Required reading Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Third Appendix. My summary The third appendix is a letter from Brainerd giving an overview of his work.
This section doesn't really add anything new but it is a really nice summary of what Brainerd got up to.
He lists again the difficulties that he had:
(i) the prejudices against Christianity by nominal Christians;
(ii) pagan traditions;
(iii) the immoral behaviour;
(iv) the physical hardships of being a missionary.
What grabbed me
I liked the emphasis that Brainerd gave to the need of living living closely to those you're shepherding: 'After I had spent about three months in this situation, I found my distance from the Indians a very great disadvantage to my work among them, and very burdensome to myself; as I was obliged to travel forward and backward almost daily on foot, having no pasture in which I could keep my horse for that purpose. And after all my pains, could not be with the Indians in the evening and morning, which were usually the best hours to find them at home, and when they could best attend my instructions. I therefore resolved to remove, and live with or near the Indians, that I might watch all opportunities, when they were generally at home, and take the advantage of such seasons for their instruction.'
It seems to be more common that ministers live a fair distance from their church.
Although you may not have to travel on foot like Brainerd, the advantages of living close to your church cannot be underestimated, such as making contacts with neighbours and even redeeming time from not having to commute - I hate traffic!
Next week's reading Read Mr Brainerd's remains - Letters to his friends. Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
I've decided that the next Thursday Theology title will be 'Desiring God' by John Piper (Available from Amazon or free here).
By my calculations we'll finish our current Thursday Theology title, 'Mortification of Sin', sometime late in November 2010 and so we'll start 'Desiring God' then.
Required reading Tracts and Letters (Volume 1) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here). Continue reading the Life of Calvin up to page lxx (stop at the paragraph beginning 'In the following year, (1556,) Calvin, while preaching, was suddenly seized with ague, and ultimately obliged to leave the pulpit').
My summary Calvin spends a prosperous time at Strasburgh but the people of Geneva eventually win him back.
Back in Geneva, again and again Calvin is seen refuting error as it occurs in Geneva and even throughout the world. The subject of predestination is a particularly regular problem with people accusing Calvin of teaching that God is the author of sin.
Calvin also has trouble with the Genevan council as to who has the right to practice church discipline.
What grabbed me Calvin was obviously a born debater. I thoroughly enjoyed the account of Calvin vs the monk Jerome Bolsec: ' Having come to Geneva, and found there was no room for him [Jerome Bolsec] among the learned physicians of that place, in order to show that he was a divine, he began to babble out errors and absurdities concerning predestination. This he at first did in private to certain individuals, but at length even in public before the congregation. Calvin had at first refuted him, and been contented to give him a gentle reprimand; and afterwards sending for him endeavoured to teach him the true doctrine. But either owing to the monkish ambition engrained in his nature, or spurred on by factious individuals, who were looking out for some one through whom they might assail Calvin, he openly dared, in presence of the congregation, when that passage of John was expounded, "He who is of God heareth the words of God; and in that you hear not, ye are not of God," to bring forward free-will, and the foresight of works, in order to subvert the doctrine of an eternal decree of predestination prior in order to all other causes whatever. He even added insult and mere seditious invective against the true doctrine. He is thought to have acted with the greater boldness, because, from not seeing Calvin in his place, he thought he was absent. And so, indeed, he was, at the commencement; but coming in after he had begun his harangue, had kept standing behind some other persons. The monk's oration being ended, Calvin suddenly appeared, and although it was obvious he had nothing premeditated, he certainly then showed, if ever, what kind of man he was. For he so confuted, mauled, and overwhelmed him with proofs from Scripture, quotations from authors, especially from Augustine, and, in fine, by numerous weighty arguments, that all felt exceedingly ashamed for the brasen-faced monk, except the monk himself.'
Poor bloke didn't know what him!
Next week's reading Conclude reading the Life of Calvin.
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Knots Untied by JC Ryle (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 3 (Private judgment). My summary Today Ryle looks at the right of private judgement of what is taught.
Firstly he teaches the right, duty and necessity of private judgement
Secondly Ryle shows us the duty and necessity of keeping a firm hold upon God's truth.
Then three points of application follow: (i) arm yourself with a thorough knowledge of the written Word of God; (ii) take special care to try every Roman Catholic doctrine by the written Word of God; (iii) make sure that you have laid hold personally upon Christ's truth for yourself.
