It is always the duty of those who would follow Christ to forsake sin, but it is sometimes the duty of those who would follow Him to forsake those things that are lawful for them to have. It is lawful enough for us to have a house to dwell in, and friends to associate with, such as brethren, sisters, mothers, wives, children, and lands; but when these come in competition with following Christ, we are bound to forsake them. In the history of the Church, there were times when the Lord's people did this, while others did not. At the time of the Disruption in 1843, the evangelical ministers, to the number of over 400, left their manses and churches for Christ and the Gospel ... In 1893 the same test was put on the Free Church that came out at the Disruption, and of all the ministers in the Free Church, it was only two who stood the test. There was a godly man in Strathspey, named William Grant, who predicted that there would be another Disruption in the Free Church. After speaking to the Question at Moy on the Friday of a communion, he asked leave to speak again, which was readily agreed to. He said that since he sat down it was revealed to him that this would be the last communion he would be at in the world, and that there was something on his mind, that he wished to tell them before he died, and that was that there would be another Disruption in the Free Church, and that of all the ministers in the Church only two would follow Christ and the Gospel, and that if he were alive he would be with them. When, we made a stand in defence of the truth it was told to a man who had heard William Grant's prediction, that the disruption which he predicted took place. The man said that if there were more than two ministers it could not be the disruption predicted by William Grant. He was told that there were only two ministers, and then he said he believed it was what William Grant spoke of. It was lawful enough for the two ministers to have churches and manses, but they left these for the sake of Christ and His Gospel. The ministers and the people who followed them parted not only with churches and manses, but also with friends and near relations with whom they were formerly associated. Families were divided, some following the truth, and others following error. This was foretold by our Saviour when He said: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law . . . He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." We were blamed for causing divisions in families — it was Christ's work. He kept some to His truth and permitted others to forsake the truth. There was good reason for the disruption that took place in 1893. This was acknowledged by some who failed to stand in defence of the truth when the trial came. When errors were coming to a height in the Free Church, Dr. Aird of Creich said that the cause of the Disruption in 1843 was small as compared with the cause we have now to separate for from the so-called Free Church. It was only one doctrine that was denied in 1843, but now all the fundamental doctrines of the Bible were either ignored or denied; but when the trial came, Dr. Aird remained in the Church which he so strongly condemned.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Reasons for the scarcity of experimental religion
I shall point out some of the causes of the scarcity of experimental religion.
1. The Lord has a controversy with our mother, and therefore has withdrawn, and it fares the worse with the children. She was some time Hephzibah, and her land Beulah; but now her gold is become dross, and her wine mixed with water. She has forgotten her husband, and has been gadding after other lovers. She hath cast herself into a loathsome disease; her kindly heat and warmth is gone; any thing of it that is left has struck out to the outward parts, leaving a key-cold heart within. And, by all appearance, she will not be cured, till blood be let of her.
2. People's spiritual senses are dulled with the luscious sweets of a present world. Farms and merchandise take away people's appetites for the marriage-supper, Matt. 22:4, 5. The devil makes birdlime of the things of the world to catch professors, that they find, when they would get upward, their feet stick in the mire. Many of us, I trow, when our worldly incomes were less, our spiritual incomes were more. Or, if the world go against people, their spirits are so embittered, that they find no sweetness at all in religion.
3. Religion is not made people's business, but just a by-hand work. Men are like the mole, whose abode is in the earth; and though sometimes it come above ground, it hastes in again to its hole, to be in its element. They will say their prayers indeed, evening and morning; but for walking with God in the interval of duties, they know nothing about it. Their religion is over when duties are over. They are like a man that takes physic indeed, but he just vomits it up again when he has got it, giving it no time to work, Gen. 6:9. Religion's chance-customers will never grow rich by it.
4. People's not holding hand to any attainment they make in religion, like 'the slothful man, not roasting that which he took in hunting,' Prov. 12:27. They are, it may be, at some pains to earn something in religion, but they put it in a bag with holes. Sometimes they are in a fair way to gain experience of religion, they get some taste of it, but then they do not follow on, Hos. 6:3. The spark is kindled, but they let it go out; they do not feed it, and presently they have a cold coal to blow again.
5. Lastly, Formality in religion, when people content themselves with outward worship, doing the work, but make it not their business to worship God in the spirit; by faith in him, love, dependence, fear, hope, patience, &c. It is these and the like graces that bring in the experimental knowledge of Christ and religion into the soul. These are they that get forward to God, even to his throne. And duties without them are useless and vain, like liquor that has lost all the spirits.
Attractiveness of experimental religion
1. Experimental religion is a sort of heaven on earth. Heaven is the eternal feeling of that goodness which is in God the chief good. It is his eternal pouring out of his goodness into the souls of his people, making them drink of those rivers which they heard were at his right hand. Now, ye may begin it here with tasting the word of life. That will make great delight, as the full enjoyment makes perfect joy there.
2. There are none who, being capable of that enjoyment on earth, that get the first taste of it in heaven. No; they all begin it here, John 17:3. For God first gives men a taste of Christian experience, and then they desire the full enjoyment of it, and they get it in heaven. And this is the reasonable way with the rational creature. Whosoever taste not here, shall not drink above.
3. The experimental Christian has the counterpart of the Bible in his breast, though imperfect. He has things old and new to bring out of his treasure, that answer to scripture doctrines and promises, as the copy to the original. The experimental Christian is a walking Bible. He has a body of divinity formed of experiences, which is an excellent sort of learning, a thousand times preferable to all the raw unfelt notions of noisy professors, that are like the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.
4. The experimental Christian is fit to sail to heaven, whatever wind be blowing; for he hath both sail and ballast. He has experienced of the goodness and faithfulness of God, and of the sanctifying power of truth; that is sail that will carry him through in all storms; and he has experience of the corruption of his own nature, the deceit of his own heart, and of his pitiful weakness; and that will be ballast to him. For want of these in time of trial, few get through.
(1.) It is very hard, without experience of religion, to stand in a time when the proud contemners of God seem to be most happy: when the sun shines bright on the way of wickedness and apostasy from God, and nothing but clouds and darkness appear in the way of holiness, Mal. 3:15, 16. It is strange if those who never felt more sweetness in religion than in the world, do not at such a time turn their back on it altogether; but the experimental Christian will not do so: for 'the righteous shall holden his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger,' Job 17:9.
(2.) When the night of error overtakes a church, and errors like locusts swarm abroad, how hard is it then to stand without experience! 2 Thess. 2:10. Where truth sinks not into the heart, but floats in the head, it makes itching ears, to which novelties have easy access. They to whom old truths are unsavoury, lie a prey to new notions. And hence it has come to pass, that many noted professors have been carried away in such a time. But he that has tasted of the power of truth, will say from his experience, 'The old is better,' Luke 5, ult.
(3.) When divisions enter into a church, it is hard to keep right without experimental religion. Division is a great plague from the Lord, a stain on the beauty of the church, and a dreadful snare to men. When church-builders are like Babel-builders, how can the work thrive? It turns some quite off from all religion; while they see one going one way, and another, another way, they know not whom to follow, and they cast of all together. Others, whose religion was never so deep as the bottom of their hearts, exhaust the whole of their vigour on the controverted points, and so they become dead in the vitals of godliness. So that, unless people be experimental Christians, and exercised to godliness too in the time, having the ballast I spoke of before, they will run into terrible excess of selfishness, judging not only practices, but hearts: a very unchristian employment!
(4.) When great men, and good men are falling, how hard is it to stand, unless men have a witness to the truth from within? God, in his holy providence, for the further trial of men, permits the fall of men of name for gifts and piety: and when these fall, readily they fall not alone, but as mighty oaks break down others about them, unless they be well rooted and grounded. And therefore, they will never bring their religion to a good account, whose religion is only to do as others do.
(5.) Lastly, When it comes to hard and sharp personal persecution, especially to resisting unto blood. When extreme hardships, even death itself, are laid in the balance with an unfelt religion, it is hard to think how one should stand, who has had no experience of the power of it. Should God give us up into the hands of a bloody antichristian enemy, it would not be hard for them that have not been sealed by the Spirit, to refuse the mark of the beast.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Directions towards attaining experimental religion
1. Fix your eyes on the particular evils of your heart and life, and ply closely the reformation of them by the Spirit. Alas! what are we doing in the way of mortification of sin? Experimental religion is a dying to sin, by virtue of our union with Christ. What use have we for Christ, if not to 'save us from our sins?' Matt.1:21. But the use many make of Christ is to save them and their sins. They will drink, swear, lie, cheat, and do unjustly still, and they will call these infirmities, or very little things, that need not disturb a man; and they will lick themselves whole with their believing; and on a new temptation go just back again to them. Sirs, this is to make Christ the minister of sin, and to sin because grace abounds. The running the round between swearing and confessing, will make men fall down at length into the pit, whence they will never rise again, Prov. 29:1. If Christ cure thee not of thy disease, thou wilt never get life by him.
