross.
No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.
If thou shouldst give me choice to live
in pleasure and keep my sins,
or to have them burnt away with trial,
give me sanctified affliction.
Deliver me from every evil habit,
every accretion of former sins,
everything that dims the brightness
of thy grace in me,
everything that prevents me taking delight
in thee.
Then I shall bless thee, God of Jeshurun,
for helping me to be upright.
(Valley of Vision, page 138)
This is a dangerous prayer. Let me repeat that so that it sinks in: "This is a DANGEROUS prayer."
How many of us thank God for placing us in the furnace of affliction in order to have our dross burned off and our gold refined? How many of us seek "sanctified affliction"?
What a contrast to the prosperity preachers who tell you that this year is your year of jubilee and that God is only interested in pouring blessing into your corrupt shell. May we pray dangerously this year, and seek His will even at the expense of our comfort. May we receive a resounding 'NO' from God when we pray amiss.
Holy Lord,
I have sinned times without number,
and been guilty of pride and unbelief,
of failure to find thy mind in thy Word,
of neglect to seek thee in my daily life.
My transgessions and short-comings
present me with a list of accusations,
But I bless thee that they will not stand against me,
for all have been laid on Christ;
Go on to subdue my corruptions,
and grant me grace to live above them.
Let not the passions of the flesh nor lustings
of the mind bring my spirit into subjection,
but do thou rule over me in liberty and power.
I thank thee that many of my prayers have been refused-
I have asked amiss and do not have,
I have prayed from lusts and been rejected,
I have longed for Egypt and been given a wilderness.
Go on with thy patient work,
answering 'no' to my wrongful prayers,
and fitting me to accept it.
Purge me from every false desire,
every base aspiration,
everything contrary to thy rule.
I thank thee for thy wisdom and thy love,
for all the acts of discipline to which I am subject,
for sometimes putting me into the furnace
to refine my gold and remove my dross.
No trial is so hard to bear as a sense of sin.
If thou shouldst give me choice to live
in pleasure and keep my sins,
or to have them burnt away with trial,
give me sanctified affliction.
Deliver me from every evil habit,
every accretion of former sins,
everything that dims the brightness
of thy grace in me,
everything that prevents me taking delight
in thee.
Then I shall bless thee, God of Jeshurun,
for helping me to be upright.
(Valley of Vision, page 138)
This is a dangerous prayer. Let me repeat that so that it sinks in: "This is a DANGEROUS prayer."
How many of us thank God for placing us in the furnace of affliction in order to have our dross burned off and our gold refined? How many of us seek "sanctified affliction"?
What a contrast to the prosperity preachers who tell you that this year is your year of jubilee and that God is only interested in pouring blessing into your corrupt shell. May we pray dangerously this year, and seek His will even at the expense of our comfort. May we receive a resounding 'NO' from God when we pray amiss.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
"Atonement"?
My wife and I saw the movie Atonement today at our friendly neighborhood theater. After reading several reviews we decided to have a date and see this movie on the big screen. Additionally, I wanted to see for myself what popular culture considers as "atonement" for previous misdeeds.
(Spoilers follow, don't continue reading if you intend to see this movie.)
The plot of Atonement revolves around an accusation that 13 year old Briony Tallis makes against Robbie, her older sister's boyfriend. Based upon her misinterpretation of the interaction between Robbie and Cecelia, Briony claims to be an eyewitness to a rape committed by Robbie. Robbie is jailed, but is able to later leave prison to serve in the Army. Briony, knowing that she unjustly bore false witness against Robbie, then embarks on a campaign to "atone" for her sin, first by serving as a nurse in WW2, and later in her writing. However, it is only at the end of the movie that we discover that Briony's written account of these events is sheer fantasy, and has no "happy ending". Both Cecilia and Robbie died during WW2 and never enjoyed the reunion and love that Briony imagined in her "atoning" work of fiction.
Great acting, stunning scenery, and a compelling story. But, is there a concept of "atonement" that we can recognize? No, none whatsoever. Briony, due to her jealousy, youthful infatuation, and fanciful imagination ruins two live irrevocably, three if you count hers as well. We find that her attempts to rectify the situation are half hearted, if that. In the end we discover that she can't even be honest with herself.
Yet, you get the feeling that our culture would say that Briony's attempt at "atonement" must be given some credence. After all, didn't she suffer as a result? Didn't she sacrifice her future as a response to the futures that she destroyed? Shouldn't she get credit for her good intentions? Sorry, no cigar.
If anything, "Atonement" demonstrates that "all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6b, ESV). In the end, Briony is not "at one" with Cecelia, nor with Robbie, and certainly not with herself. Worst of all, she is not "at one" with a Holy God. Once again we see the need, the absolutely critical need, for a perfect sacrifice to placate the wrath of God due us for our sin and rebellion. No self-righteous act of sacrifice can ever atone for our crimes against our perfect Creator. Only the sacrifice of the perfect Son of God can ever serve to cleanse of from our sin. Only Jesus on the cross could ever bring salvation and bring us back into "oneness" with God.
"Atonement"? No, but the movie may serve as a springboard to discuss these important issues.
(Spoilers follow, don't continue reading if you intend to see this movie.)