What grabbed me Excellent advice about being discerning when listening to teachers: 'But suppose that, to cut matters short, we resolve to believe whatever our minister believes. Once more I ask, Where is our security against error? Ministers are not infallible, any more than Churches. All of them have not the Spirit of God. The very best of them are only men. Call them Bishops, Priests, Deacons, or whatever names you please, they are all earthen vessels. I speak not merely of Popes, who have promulgated awful superstitions, and led abominable lives. I would rather point to the very best of Protestants, and say, "Beware of looking upon them as infallible, beware of thinking of any man (whoever that man may be) that he cannot err." Luther held consubstantiation; that was a mighty error. Calvin, the Geneva Reformer, advised the burning of Servetus; that was a mighty error. Cranmer and Ridley urged the putting of Hooper into prison because of some trifling dispute about vestments; that was a mighty error. Whitgift persecuted the Puritans; that was a mighty error. Wesley and Toplay in the last century quarrelled fiercely about Calvinism; that was a mighty error. All these things are warnings, if we will only take them. All say, "Cease ye from man." All show us that if a man s religion hangs on ministers, whoever they may be, and not on the Word of God, it hangs on a broken reed. Let us never make ministers Popes. Let us follow them so far as they follow Christ, but not a hair s breadth further.'
I hope no one will never take my word for anything, but always test it against the word of God.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 4 (The thirty-nine articles).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Mortification of sin by John Owen (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6.
My summary In Chapter 3 Owen develops the second general principle of the means of mortification which is that the Spirit alone is sufficient for this work. The Spirit mortifies sin by: (i) causing our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the flesh; (ii) a real physical efficiency on the root and habit of sin; (iii) bringing the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith.
In Chapter 4 Owen teaches us his last principle about the usefulness of mortification, that the life, vigour and comfort of our spiritual life depend much on our mortification of sin. Unmortified sin: (i) weakens the soul and deprives it of its vigour; (ii) darkens the soul.
Then in Chapter 5 and 6, Owen defines mortification of sin. In Chapter 5 we see that mortification of sin is NOT: (i) an utterly killing of sin; (ii) a dissimulation of a sin; (iii) an improvement of a quiet sedate nature; (iv) a diversion of sin; (v) an occasional conquest of sins.
In Chapter 6 we see that mortification of sin is: (i) a habitual weakening of sin; (ii) a constant fighting and contending against sin; (iii) frequent success against sin.
What grabbed me Another great reading. This is fast turning into one of my favourite books.
Excellent teaching on what it means to crucify sin: 'As a man nailed to the cross; he first struggles, and strives, and cries out with great strength and might, but, as his blood and spirits waste, his strivings are faint and seldom, his cries low and hoarse, scarce to be heard ; when a man first sets on a lust or distemper, to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose ; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart; it may have sometimes a dying pang, that makes an appearance of great vigour and strength, but it is quickly over, especially if it be kept from considerable success. This the apostle describes, as in the whole chapter, so especially, Rom. vi. 6.'
Please, O God, may you help me crucify the sin my life.
Next week's reading Read Chapters 7, 8 & 9.
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Thoughts on preaching by J. W. Alexander (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude the 'The matter of preaching'.
My summary Now Alexander turns to look at some of the consequences of preaching Christ crucified: (i) there is little danger of excess in setting forth Christ objectively to their hearers; (ii) the way and grounds of vital union to Christ should be thoroughly and abundantly set forth and cleared up in preaching; (iii) the preaching will be doctrinal in that it will teach the whole word of God; (iv) no great good will be effected by abstract metaphysical and philosophical arguments; (v) the tendency to promote what is morally good will occur.
Then Alexander gives a few suggestions of the extent to which the preacher is obliged to give instructions to men in respect to worldly relations and interests, economic, social and political: (i) preaching the gospel will bring with it morality; (ii) Christianity insists on the exercise of religious principles and all the virtues of our holy religion in every sphere of life and action.
What grabbed me I loved the centrality which Alexander gave to the gospel in today's reading: 'The nature of saving faith, as distinguished from all counterfeits of it; its simplicity, as distinguished from all the entanglements with which unbelief would embarrass it; its naked essence, as simple trust in Christ and his righteousness, should be, in one form and another, a frequent theme of preaching, and habitually inwoven with the whole texture of our discourses. This must be done, even if it incur the danger of seeming repetitions. It is the grand requisite to the birth of the soul into the kingdom of God. Simple and rudimentary as it is in Christian teaching, free justification is an article in which men born under the covenant of works are dull learners. There always are those in every congregation who are thinking and inquiring on the subject of religion, but who have never known what it is to believe on Christ to the saving of the soul. There are always babes in Christ, and weak believers, who tremble and stumble in their Christian walk, because they have no adequate view of the free, gratuitous, and full justification which faith embraces and insures merely for the taking. At this point, too, not a few older Christians, " when, for the time, they ought to be teachers, have need that one teach them which be the first principles of the doctrine of Christ." Many ministers have been surprised, in conversations with the sick and dying, to find persons who have been their hearers all their days, in a mist on this simple and vital question, How can a sinner be justified before God ?'