Therefore, I say, ply reformation of heart and life closely. It will not be wishing that will do it; ye must put your hand to the work. It will cost mourning groans under the weight of sin, believing looks, and vigorous endeavours against it. Is there a thing that is your weak side? pray remember thy soul is at stake; if it overcome thee, thy soul is gone; and if ever thou see heaven, thou must get above it, Matt. 5:29; Rev. 3:21. O! mind that passage, Mark 10:21, 'One thing thou lackest,' &c. Look to thy spots in the glass of the law, and quickly set about purging them. Thou hast, may be, a carnal worldly heart: fall on to get it spiritual and heavenly; an ill tongue, get it bridled; or an offensive carriage, get it mended.
2. Continue at the work, for the victory is not got but by degrees. The interruptions that take place in our plying the work of religion, make it still the more difficult. The miserable halts we make in the exercise of godliness, do but weaken us, and give the enemy more time to recruit. And they that cannot digest the making religion their business, are not fit for heaven. Heaven is an eternal triumph; how can they be capable of it, then, that make it not their business to fight, or that are always overcome, instead of being overcomers? It is a rest, therefore it presupposeth a labour; not so much the toil of business in the world, for the most carnal have as much of that as professors, but a rest from labour against sin.
3. Take often notice what progress ye are making. Consider with yourselves, Have I got any more victory over my passions, my lusts, and my prevailing iniquity? Is there a cubit added to my spiritual stature? Am I going backward or forward? Sirs, people that are at pains with a farm, they count their profit, to see whether they be winners or losers: if any thing has been mismanaged to their loss, they endeavour to mend it the next time; and if they find they are gainers, they are encouraged to redouble their pains. But, alas! what pains men are at about religion, is bestowed on it as if they cared not whether they prospered or not; and therefore, they have no experience.
4. Look after the profit of duties. We should never hear a sermon, but should inquire, when we have come from it, Now, what have I made of this? where did it touch me? what evil of my heart has it discovered? what influence has it had on me to fit me more for my journey and work? Sermons are not easy to some of you, that are far off from the place of public worship: ye would think it a great deal to go one mile, or two, three, four, or five miles in vain, in other cases. Look after your prayers, as the Psalmist did, Ps. 5:3. Ye would think it much if ye were to ask a request of your neighbour, and yet get no answer, or a refusal. O! why then do ye not consider how your prayers are accepted by the prayer-hearing God? I assure you, if ye would fall upon this way, ye would soon find the good of it.
5. Converse with experimental Christians about experimental religion. There is a wonderful diffidence that professors have in one another at this day, Matt. 24:12. I verily believe this would be a good way to cure it, if those that have any experience of religion would modestly bring it forth to the edification of others. There is nothing that more endears Christians one to another than this. It is an unchristian-like thing in professors to despise converse about practical godliness and Christian experience. And there is more of the wisdom of the serpent than the harmlessness of the dove, in people's locking up in their own breasts all their sense of practical godliness, when it might be brought forth to the glory of God, and the good of others. I believe this way has been the cause of so much jealousy, suspicion, and division among professors; and has run out all Christian conference into vain jangling about the controversies of the time.
6. Be very nice as to the point of sin and duty, Ps. 133:2. Sudden resolutions in matters which will allow deliberation, are often to be suspected. Sometimes the matter of sin and duty is of that nature, that there is no time to deliberate; all that can be done is, to look to the Lord for immediate clearness, and the Christian shall have it, Prov. 4:12, 'When thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.' Compare Matt. 10:19, 'But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.' Sometimes the Christian may have time to deliberate, and then God's ordinary way is to clear men step by step, Prov. 4:12, 'When thou goest thy steps shall not be straitened.' Say not, the way is plain at first glance in this case; for the Spirit of God bids thee 'ponder the path of thy feet,' Prov. 4:26. If a way be such as our own heart at the very first inclines to, I say it ought the rather to be narrowly examined, seeing in scripture-language the way of our own heart is of no good name. And suppose the inclination of the man's heart does really fall upon the right side in this case, yet this is no Christian resolution, but a stumbling on the right way, which God will never accept. Therefore, men that would act as Christians in the point of sin and duty, should lay aside prejudices, trample their inclinations under foot, lay the matter before the Lord, and themselves open to conviction there, as a piece of clean paper, on which God may write what he sees meet, pondering all things with a holy jealousy over their own hearts, lest they be biased by their own inclinations and preconceived opinions. I am sure much of God is to be found in this way.
7. Acknowledge God more in your temporal concerns, Prov. 3:6. Are we Christians? let us depend on God for all things in this life and the other. We are directed to pray about them, the promises are about them, and therefore we should wait on God for them. Many a sweet experience have the saints got in temporal things, when they have been helped to lay them before the Lord, and leave them there without anxiety, in the use of the means.
8. Lastly, Have a precise respect to all the commands of God, and be truly strict in your lives; that is, deal with men as believing God's eye is upon you, and with God as if the eyes of men were upon you. Never look on the authority of the multitude as sufficient to make that no fault, which will not abide strict examination by the word of God. Let the command of God prevail with you; and whatsoever liberty ye may take for ought that men can say or do to you, let that be a sufficient restraint. Thus may ye attain experimental religion.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Evangelicalism and the love of novelty
As the puritan Thomas Manton put it: 'There is an itch of novelty; naturally we adore things that are new; they flocked about Paul because they supposed him a setter forth of new gods, Acts 17. Seneca observeth right...'men admire a glaring meteor and comet more than they do the glorious sun'.
Obsession with whatever is new has been the spirit of the modernism of secularist society. Novelty is the preeminent virtue. The term 'modern' is not so much about history or time so much as quality - everything must be 'new', and simply because it is new it is immediately original and different and transcends all that was previous. Modernity tears itself from tradition and history and so is forever engaged in repeating itself. The cult of the modern produces a society of the spectacle because the craving for endless novelty is the same as the craving for the spectacular.
One of the greatest fallacies of our day is the appeal to novelty, what logicians call argumentum ad novitatem. People assume and argue that because something is new, it is therefore correct or better. The latest and newest implies the most correct and best. This is the basic assumption of most commercial advertising.
Samuel Rutherford shows how natural an assumption this is with us and how easily it can slip into religious matters. 'Novelty can go for conscience, our nature is quickly taken with novelty, even as a new friend, a new field, a new house, a new garden, a new garment, so a new Christ, a new faith, delights us' (Free Disputation against pretended Liberty of Conscience).
In an article, 'The Future of Evangelical Theology,' Thomas Oden laments the invasion of novelty into evangelicalism: 'The Babylonian captivity to novelty is the temptation of all modern reflection. It is invading evangelical leadership at an alarming rate in ways disturbing to evangelicals in the mainline who have suffered from its bewitchments for two centuries.'(Christianity Today, Feb. 9, 1998, p.46). The problem with novelty is that it is soon tired of as the novelty wears of and so there must be yet more novelties. As Calvin puts it in his commentary on Joel: 'When any thing new happens, it may be, that we are at first moved with some wonder; but our feeling soon vanishes with the novelty, and we disregard what at first caused great astonishment'. Within evangelicalism endless constantly changing variety has become the order of the day. As a result an ahistorical myopia prevails that is bent upon removing the ancient landmarks and everything that does not have the appearance of appeal of novelty in it. The Word of God wisely counsels: 'meddle not with them that are given to change' (Prov 24:21)
Yet as John Calvin argued so clearly: 'In the matter of religion, all novelty should not only be rejected but also detested': (Calvin's preface to La Bible, qui est toute la saincte escriture du vieil & du Nouveau Testament (Geneva, 1588), iir. The Lord Jesus Christ was conscious of the spirit of novelty in his own days amongst the hearers of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:7- 9).