The plot of Atonement revolves around an accusation that 13 year old Briony Tallis makes against Robbie, her older sister's boyfriend. Based upon her misinterpretation of the interaction between Robbie and Cecelia, Briony claims to be an eyewitness to a rape committed by Robbie. Robbie is jailed, but is able to later leave prison to serve in the Army. Briony, knowing that she unjustly bore false witness against Robbie, then embarks on a campaign to "atone" for her sin, first by serving as a nurse in WW2, and later in her writing. However, it is only at the end of the movie that we discover that Briony's written account of these events is sheer fantasy, and has no "happy ending". Both Cecilia and Robbie died during WW2 and never enjoyed the reunion and love that Briony imagined in her "atoning" work of fiction.
Great acting, stunning scenery, and a compelling story. But, is there a concept of "atonement" that we can recognize? No, none whatsoever. Briony, due to her jealousy, youthful infatuation, and fanciful imagination ruins two live irrevocably, three if you count hers as well. We find that her attempts to rectify the situation are half hearted, if that. In the end we discover that she can't even be honest with herself.
Yet, you get the feeling that our culture would say that Briony's attempt at "atonement" must be given some credence. After all, didn't she suffer as a result? Didn't she sacrifice her future as a response to the futures that she destroyed? Shouldn't she get credit for her good intentions? Sorry, no cigar.
If anything, "Atonement" demonstrates that "all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6b, ESV). In the end, Briony is not "at one" with Cecelia, nor with Robbie, and certainly not with herself. Worst of all, she is not "at one" with a Holy God. Once again we see the need, the absolutely critical need, for a perfect sacrifice to placate the wrath of God due us for our sin and rebellion. No self-righteous act of sacrifice can ever atone for our crimes against our perfect Creator. Only the sacrifice of the perfect Son of God can ever serve to cleanse of from our sin. Only Jesus on the cross could ever bring salvation and bring us back into "oneness" with God.
"Atonement"? No, but the movie may serve as a springboard to discuss these important issues.
The Bruised Reed, Chapter 1
This is the first post related to Timmy Brister's challenge to read deeply from the Puritan Divines during 2008.
January begins with Richard Sibbes' The Bruised Reed from 1630. Richard Sibbes, 1577-1635, was known as "the heavenly Doctor Sibbes" as a result of the quality of his preaching. Isaak Walton wrote of him: "Of this blest man, let just praise be given: heaven was in him before he was in heaven" (Introduction, page viii).
Chapter One shows us that Sibbes' had a grasp of a great yet merciful God. I include two extracts from the chapter that speak for themselves. As I read them this morning I rejoiced that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) Richard Sibbes was, and is, a humble servant of his Creator.
What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption! And what a comfort is this, that, seeing God's love rests on Christ, as well pleased in him, we may gather that he is well pleased with us, if we be in Christ! For his love rests in a whole Christ, in Christ mystical, as well as Christ natural, because he loves him and us with one love. Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in him God's love, and build our faith safely on such a Saviour that is furnished with so high a commission." (page 2)
"...bruising is required before conversion that so the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature. We love to wander from ourselves and to be strangers at home, till God bruises us by one cross or other, and then we 'begin to think', and come home to ourselves with the prodigal (Luke 15:17). It is a very hard thing to bring a dull and an evasive heart to cry with feeling for mercy. Our hearts, like criminals, until they be beaten from all evasions, never cry for the mercy of the Judge. (page 4)
Yet, as Sibbes shows us on page 1, the promise from God is that he will not break that bruised reed (Isaiah 42:1-3) a promise confirmed in Christ (Matthew 18:18-20). Our bruising is for our benefit, something that we need to be constantly reminded of in times of trial and suffering.
January begins with Richard Sibbes' The Bruised Reed from 1630. Richard Sibbes, 1577-1635, was known as "the heavenly Doctor Sibbes" as a result of the quality of his preaching. Isaak Walton wrote of him: "Of this blest man, let just praise be given: heaven was in him before he was in heaven" (Introduction, page viii).
Chapter One shows us that Sibbes' had a grasp of a great yet merciful God. I include two extracts from the chapter that speak for themselves. As I read them this morning I rejoiced that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) Richard Sibbes was, and is, a humble servant of his Creator.
What a support to our faith is this, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption! And what a comfort is this, that, seeing God's love rests on Christ, as well pleased in him, we may gather that he is well pleased with us, if we be in Christ! For his love rests in a whole Christ, in Christ mystical, as well as Christ natural, because he loves him and us with one love. Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in him God's love, and build our faith safely on such a Saviour that is furnished with so high a commission." (page 2)
"...bruising is required before conversion that so the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature. We love to wander from ourselves and to be strangers at home, till God bruises us by one cross or other, and then we 'begin to think', and come home to ourselves with the prodigal (Luke 15:17). It is a very hard thing to bring a dull and an evasive heart to cry with feeling for mercy. Our hearts, like criminals, until they be beaten from all evasions, never cry for the mercy of the Judge. (page 4)
Yet, as Sibbes shows us on page 1, the promise from God is that he will not break that bruised reed (Isaiah 42:1-3) a promise confirmed in Christ (Matthew 18:18-20). Our bruising is for our benefit, something that we need to be constantly reminded of in times of trial and suffering.
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