The gospel should be in every sermon.
Next week's reading Read 'Expository preaching'. Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Prayer by John Bunyan (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Section II (Throne of Grace) by reading Chapters 3 and 4.
My summary Now we begin Chapter 5 which gives us motives for coming boldly to the throne of grace.
The first motive is that we have a high priest at the throne and today we learn about Jesus' legal qualifications to be that high priest: (i) he had a legal call; (ii) he wears a suitable garment; (iii) he has been consecrated with blood; (iv) he offers a sacrifice that is effectual and on an altar; (v) he continues to offer intercession on behalf of his people.
What grabbed me I liked one of the subpoints about the call of Jesus as high priest, that it is an eternal call: 'God, therefore, in that he hath made him a priest with an oath, and also determined that he will never repent of his so doing, declareth, that he is, and forever will be, satisfied with his offering. And this is a great encouragement to those that come to God by him; they have by this oath a firm ground to go upon, and the oath is, "Thou art a priest forever" : thou shalt be accepted forever, for every one for whom thou makest intercession; nor will I ever reject any body that comes to me by thee. Therefore, here is ground for faith, for hope, and rejoicing : for on this consideration, a man has ground to come boldly to the throne of grace.'
What a fabulous truth. Jesus will NEVER stop being our high priest! Let us boldly approach the throne.
Next week's reading Continue Section II (Throne of Grace) by continuing Chapters 5 and reading all of the second subpoint (The natural qualifications of Jesus Christ to be our high priest).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading City of God by Augustine (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Commence Book 20 by reading Chapters 1 to 8. My summary Augustine now turns to the subject of the last judgement.
Firstly he points at that God judges all the time, not just on judgement day. However we don't always understand how his judgements are righteous as it appears that the righteous and unrighteous suffer and prosper in similar ways on earth.
Then Augustine gives proofs from the New Testament that there is a final judgement day. He explains that there are two resurrections for believers: '..the first, the resurrection of the soul, which is here and now, and prevents us from coming to the second death; and the second, which is not now, but is to come at the end of the world. This is not the resurrection of the soul but of the body, and by means of the last judgement it will consign many to the second death, and bring others to the life what knows no death.'
Finally in today's reading Augustine begins to discuss the meaning of the millennium described by John in Revelation. It appears that Augustine advocates something like Amillennialism: 'Thus our author used the term "a thousand years" to denote the last part of this millennium - or "day" - which remained before the end of the world, employing the figure of speech by which the whole stands for the part. Alternatively, he may have intended the thousand years to stand for the whole period of this world's history, signifying the entirety of time by a perfect number.'
What grabbed me Great encouragement from Augustine to all those who puzzle over God's judgements in this life: 'At that day too, it will become evident by what just decision of God it comes about that at this present time so many, in fact almost all, of the just judgements of God are hidden from mortal perception and understanding. However, in this matter one thing is not hidden from the faith of the devout; and that is, that what is hidden is just.'
We may not understand why God judges that the wicked often appear to prosper in this life and the good often appear to suffer, but we do know that God's judgements are always just.
Next week's reading
Continue Book 20 by reading Chapters 9 to 20.
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Life and Diary of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Second Appendix. My summary Now we read an account of Brainerd's method of learning the Indian language and instructing the Indians.
Firstly Brainerd reports how he found it difficult to find the time to learn the language and so found it best to use an interpreter.
Secondly he outlines his catechising of the Indians and includes some of his questions as examples.
Thirdly Brainerd speaks about the difficulties he experienced from the Indians to the gospel:
(i) bad impressions of Christianity from nominal Christians;
(ii) poor communication in the Indian language;
(iii) sinful living;
(iv) people deliberating frustrating the work.
Finally we have the reports from several witnesses attesting to the validity of Brainerd's claims.
What grabbed me
I enjoyed the way Brainerd explained the truth of original sin to the Indians by pointing out the behaviour of small children: 'The method I take to convince them “we are sinners by nature,” is, to lead them to an observation of their little children, how they will appear in a rage, fight and strike their mothers, before they are able to speak or walk, while they are so young that it is plain they are incapable of learning such practices. And the light of nature in the Indians condemning such behaviour in children towards their parents, they must own these tempers and actions to be wrong and sinful. And the children having never learned these things, they must have been in their natures, and consequently they must be allowed to be “by nature the children of wrath.” The same I observe to them with respect to the sin of lying, which their children seem much inclined to. They tell lies without being taught so to do, from their own natural inclination, as well as against restraints, and after corrections for that vice, which proves them sinners by nature, &c.'
So true. I have an 18 month old who I've never taught to be selfish (and I'm pretty sure his mother hasn't either!) - he knows how to be selfish all on his own.
Next week's reading Read the Third Appendix. Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