Novelty in worship
Novelty in worship is one of the most obvious areas where the cult of the new influences evangelicalism. Many churches are at the mercy of the latest ideas of a local worship leader and the latest fads of the professional worship leader-cum-pop-musician. Choruses must ever be the latest - those from 15-20 years ago have become tired, word and stale. There is a certain delight and temporary emotional satisfaction from this no doubt. Such delight is not necessarily, however, a spiritual emotion or an indication of what it is acceptable to God. As the puritan Stephen Charnock argues, however, we cannot make 'every delight an argument of a spiritual service. All the requisites to worship must be taken in. A man may invent a worship, and delight in it, as Micah in the adoration of his idol, when he was glad he had got both an ephod and a Levite, Judges 17. As a man may have a contentment in sin, so he may have a contentment in worship ; not because it is a worship of God, but the worship of his own invention, agreeable to his own humour and design, as Isaiah 58:2, it is said, they delighted in approaching to God,' but it was for carnal ends. Novelty engenders complacency ; but it must be a worship wherein God will delight, and that must be a worship according to his own rule and infinite wisdom, and not our shallow fancies'.
Once innovations have been made they become dear to people through long familiar association and they are lothe to part with them because of this. It can then become an appeal to age, tradition and preference. We can think of the hymns that were introduced, first at the communion, then once a service at the end and which then finally pushed out metrical psalms altogether. Although there was no biblical warrant for composing such non-inspired materials of praise, the impulse to innovation and novelty soon established the practice.
Change in the sense of reformation will sometimes be required but only in the direction of reforming worship closer to the Word of God. This was the view of the Westminster Assembly when they would only put aside the liturgy of the Church of England upon many 'weighty considerations...not from any love to novelty' (Directory of Public Worship).
Novelty in preaching
It is possible for those who believe themselves to be conservative and reformed in their doctrine and practice to pursue novelty in preaching. There is a desire for the rhetorical display of using expressions that are new and catching but do not mean much at all and may even be misleading. JW Alexander pointed this out in his book 'The Preacher's Studies': 'The lust of novelty betrays some young preachers into a feverish thirst for new reading, in the course of which they scour the fields for every antithetic pungency, and every brilliant expression. For fear of commonplaces, they forbear to give utterance to those great, plain, simple, everlasting propositions, which after all are the main stones in the wall of truth. The preacher errs grievously, who shuns to announce obvious and familiar things, if only they be true and seasonable, and logically knit into the contexture. The most momentous sayings are simple ; or rather, as Daniel Webster once said, "All great things are simple"'.
The Apostles and their Lord were not afraid to use 'great plainness of speech'. It is possible to use academic theological words which people may not understand fully or at all but they may be taken with the novelty of it and the show of learning. Much of the controversy surrounding the Marrow of Modern Divinity in the early eighteenth century had to do with the use of apparently new or unusual terms on the part of those promoting it which made some think that it was new doctrine. As John Willison points out this was partly 'because in their sermons they disused and censured several old approven words and phrases as too legal, and affected some new modes of speaking'.
Men may be tempted to look for fresh and striking topics for sermons or bold, rhetorical and revolutionary interpretations of verses which go against received thinking and therefore make the preacher to stand out. As Richard Baxter searchingly indicates, the danger is that preachers will cause people to 'love novelty better than verity, and playing with words to please the fancy, rather than closing with Christ to save the soul'. It is possible to receive the word with a carnal joy that may be based upon the novelty of it but this seed cannot last and continue to grow.
There is nothing wrong, however, with repeating vital truths. It is eminently biblical. Paul tells the Philippians (Phil. 3:1)that to write the same things was not grievous to him, and it was safe for them. They needed to hear these things again. Peter writes similarly to say that he would not be negligent to put them always in remembrance of those things they knew (2 Pet. 1:12.)
Novelty in doctrine
The Church must constantly be watching against novelty in doctrine because this commonly means serious heresy. Again there is a need for ensuring that our doctrine is firmly founded on the Scriptures, yet the Church has witnessed many heresies down through the centuries and learned to guard against them. The desire for innovation in theology often comes from a root of pride. Calvin spoke bluntly of 'little men of superstitious minds, who are always devising some novelty as a means of gaining admiration for themselves'. Whatever the motive, however, it is pride that causes people to reject the illumination of the Holy Spirit in past generations of the Church and assume that only what they have discovered in their own originality is valid.
The Early Church Father John Chrysostom commented on the heretics such as Hymeneus and Philetus that Paul speaks of in 2 Timothy 2. 'He shows that novelty of doctrine is a disease, and worse than a disease. And here he implies that they are incorrigible, and that they erred not weakly but willfully'. Calvin preached on this chapter solemnly drawing similar conclusions:
'But it is true, our nature is such, that we take great pleasure in novelty, and in speculations which seem to be subtle. Therefore, let us beware, and think as we ought, that we may not profane God's holy Word. Let us seek that which. edifieth, and not abuse ourselves by receiving that which hath no substance in it. It is hard to withdraw men from such vanity, because they are inclined to participate in it. But St. Paul showeth that there is nothing more miserable than such vain curiosity: 'For they will increase unto more ungodliness.' As if he had said, my friends, you know not at first sight what hurt cometh by these deceivers; who go about to gain credit and estimation among you, and with pleasant toys endeavor to please you; but believe me, they are Satan's instruments and such as in no wise serve God but increase unto more wickedness; that is. if they are let alone, they will mar the Christian religion; they will not leave one jot safe and sound. Therefore, see that you flee them as plagues, although at first sight, the poison which they bring be not perceived.'
Evangelicalism is being assailed with a flood of novelty in doctrine at the present time. There is that from conservative evangelicals in the Federal Vision theology which distorts justification by faith alone. Some of the most alarming innovations however, come from a so-called post-conservative handling of Scripture. Post-conservative means that people no longer wish to be bound to the Scriptures as their supreme authority. A high view of Scripture and theological novelty are impossible companions. There are the Open-theists such as Clark Pinnock who gettison the orthodox doctrine of God.
Then there is the ecumenical and professedly post-evangelical, post-doctrinal and certainly postmodern Emerging Church movement. This movement has moved beyond the idea of giving the central and supreme place to Scripture. The latter is no doubt evangelicalism's love of novelty come to its fullest expression in every way. It has developed a rather Romish trend in worship by combining candles, incense, darkness, labyrinths and silence. Is it not significant that one of Brian Maclaren's books is titled 'A New Kind of Christianity'? Then there are those rejecting penal substitution - such as Steve Chalke.
The general vanguard movement within evangelicalism is sometimes expressed as being towards experience over doctrine and to be inclusivistic instead of exclusivistic. Doctrine is being shaped by the values of contemporary secular society and that which sounds acceptable within it. Chrysostom writes in his Commentary on Matthew about 'the unsettling power of novelty' and evangelicalism is certainly unsettled in the current climate. Where there is little grounding in the truth, individuals are in danger of being tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine especially by anything that has the appearance of novelty.
When the Reformation was underway the Reformers made it clear that they were countering the innovations of Rome with not only what the Scriptures taught but what the Early Church believed from which Rome had defected. As his prefatory address to the Institutes shows, Calvin roundly rejected the idea that the Reformers were introducing anything novel. He responds adamantly to those that would try to label the Reformation teaching as novel:
'First, in calling it new, they are exceedingly injurious to God, whose sacred word deserved not to be charged with novelty. To them, indeed, I very little doubt it is new, as Christ is new, and the Gospel new; but those who are acquainted with the old saying of Paul, that Christ Jesus 'died for our sins, and rose again for our justification,' (Rom. 4: 25,) will not detect any novelty in us. That it long lay buried and unknown is the guilty consequence of man's impiety; but now when, by the kindness of God, it is restored to us, it ought to resume its antiquity just as the returning citizen resumes his rights.'
Later theologians such as Francis Turretin also disclaimed novelty. 'I avoided [novelty] most diligently lest it should contain anything new, a stranger from the word of God and from the public forms received in our churches, and nothing is built up there that is not confirmed by the vote of our most proven theologians'.
One could also refer to novelty in practice which besides introducing innumerable gimmicks and paraphenalia that only serve to trivialise religion also rejects vital godliness and Christian experience as a thing of the past. John Kennedy saw this spirit very clearly in nineteenth-century Scotland: 'As the tide of declension is moving on, an impression is produced in the hearts of those who are adrift that all things which they are leaving behind them are but relics of darker times. Adherence to what is antiquated is all that is implied, they say, in the conservatism that cleaves to 'the old paths' and 'the good way' in which our father walked. It is characteristic of young men that they do not like to appear to be behind the age. They must be abreast of the intelligence of a century so enlightened as this is. They must cast away the old clothes of traditionalism, and must learn to sneer at the days and ways that are gone, that they may be like those who assume to be the leaders of thought – the advanced guard of the army of progress. They must neither think nor speak like the men of earlier, and, therefore, more benighted times!...But, my young friends, be not led away by this affectation of progress with its contempt for what is past. There never was a time when in science there was more utterly baseless speculation, and in which more structures of lies were reared within the religious sphere than now. There never was an age of more hasty thinking and of more hazy utterance than the present in all things affecting what is divine and spiritual. But God is unchanging. On that grand truth firmly plant your foot in faith. The law of God is unchanging. That truth is another strong foothold. On these be 'steadfast and unmovable' in the midst of all present unsettlement of thought and practice'. Although the desire for it may be insatiable among evangelicals, truly 'novelty is the last object which a wise inquirer will seek'. JW Alexander. What should we seek? We are not left without an answer.
'Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.' (Jeremiah 6:16-17).
Monday, June 04, 2007
The benefits of experimental religion
(1.) The experimental Christian is fitted thereby to suffer for Christ, because he has the testimony within himself, that the way which the world persecutes is the way of God. No arguments give such a certainty of the truth of religion as experience does.
(2.) When wickedness prospers, and piety is oppressed, experimental religion keeps a man from being led away with the error of the wicked, Mal. 3:16.
(3.) When many stumbling-blocks are laid in the way, especially in divisions and church-contentions, which make many wicked men think there is no reality in religion at all; yet the righteous, in such a time, shall hold on his way.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
The attractiveness of experimental religion
1. Experimental religion is a sort of heaven on earth. Heaven is the eternal feeling of that goodness which is in God the chief good. It is his eternal pouring out of his goodness into the souls of his people, making them drink of those rivers which they heard were at his right hand.
Now, ye may begin it here with tasting the word of life. That will make great delight, as the full enjoyment makes perfect joy there.
2. There are none who, being capable of that enjoyment on earth, that get the first taste of it in heaven. No; they all begin it here, John 17:3. For God first gives men a taste of Christian experience, and then they desire the full enjoyment of it, and they get it in heaven. And this is the reasonable way with the rational creature. Whosoever taste not here, shall not drink above.
3. The experimental Christian has the counterpart of the Bible in his breast, though imperfect. He has things old and new to bring out of his treasure, that answer to scripture doctrines and promises, as the copy to the original. The experimental Christian is a walking Bible. He has a body of divinity formed of experiences, which is an excellent sort of learning, a thousand times preferable to all the raw unfelt notions of noisy professors, that are like the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.
4. The experimental Christian is fit to sail to heaven, whatever wind be blowing; for he hath both sail and ballast. He has experienced of the goodness and faithfulness of God, and of the sanctifying power of truth; that is sail that will carry him through in all storms; and he has experience of the corruption of his own nature, the deceit of his own heart, and of his pitiful weakness; and that will be ballast to him. For want of these in time of trial, few get through.
(1.) It is very hard, without experience of religion, to stand in a time when the proud contemners of God seem to be most happy: when the sun shines bright on the way of wickedness and apostasy from God, and nothing but clouds and darkness appear in the way of holiness, Mal. 3:15, 16. It is strange if those who never felt more sweetness in religion than in the world, do not at such a time turn their back on it altogether; but the experimental Christian will not do so: for 'the righteous shall holden his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger,' Job 17:9.
(2.) When the night of error overtakes a church, and errors like locusts swarm abroad, how hard is it then to stand without experience! 2 Thess. 2:10. Where truth sinks not into the heart, but floats in the head, it makes itching ears, to which novelties have easy access. They to whom old truths are unsavoury, lie a prey to new notions. And hence it has come to pass, that many noted professors have been carried away in such a time. But he that has tasted of the power of truth, will say from his experience, 'The old is better,' Luke 5, ult.
(3.) When divisions enter into a church, it is hard to keep right without experimental religion. Division is a great plague from the Lord, a stain on the beauty of the church, and a dreadful snare to men. When church-builders are like Babel-builders, how can the work thrive? It turns some quite off from all religion; while they see one going one way, and another, another way, they know not whom to follow, and they cast of all together. Others, whose religion was never so deep as the bottom of their hearts, exhaust the whole of their vigour on the controverted points, and so they become dead in the vitals of godliness. So that, unless people be experimental Christians, and exercised to godliness too in the time, having the ballast I spoke of before, they will run into terrible excess of selfishness, judging not only practices, but hearts: a very unchristian employment!
(4.) When great men, and good men are falling, how hard is it to stand, unless men have a witness to the truth from within? God, in his holy providence, for the further trial of men, permits the fall of men of name for gifts and piety: and when these fall, readily they fall not alone, but as mighty oaks break down others about them, unless they be well rooted and grounded. And therefore, they will never bring their religion to a good account, whose religion is only to do as others do.
(5.) Lastly, When it comes to hard and sharp personal persecution, especially to resisting unto blood. When extreme hardships, even death itself, are laid in the balance with an unfelt religion, it is hard to think how one should stand, who has had no experience of the power of it. Should God give us up into the hands of a bloody antichristian enemy, it would not be hard for them that have not been sealed by the Spirit, to refuse the mark of the beast.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The Believer's Journey - a simple picture
What is the believer's destination?
The heavenly Canaan.
How does this journey begin?
The eyes of the soul are opened to see the wrath to come, to which they are heading but from which they must flee.
How are they turned away from this direction into the right way?
They are given faith which runs out after Christ as the only way to life and the city of refuge to whom they must flee. They are also given repentance which turns their back upon their sins, so that they longer walk according to the course of this world.
How do they begin in the journey?
They begin with a blessedness upon them and rejoicing and singing. The love of their espousals makes them are strong and active in setting out in the way and they lift up their feet.
How long is the journey?
Although some are only a short time in the wilderness, usually it is a long journey and they are often longing to be at their destination, looking for a better country and the city whose builder and maker is God.
What is the wilderness like through which they must pass?
It is not only a strange country but a waste howling wilderness, with no provision in it for their journey.
How do they get strength for this journey?
They have no strength of their own but with a sense of their own weakness they go up out of the wilderness of this world leaning upon the Beloved.
Is it an easy journey?
It is not a smooth but a narrow, hard and rugged way, they must labour to enter into that rest and it can be lonely because only a few travel on this path. Yet because it is the right way they acknowledge them to be ways of pleasantness and that all these paths are peace.
What holds back the believer in their journey?
Remaining sin still easily besets and entangles them, sometimes they are blinded by their old sins so that they cannot see afar off, and so their progress is hindered.
How does the believer deal with these hindrances?
The believer must be killing sin and so laying it aside. They will make no progress without defending themselves to the death against the sin that seeks their life. These are like the Amalekites that fought against the Israelites in the wilderness but the Lord is the banner of His people and through the Spirit they are able to overcome.
What adversities does the believer meet with in the land of Providence?
They meet with many storms, steep and stony, even perilous or else slippery places. In the darkest of valleys, however, they are never left to find their way alone. The heat of trials and temptations and the fierce storm of afflictions are often intense but they have an apple-tree under which they may rest and a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. All the adversities that they face however, work for their good and help them further in their journey and make them more earnest to reach their destination.
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What sustains the believer in their journey?
The bread of life is given to them daily for the journey - there are also wells and pools of grace for them to drink of in the way. They often have the light and heat of the Sun of righteousness upon them. They are also upheld in their goings by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes their heart is so enlarged that they are enabled to run the way marked out for them. Then they have the statutes of God for their songs in the days of their pilgrimage.
What guides are given for the way?
Light and truth lead the way for the believer and goodness and mercy follow them for their help.
What is the general character of the believer's progress?
They go from strength to strength and their path is shining ever brighter unto the perfect day.
Is this always true of the believer?
Although this is the general character yet they can also grow weary and stumble in the way. They are perplexed but not in despair, cast down but not destroyed. When they slide back in their path, they are restored. Though they fall, they arise and though they may have difficulties they cannot go altogether out of the way.
How do they arrive in the heavenly Canaan?
Their journey ends in peace and they arrive in the heavenly Canaan with singing and everlasting joy.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
James Durham on the Intercession of Christ
Encouragement for the individual
Durham shows how "Disposition for duty, and help in the performance of duty, flows from his intercession. It is this that makes us pray, and that gives us boldness in prayer, and in other duties, that there is such an high priest over the house of God (as it is, Heb. 10:19-21). It is this that gives us ground of approaching to God, and to expect a hearing; and (as it is, Luke 13:7-8), it is his digging and pains, that makes the barren fig tree fruitful."
He goes on to say: "It flows from this, that our prayers are heard, though there be much infirmity in them, and that they are not cast back in our faces as dung, but are made savory to God, it is through the efficacy of his intercession. We have a type of this [in] Rev. 8:4-5, where John sees an angel come and stand at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it up with the prayers of all saints, and the smoke of the incense which came up with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God. It was savory and acceptable to God, and made the prayers of all saints acceptable; for the weight of God’s accepting their prayers, is laid on the smoke of his incense. It is he that takes the mangled and half prayers of his people, and presents them to God; and when they would be cast back, as the supplication of an enemy, he as great Master of requests, through the acceptation that he has with God, makes them acceptable. We should have no ground to pray with confidence, nor expectation to be heard, if there were not a golden censer in his hand."
For those oppressed by their sin in holy things and duties - there is this help that "our Lord, by his intercession, takes away the guilt of our holy things; for when we approach to God in worship, there is a carnalness and pollutedness in the best things we do; much irreverence, much unbelief, much [lack] of humility, zeal, sincerity and tenderness; so that all our righteousnesses are but as filthy rags. But the high priest (Ex. 38:28), has on his forehead, Holiness to the Lord; and his office is, to bear the iniquities of the holy things of the children of Israel, that they may be accepted before the Lord; and in this he was a type of Christ, the great high priest going in unto heaven, to make intercession for his people, who bears not only their iniquities, but the iniquity of their holy things. Aaron answers for them as the type, our Lord Jesus as the Anti-type; he being eminently Holiness to the Lord, and having holiness on his forehead, and being so well pleasing to the Father. However our prayers and praises, and other parts of service, be but little worth; yet he makes them acceptable, and procures that they be not rejected, when he is for this end employed and made use of."
Further we ought to consider that "we come never to hear preaching, but we are beholden to it; it being a peculiar fruit of his intercession, that gifts are given to men, and that the gospel is sent through the earth. And if ever any get good of a sermon, it is by virtue of this intercession, seeing he has said that he will pray the Father, and that he will send the Comforter [John 14:16]; and whenever we come to hear preaching, there would be (to say so), a reviving of the thoughts of Christ’s intercession, and a stirring up of ourselves to get the faith of it lively in its exercise."
Encouragement for the Church
In a day of small things the exercised Christian has many fears in relation to the Church. Like Eli, they tremble for the ark of God. Durham shows how these fears are largely incorporated into 4 main fears which are answered in the intercession of Christ.
"1. The first is the fear of a scarcity, or weakness of the public ministry; that being the great gift which he has given for the edifying of his body;and it being a prejudice to the Church, when she has not pastors according to God’s own heart. But compare Ps. 68:18 with Eph. 4:8, 12-14, and we willfind that his intercession answers all that fear. In the Psalm, it is said, Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men; which supposes his seeking of, or making suit for them; or, as the word is, ‘thou hast received gifts in the man,’ that is, being in our nature, he procured them. And, Eph. 4, it is said, He gave gifts to men; and compare these two places with a third, to wit, Acts 1:4 where he bids his apostles tarry at Jerusalem, till he send the promised Spirit; and immediately, after his ascension (as it is, Acts 2), he poured it out, which abode on them, in the likeness of cloven tongues of fire. It is likewise said that that Spirit was not given, for Jesus was not yet glorified (John 11:39). All which show an influence that Christ’s ascension has on the pouring out of the Spirit, and on the gifts given to men, whether ministers or others. There is nothing amongst men readily less cared for, than a ministry; some would have none at all, others would have them of such a stamp, as would please and humor them. But our Lord has received gifts to be given unto men; and he that poured out such gifts on the apostles and others, has what gifts he pleases, and sees needful for his Church’s edification, yet to give. And that he gives such gifts to men, that his people are not praying much for; whence is it, but from his intercession? Therefore, we will find that he delights in this property, as a piece of his spiritual state and grandeur, That he holds the stars in his right hand (Rev. 1:16); such is his respect to them, and his it is to dispose of them.
2. It is a greatly exercising difficulty to the Church of God, to think of the mighty opposition that is made by enemies; Mahomet, heathens, Antichrist, false brethren, threatening to swallow up the little stock, the Church of Christ, which is like a bush burning with fire, and not consumed. But for this there is a consolation in Christ’s intercession, according to that word (Heb. 10:13), He sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting, till his enemies be made his footstool. He has this for his suit at the Father’s bar, and is backing it. Upon this it followed, and as a fruit of it, that all the first persecutions were broken; on this it has come to pass, that Antichrist’s kingdom is tottering; and it is on this ground, that his bearing-down and utter-breaking will be accomplished. Hence it is most emphatically said (1 Cor 15:24) that he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet; according to the promise made by Jehovah to him (Ps. 110:1), The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. He cannot be an Intercessor, but his enemies must down. For who, I pray, will be able to stand, when he gives in his complaint against them? Who will plead Antichrist’s and other persecutors’ cause, when he appears against them? And he is so certain of his enemies being made his footstool, that he is waiting till he see it done; he must reign till then, maugre [notwithstanding] all the malice and might of devils and men.
3. It is a difficulty to the Church and people of God, to think on such great confusions as are in the world; there are but a few judicatories that are for Christ; but few governors, higher or lower, that do consult his honor, or regard him; it is others that have the throne and court, and the guiding of things, than friends and favorers of his interest, for most part. But here the consolation lies, that there is a court in heaven that gives out orders, where the Church has an agent constantly lying, where the devil and the world has none; Jesus Christ is the Church’s agent and intercessor there. Daniel has a word to this purpose (Dan. 10:13), The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days, but Michael the chief Prince came to help me. And (Dan. 10:21), There is none in all the court of Persia that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your Prince. The great intercessor was at court, looking that nothing went wrong, seeing that no decree was passed to the prejudice of the people of God, and his work. In the time when they were building the temple, He is said (Zech. 6:13), to build the temple of the Lord, to bear the glory, and to be a Priest, sitting and ruling on his throne; having the government committed to him. What hazard then is there here, when heaven guides all, when the Church has an Agent at the court, to see (as I said), that nothing go wrong, when Michael the Prince is there, and sees all the acts and decrees of the court, and reads them, yea draws them, and looks well that there be nothing in them hurtful to his Church. And O! may we not, and should we not thank God for this?
4. A fourth thing that troubles the Church of God, is the abounding of offences in herself, and the spreading of error, which, like a flood, threatens to drown the Church; and great stormy winds come, that are like to blow down the house of God; offences and stumblings abound, and error, which (I just now said), as a flood is like to drown all. When the devil is put from the throne, and gets not violence acted, he turns about, and falls on another way, and spews out his flood of error, to devour the Woman and her Child; but our Lord has a vote here also. After the persecution of the heathen is over (Rev. 7:1-2), John sees an angel ascending from the east, the great Lordkeeper, or Chancellor of the Father’s council, the supreme Deputy over all under-officers, that has the keeping of the great-seal of the living God, and there is nothing relevant nor valid till it be sealed by him. And mark the time when he appears; it is when the winds are held, and ready to blow, as verse 1, but he cries with a loud voice, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in their fore-heads. ‘Stay,’ he says, ‘a little; ere these winds blow that will take the most part off their feet, ere that delusion go forward; there are some servants of God that must be marked, and put without the reach of the hazard, and the winds shall get leave to blow.’ What reason then of anxiety is there, or could be here, if the solid and lively faith of this intercessor, and advocate, his being in heaven, and thus interceding, were in our hearts?"
My counsel would be to read the whole sermon. There is also an interesting blog developing on Durham's preaching.
Monday, May 21, 2007
the agenda behind Blair's inter-faith mission
Blair has also been in conversation with ecumenical Swiss Roman Catholic theologian Hans Küng whom he has taken for his mentor. Hans Küng is founder and president of the Global Ethic Foundation in Tubingen, where Tony Blair has met him and spoken at his conferences. Küng champions what he calls a "global ethic" for people of different belief systems, both religious and non-religious. Küng's aim is to seek common religious ground in a global affirmation of human rights as defined by western liberal ideas. He believes that this will lead toward universal peace. In 1992 he drafted a "Declaration of the Religions for a Global Ethic" for the "Council for a Parliament of the World Religions". This synthesised all the major religions of the world to create a consensus of their moral teachings. He is said to have gained the interested support of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and other world leaders.
Küng's latest book "Islam: past, present and future" pursues this goal further.
Küng demands categorically that Christian theology and the Christian Churches should recognise "without reservation" that: "Through the Qur'an the Prophet gave countless people in his century and in the centuries that followed infinite inspiration, courage and power to make a new religious beginning: a move towards greater truth and deeper knowledge and a breakthrough towards enlivening and renewing traditional religion. Islam was the great help in life."
Concerning dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims, Küng argues that historic Christology must be jettisoned in favour of a Christology that would be decidedly "Jewish-Christian in character" would make this possible. Küng believes that the Nicean Creed and Chalcedon have "altered the message of the New Testament".
Although he was a key figure behind Vatican II, long ago Kung had his canonical license to operate as a Roman Catholic theologian removed. He had discussions with the current Pope in 2005, however, and he remains a priest.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Thomas Goodwin - God is Love
I was very pleased to find that the Works of Thomas Goodwin are now all online. Here is an excerpt.
Our God being love, even love itself, 1 John 4:16, 'And we have known and believed the love God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.' Our God loving, where he sets his love, with an infinite love as himself is, which love of all things else in him he loves to shew the utmost of, and of all works, works of love have the most delight in them, therefore mercy is called his delight, his darling: Micah 7:18, 'Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.' Our God being thus love, and mercy his delight, he would gladly shew how well he could love creatures, he was most glad of the greatest opportunity to shew it; therefore he resolves upon this course, to reconcile enemies, whatsoever it should cost. And the more they should cost him, the gladder should they [he] be. The making of a thousand new friends could not have expressed so much love as the reconciling one enemy. To love and delight in friends, who had never wronged him, was too narrow, shallow, and slight a way. He had heights, depths, breadth of love: Ephesians 3:18, 'May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height.' Which heights and depth of love he would make known, and which nothing but the depths of our misery could have drawn out.
And that this is the reason, see Rom. 5: 8, 10, ' But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' Ver. 10, 'For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.' God commends his love towards us, that whilst we were yet enemies, he gave his Son for us, not to be born only, but to die. Both our being sinners, and his giving his Son, commends or sets out his love; and that he might commend it, he pitcheth on this course. And that this love should be pitched upon men, not the angels that fell, it yet further commends his love. There were but two sorts of sinners whose sins could be taken away; and of the twain, who would not have thought but the fallen angels should have been propounded first, and have passed more easily? They were fairer and better creatures than we; and if he regarded service, one of them was able to do him more than a thousand of us. When he had bought us, he must be at a great deal of more trouble to preserve and tend us, than we were able ever to requite-in service and attendance upon him. He must allow us much of our time to sleep, and eat, and to be idle in; to refresh our bodies, and tend us as you would tend a child; rock us asleep every night, and make our beds in sickness; Psalm 41:3, 'The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness;' and feed us himself in due season. Whereas the angels, they could stand in his presence day and night, and not be weary. And, besides, the nature of the angels had been a fitter match a great deal for his Son. They are spirits, and so. in a nearer assimilation to him. Who ever thought he should close to match so low as with us? All this makes for us still the more love, for it was the more free. And the more unlikely it is that he could 'love such as we, the more his love is commended. The less we could do for him or for 'ourselves, the more it would appear he did for us. He is honoured more in our dependence than our service. He hath regard to the lowness of his spouse and handmaids, and lets the mighty go, principalities and powers; he loves still to prefer the younger, and make the elder serve them, Romans 9. The angels are ministering spirits for their good. Among men he culls out still the poor, the foolish, not many wise or noble; and he makes as unlikely a. choice amongst his creatures.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
BBC broadcast Gay Romish Mass
Sr Cleta Herold goes on to say later in the service: "When we decided to open the doors of this church to the gay community, 22 years ago, I discovered that what we were doing was in fact unbinding God. We were having to look at our own narrative of who god is, be it a white god, or a black god, male, female, straight, or gay."
The preacher was Dr. James Alison a Roman Catholic theologian, priest, and author. He is noted for his work on gay issues and lives in England. His books include: "The Joy of Being Wrong, Original Sin Through Easter Eyes", "Faith Beyond Resentment, Fragments Catholic and Gay (2001)" and "Undergoing God: Dispatches from the Scene of a Break-In".
The incident reveals further what many have known for some time, the popularity of homosexuality within Roman Catholicism, particularly in the USA.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
300 years ago today
The idea was not completely popular in Scotland, however. Presbyterian stalwarts like the historian, Robert Wodrow feared for the safety of presbyterianism after the union. Wodrow together with Thomas Halyburton were concerned that liberal bishops in England and their Episcopal friends in Scotland were adopting Socinian as well as Arminian doctrines. Writing after the union of the two kingdoms, Halyburton worried that the “Times are infectious, and Deism is the Contagion that spreads” (Natural religion insufficient, and revealed necessary to man’s happiness in his present state or a rational enquiry into the principles of the modern deists, Edinburgh, 1714, p.15. It is fair to say that the effects of the union were that the Church of Scotland did witness a liberalisation in terms of the theological views embraced within it as Moderatism developed.
There had been rioting in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 1706. The most vociferous protests were in the most strongly Presbyterian areas. There was strong Covenanter opposition, and on 20 November 1706 300 armed Cameronians entered Dumfries, ceremonially burnt the articles of union as ‘utterly destructive of the nation's independency, crown rights, and our constitute laws, both civil and sacred’, and denounced those in the Scots parliament who ‘shall presume to carry on the said Union by a supream power, over the belly of the generality of this nation’ (W. Ferguson, Scotland's relations with England: a survey to 1707, 1977, p.268). Covenanters believed the Union betrayed the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643 and instead of establishing Presbyterianism throughout the kingdoms it would place 'an eternal embargo upon all such endeavours.'
In Providence it was the 1 May 1707 that Thomas Boston was inducted to Ettrick. He writes: "On the first day of May I was admitted minister of Ettrick; a day remarkable to after ages, as the day in which the union of Scotland and England commenced, according to the articles thereof agreed upon by the two parliaments. And on that very account I had frequent occasion to remember it; the spirits of the people of that place being embittered on that event against the ministers of the church; which was an occasion of much heaviness to me, though I never was for the Union, but always against it from the beginning unto this day."
On the Sabbath after his admission, he began his ministry at Ettrick by preaching from the text, 1 Sam. 7:12, “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”
Thus began a most notable and fruitful ministry. It was hard, however. Hard to leave his previous congregation:“Thus, I parted with a people
whose hearts were knit to me, and mine to them; nothing but the sense of God’s
command that took me there making me to part with them.”
It was also hard ground to till after 3 years the first communion witnessed only 57 communicants. Boston had privately interviewed each candidate to determine their fitness for the sacrament. By the time of Boston's last communion in 1731, however, there were 777 communicants — including all four of his surviving children.
Yet it was also hard personally for Boston. The same year 1707 he writes: "It pleased the Lord, for my further trial, to remove by death, on the 8th September,
my son Ebenezer. Before that event, I was much helped of the Lord; I had never
more confidence with God in any such case, than in that child’s being the Lord’s. I
had indeed more than ordinary, in giving him away to the Lord, to be saved by the
blood of Jesus Christ. But his death was exceeding afflicting to me, and matter of
sharp exercise. To bury his name, was indeed harder than to bury his body; and so
much the heavier was it, that I could fall upon no scripture example parallel to it; but I saw a necessity of allowing a latitude to sovereignty. I could not charge myself with rashness in giving him that name. But one thing was plain as the sun to me, that day eight days before, my heart was excessively led away from God towards the creature; and I had not visited my pillar so often and seriously as I ought to have done." This was a reference to the first text he had preached on after his induction, 1 Sam. 7:12, “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.”
Scotland may say the same over these 300 years. "Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah." {Isa 1:9}.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
penal substitution and 'evangelical' confusion
Bishop N. T. Wright “accused Mr John of attacking the fundamental message of the Gospel.” “He is denying the way in which we understand Christ’s sacrifice. It is right to stress that he is a God of love but he is ignoring that this means he must also be angry at everything that distorts human life".
So far, so good but then the bishop goes on in the same article to protect Steve Chalke, the 'evangelical' who has been pushing exactly the same views in The Lost Message of Jesus and sharply censure those defending penal substitution. Of Chalke he says, “the reality that I and others refer to when we use the phrase ‘penal substitution’ is not in doubt”. A plain reading of Chalke's statements shows that he rejects penal substitution as such, however. His article explaining the book makes everything quite clear. "Those who criticise me for The Lost Message of Jesus hold a particular view of what happened on the cross (or ‘model of the atonement’) commonly known as ‘penal substitution’ – penal referring to punishment, substitution to Christ acting in our place. Initially based upon the writings of Anselm of Canterbury (1033- 1109), penal substitution was substantially formed by John Calvin’s legal mind in the reformation. The model as it is understood and taught today, however, rests largely on the work of the 19th century American scholar Charles Hodge." He also states: "In The Lost Message of Jesus I claim that penal substitution is tantamount to ‘child abuse – a vengeful Father punishing his Son for an offence he has not even committed."
Wright, who wrote a commendation of Chalke's book on its cover, conveniently ignores this and instead takes to task a new book by some conservative Anglicans Mike Ovey, Steve Jeffrey and Andrew Sach, Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution (IVP, 2007). According to Wright "it is deeply, profoundly, and disturbingly unbiblical" indeed "hopelessly sub-biblical". He makes his own position clearer: "I regard the 'Christus Victor' theme as the overarching one within which substitution makes its proper point." This is the model which Chalke prefers to penal substitution.
We are living in dangerous times.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Why do ordinary people commit evil deeds?
This doesn't take us very near to understanding the Virginia Tech massacre - although we should admit that a culture which glorifies sin also encourages it. Our society is at a loss to understand evil because it has persisted in calling evil good and good evil. No doubt, there are certain external restraints (social and otherwise) upon the evil of our own hearts and when these are absent the evil becomes much more likely, but the removal of the restraints certainly doesn't create the evil.
Towards the end of the article, the conclusion is drawn rather starkly that "Anything that any human being has ever done - anything imaginable - is potentially doable by any of us in the same situation." Although this depends on the idea of situational forces practically compelling us to evil, it is still a remarkable observation from a psychologist.
Few have been as eminently holy in their life as Robert Murray M’Cheyne. His frequent prayer was "Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made". Yet he wrote in his Diary, published after his death: "I have begun to realize that the seeds of every known sin still linger in my heart." We should acknowledge that for ourselves with all sincerity: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desparately wicked" - Jeremiah 17:9.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Historical origins of the cult of the saints
The political capital that the Pope makes from this and the unseemly haste to canonise the last Pope show that it is still an important business.
The Official Catechism (956) quotes from Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, one of the principal documents of Vatican II, on the intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus.... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."
What is a saint in Scripture?
Does it refer only to those that the Pope has canonized? To these and also
to 'uncanonical' saints that are venerated regardless? Only miracle-workers?
Only martyrs? Anyone deceased who might have been at all good or at all
Christian? The New Testament provides this definition whenever it uses the
word hagios, which is rightly translated as saints: those who are
consecrated and sanctified unto God. It is clear from its various contexts
that it refers to ordinary believers in local churches. Paul even uses the
title for the Corinthians ( 1 Cor. 1:2 and very significantly I Cor. 6:1-2)
despite their being 'yet carnal' (I Cor.3:3). Were all apostles? Were all
prophets? Were all teachers? Were all workers of miracles? (cp. 1 Cor.
12:29). In the opening verses of Ephesians and Colossians Paul identifies
the saints with the 'faithful brethren' and not exclusively with the
overseers and deacons (Phil. 1:1). In Hebrews we find a whole chapter
devoted to why 'so great a cloud of witnesses' (Heb. 12:1) (greek.
martyrion - martyrs) are to be regarded as martyrion. Only by faith is the
message of chapter 11. These are of course not largely supposed to be saints
in the Roman Catholic system.
Historical origins of 'the mediation of the saints'
How then did the veneration of saints arise? Consensus among historians is
that what they term the 'cult of the saints' emerged in the fourth century.
Roman Catholic theologians would not deny that the beginning of the Roman
Catholic Church was in the establishment of Christianity in 330 AD, and as I
recall the motto of Roman Catholicism has been semper idem - always the
same. There is little doubt that 'Christianity' in the fourth century was
half-paganised. Constantine patronised important foundations of pagan
religion as well as Christian. Paganism was of course only suppressed in 385
it had coexisted officially with Christianity for this century and had been
recently revived under Julian the Apostate. Augustine reports a member of
his congregation:
'To be sure, I visit the idols, I consult magicians and soothsayers, but I
do not forsake the church of God. I am a catholic Christian'. Psalms 88
Sermon III.4.
Although the saint was regarded as residing in heaven, his intercession only
rested partly on that fact, the belief in his presence at his tomb was of
equal importance:
'Here lies Martin the bishop, of holy memory, whose soul is in the hand of
God; but he is fully here, present and made plain in miracles of every kind'
.
Gregory of Nyssa spoke of relation of praying to the saints with their
decomposed bodies or relics thus:
'those who behold them embrace, as it were, the living body in full flower:
they bring eye, mouth, ear, all the senses into play, and then, shedding
tears of reverence and passion, they address to the martyr their prayers of
intercession as if he were present.'
We must take note of the syncretistic influence of the spirit of the 3rd and
4th centuries - neoplatonism - which was influential amongst the
theologians, particularly the Alexandrian and Cappadocian fathers. The
policy of ecclesiastical authorities in the fourth century was to conserve
as much as possible, when churches replaced temples there was no sudden
change: services, pagan inscriptions, images and idols were kept. Cardinal
J.H.Newman in his book 'The development of the Christian religion'
catalogues an extensive list of Roman Catholic rituals which he admits to be
of 'pagan origin'. Msgr. O'Sullivan in 'The externals of the catholic church
' wrote similarly: 'thus, it is true that some Catholic rites are a
reproduction of those pagan creeds'.
We may look at the influence of the Hellenistic and Roman beliefs which were
still very much current in Late Antiquity. There was the ancient cult of
heroes whereby the dead were idealised, it was accepted that some form of
worship was due to the deceased in the family or in a public cult of
emperors and heroes. We find however a distinction kept between the cult
worship of the heroes and the gods. Tombs of Christian martyrs carried the
same name as those of the older heroes - heroon.
Augustine also speaks of how 'When peace came to the church, a mass of
pagans who wished to come to Christianity were held back because their feast
days with their idols used to be spent in an abundance of eating and
drinking' and that 'Pagans had now entered the church and brought their evil
habits with them'. We know that in external forms there was no real
difference between the pagan cult of the dead and the Christian feasts of
saints. Candles were burnt on graves, offerings were made of lamps, flowers,
ointments and foodstuffs. Practices such as leaving the infirm to spend a
night in the tomb of the saint for healing have their precursor in the cults
of the healer gods Asclepius, Sarapis and Isis. As in pagan custom also,
effigies of healed limbs were hung in thanksgiving. We know too that the
cult of relics was not unknown to antiquity - the bones of Theseus for
example.
The gods were localised and guardians of particular cities, a role the
saints came to assume. Direct substitution of saint for god was normal
procedure for instance Constantine's cousin Gallas brought the bones of St.
Babylas to Daphne to replace the oracle of Apollo there.
The concept of the patron saint was popular at this time, an invisible
friend for protection and inspiration. Ammianus Marcellinus relates the
theology of this at the time:
'The Theologians maintain that there are associated with all men at their
birth...certain divinities of that sort, as directors of their conduct.' For
the 2nd century rhetor Aelius Aristides it was the god Asclepius, for the
Christian poet Paulinus it was St. Felix. This was where the custom of a
Christian name came in. Baptism was supposed to have cancelled the influence
of the stars that had initially formed the personality, the individual was
given a new protecting spirit and new genius as well as taking the name of
the saint who was supposed to guarantee all this.
These protecting figures were called in to do their job at death
particularly. In the burial chamber of the Vincentii (late 3rd-early 4th
century) the lady Vibia is depicted being led into the feast of the gods by
her good angel. In 396 Lady Veneranda is depicted in her burial chamber
together with the martyr saint Petronilla - the supposed daughter of the
apostle Peter, and who hasn't been mentioned since. Worshippers lost many
advocates for their times of need when the temples and shrines were finally
closed and it is not difficult to speculate how they filled the void. (The
bulk of the evidence presented here is selected from 'The cult of the
saints: its rise and function within Latin christianity' by PRL Brown).
There are also social and political reasons for a particular rise of
interest in saints at this time, but in the interests of space I cannot
recount them here. We may not be inclined to doubt the Roman Catholic
scholar Karl Adam when he declares in his 'The spirit of Catholicism' (p.2):
'We Catholics acknowledge readily without shame, nay with pride, that
Catholicism cannot be identified simply and wholly with primitive
Christianity, nor even with the Gospel of Christ.'
The basis of prayer
In Christ's teaching on prayer, we are directed to pray 'our Father' because
the basis of prayer is the Father and child relationship. Earnestness,
amount of words and vain repetitions do not count (Matt. 6:7ff.). It is only
upon the basis of our sonship that we are heard. All our requests are to be
made known to God (Phil.4:6). Moreover, our access to God depends solely
upon Christ's work for us (Heb.10:19-22). We are raised to sit with him in
heavenly places (Eph.2:6). We come boldly to the throne of grace for help
in time of need therefore (Heb. 4:16). We know that there is only one
mediator between God and men and that is Christ (1 Tim.2:5). It is sometimes
said however that the infinite and perfect mediator we have in Christ is our
primary mediator and the saints are our secondary mediators. When however,
secondary evidence, reserves, ballots, braking etc. come into play it is
only once the primary has been proved insufficient. There is no possibility
of this being the case with Christ. The cult of the saints clearly
undermines therefore, the unique mediatorial glory and all-sufficiency of
Christ. Is his righteousness not enough that the "merits" of the saints
should be dispensed instead of his?
This is one obvious area where Roman Catholicism is not only far away from
the Gospel but actively undermining and counterfeiting it.
The best and surest way to please God
The Christian's Daily Walk, Rev. Henry Scudder, (Member of Westminster Assembly)
No love, no life
Thomas Vincent
The True Christian's Love of the Unseen Christ
in 'Day by Day with the English Puritans'
Compiled and Edited by Randall J Pedersen published by Hendrickson
In-wrought faith
that in-wrought spiritual capacity which is of God.
We are made one with Christ through an in-wrought faith, through the grace
of faith, and not through the act of faith.
Alexander Comrie 1734 Scottish minister in Holland
Christ's Mediatorial Kingdom and the angels
The elect angels rejoice in so benevolent a design for peopling their mansions, left vacant by the fall of so many of their fellow-angels, with colonies transplanted from our world, from a race of creatures that they had given up for lost. And therefore Christ, as a Mediator, is made the head of all the heavenly armies, and he employs them as his ministering spirits, to minister to them that are heirs of salvation. These glorious creatures are always on the wing ready to discharge his orders in any part of his vast empire, and delight to be employed in the services of his mediatorial kingdom.
This is also an event in which the fallen angels deeply interest themselves; they have united all their force and art for near six thousand years to disturb and subvert his kingdom, and blast the designs of redeeming love; they therefore are all subjected to the control of Christ, and he shortens and lengthens their chains as he pleases, and they cannot go a hair's breadth beyond his permission.
From The Mediatorial Kingdom and Glories of Jesus Christ by Samuel Davis, a Virginia preacher of the Presbytery of Hanover in the mid1700s.
The benefits of Family Worship
John Brown of Wamphray (Covenanter)
School lessons in depravity
It is little wonder that the Government and the Scottish Executive arefinding teenage conceptions rising fastest in areas where special programmesto combat them have been implemented. Studies in recent years by Glasgow andEdinburgh Universities have shown that this kind of permissive sex educationhas failed to reduce the levels of unsafe sex or unwanted pregnancy despitemillions of pounds being poured into such initiatives. According to ValerieRiches in her book "Sex Education or Indoctrination: How ideology hastriumphed over facts" by Valerie Riches (published by Family & YouthConcern, Jubilee House, 19-21 High Street, Whitton, Twickenham, MiddlesexTW2 7LB www.famyouth.org.uk), this failure is because the government'sapproach to teenage sexual health is not based on research but on theideology that the state is the parent of everyone's children. She arguesthat sex education has never really been about preventing unwantedpregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, but about changing theshape of the family and increasing the role of the state. Valerie Richesidentifies the exclusion of parents from the knowledge of what is happeningto their children, as a key legal change campaigned for by sex educators andsexual health advocates.
Foremost in promoting this ideology is the International Planned ParenthoodFederation which receives 6.0 million per year UK Government funding. Itpromotes 'freedom of sexual expression' and 'sexual pleasure as a validsexual and reproductive health need for all young people' (defining 'youngpeople' as those aged 10-24) through its network of family planningassociations. These focus on permissive sex education at earlier ages,coupled with the provision of contraception to teenagers, including underagegirls, without the knowledge or consent of their parents. Parents have avital role and should not allow themselves to be undermined in this way. Arecent study of over 400 adolescents clearly showed that where parents,especially mothers, were the major source of sexual information, theiradolescents' sexual behaviour was restrained. The only sort of effectiveeducation which will reduce teenage conceptions and disease is that whichteaches abstinence outside of marriage. When the government wishes to reducesmoking amongst teenagers it promotes abstinence but fails to see that onlythis approach will change the UK's position as the teenage pregnancy capitalof Western Europe. How true it is that "the instruction of fools is folly"(Prov 16:22).
The Standards in Scotland's Schools Act 2000 sets out clear guidelines forschools in their conduct of sex education: materials are to be selected withgreat care and sensitivity to the age and understanding of pupils; schoolsare to consult with parents before introducing any sex education programmeto their children; parents are to be given the opportunity to view anymaterials in advance; schools are to be sensitive to parental concerns andtheir religious views; there is no statutory requirement for participationin sex education and ultimately therefore parents may withdraw theirchildren. Scottish Executive Circular 2/2001 states that, all parents andguardians have a legal right to be consulted when schools are developing orreviewing sex education programmes yet this is rarely if ever done. It isthe local school not the local authority which decides on the detail of anysex education programme. There is little control, however, in what schoolsteach in this subject; they are obliged merely to "have regard" togovernment guidelines. The Executive's "A Guide for Parents and Carers" alsoconfirms: "If you have a particular concern about the sex education beingprovided by the school for your child the first thing to do is to discuss itwith your child's headteacher". Parents ought to take this step and ask tobe be made aware under their legal right to preview sex education materials.It is worth noting that while a school may not be using some of the morenotorious materials, most secondary schools appear to be using other equallyexplicit materials which have shocked not only Christian but non-Christianteachers also.
Parents may not be aware that many of the most obscene materials being usedare not in printed form but are shown on video, given as part of lessonstaken by outside agencies or involve certain web-sites. We would encourageparents to find out not just what is to be taught but who is to deliver it -very often outside agencies like the local Health Authority are involved whohave an agenda of their own, namely the promotion of their sexual healthservices. Parents also have a right to withdraw their children from suchclasses. The UK Government's "Sex and Relationship Guidance DfEE 0116/2000"confirms that when formulating their statement of policy on sex education,the governors and head teachers of a school are required to state withinthis policy the right of a parent to withdraw their child from the school'ssex education programme. There is real pressure from such agencies as theBrook Organisation to make PSE a compulsory part of the national curriculum,meaning that parents would no longer have the right to withdraw theirchildren from it (0-19 Magazine, July 2005, p.14). At present, parents dostill have this right and therefore ought to give very serious considerationto exercising it. The Christian Institute briefing "Scottish Sex and DrugsEducation: What you can do to help at a local level" is very helpful inadvising parents in this regard.
One would question whether in view of the prevailing contempt for marriageand the law of God in society at large there can be many who are fit toinstruct our children in these matters. The Larger Catechism Q130 inspeaking of the sins of parents against their children in relation to thefifth commandment identifies the sin of "careless exposing, or leaving themto wrong, temptation, and danger". The wisest and safest course of actionwould be no doubt for parents to withdraw their children from such classesentirely. Only when we have dealt faithfully in relation to baptismal vowsin protecting our children from such permissive values will we, as parents,be able to say in sincerity: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction thatcauseth to err from the words of knowledge". (Prov 19:27)
A Fountain Sealed - Spiritual Ordinances
A spiritual sermon is a fountain sealed up; the spiritual administration of a sacrament is a garden enclosed. Superficial Christians understand not nor perceive the full sweetness thereof. There were many people in a throng and crowd about our Saviour, but only the infirm woman felt the efficacy come from Him. Although many may attend the ordinances, frequent the assemblies, few find the inward power of Christ derived unto their souls.
As, therefore, Thomas, though spoken wrongly on a false ground, said he would not believe Christ to be risen unless he saw His wounds and put his fingers into them, so neither must you believe your estate to be good and sound, unless you may see and feel the efficacy of Christ in His ordinances upon thee.
Anthony Burgess
Burgess was a member of the Westminster Assembly and wrote at least a dozen books that were based largely on his sermons and lectures. This extract is from a sermon contained in his major work, Spiritual Refining, a massive, two-volume work of 1100 pages that has been called an 'unequalled anatomy of experimental religion'.
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