Required reading Glory of Christ by John Owen (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 3 (The glory of Christ in the mysterious constitution of his person).
My summary Today Owen teaches us that the second thing wherein we may behold the glory of Christ, given him of his Father, is in the mysterious constitution of his Person, as he is God and man in one and the same person. This glory is the curiosity of angels, the ruin of Satan and his kingdom, and the foundation of the church.
Thus, Owen gives us directions as to how to perform our duty of beholding the glory of Christ in his person. We must:
(i) get it fixed on our souls and in our minds, that this glory of Christ in the divine constitution of his person is the best, the most noble, useful, beneficial object that we can be conversant about in our thoughts, or cleave unto in our affections;
(ii) diligently study the Scripture, and the revelations that are made of this glory of Christ therein;
(iii) having attained the light of the knowledge of the glory of Christ from the Scripture, or by the dispensation of the truth in the preaching of the gospel, we would esteem it our duty frequently to meditate thereon.;
(iv) let our occasional thoughts of Christ be many, and multiplied every day. He is not far from us; we may make a speedy address unto him at any time;
(v) make sure all our thoughts concerning Christ and his glory should be accompanied with admiration, adoration, and thanksgiving.
What grabbed me I found helpful the encouragement to let my thoughts regularly be about Christ: 'Let your occasional thoughts of Christ be many, and multiplied every day. He is not far from us; we may make a speedy address unto him at any time. So the apostle informs us, Rom. x. 6–8, “Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)” For “the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart.” The things that Christ did were done at a distance from us, and they are long since past. But, saith the apostle, “The word” of the Gospel wherein these things are revealed, and whereby an application is made of them unto our souls, is nigh unto us, even in our hearts; that is, if we are true believers, and have mixed the word with faith, — and so it exhibiteth Christ and all the benefits of his mediation unto us. If, therefore, this word is in our hearts, Christ is nigh unto us. If we turn at any time into ourselves to converse with the word that abideth in us, there we shall find him ready to receive us into communion with himself; that is, in the light of the knowledge of Christ which we have by the word, we may have sudden, occasional thoughts of him continually: and where our minds and affections are so filled with other things that we are not ready for converse with him who is thus nigh unto us by the word, we are spiritually indisposed.'
To my shame, too much of my day to day thinking concerns matters other than Christ.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 4 (The glory of Christ in his susception of the office of a mediator - first in his condescension). Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading
Ministry of the word by William Taylor (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Lecture VIII (On the use of illustrations in preaching). My summary
Now Taylor turns to the use of illustrations in preaching.
After initially warning that illustrations ought not to form the staple of the sermon, Taylor firstly looks at what is the use of illustrations. He suggests that illustrations:
(i) help make your thought clear;
(ii) have the force of proof;
(iii) are of great service in awakening and sustaining the interest of an audience;
(iv) make your discourses memorable.
Secondly we are given advice on how to get illustrations from:
(i) whatever we see;
(ii) books and other sermons.
Thirdly Taylor offers a few cautions on the use of illustrations. You should not:
(i) attempt to illustrate that which is already perfectly plain;
(ii) use too many illustrations for the same purpose;
(iii) employ illustrations which are recondite and obscure, needing first to be explained themselves;
(iv) be afraid to use illustrations which have a dash of humor;
(v) give inaccurate illustrations;
(vi) stop the full force of the illustration from illuminating the truth.
What grabbed me
Great advice in today's reading.
One good point was to be accurate in our illustrations: 'Farther, when we use a fact in science, or an incident in history, or a story from common life, or a process in some ordinary occupation, we must be sure that we have got it accurately. I was one day trying to illustrate something to my Liverpool people, who were familiar with everything about shipping, I by the setting sail of a vessel. I used the word "shrouds" as if it had been synonymous with "sails," and when I saw the smile, half-compassionate, and half-contemptuous, with which my error was received by my hearers, I mentally resolved that I would never again venture on anything in the way of illustration with which I was not absolutely familiar. The auditors must be acquainted with everything which we use for that purpose, that they may feel its force ; but we must be accurate in its statement, that we may retain their confidence, for if they see that we cannot be depended on in their department, they will place no reliance on us in our own. '
So true. If you show ignorance in one domain, you give people reason to think that you may be ignorant in your theology too.
Next week's reading Read Lecture IX (The conduct of public worship-reading of the scriptures).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading
Charity and its fruits by Jonathan Edwards (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Lecture II (Charity more excellent than the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit). My summary Today Edwards teaches us that the ordinary influence of the Spirit of God, working the grace of charity in the heart, is a more excellent blessing than any of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit.
Firstly Edwards explains what is meant by the gifts of the Spirit:
(i) the common gifts are those that are common to both the godly and ungodly (e.g. sorrow);
(ii) the saving gifts are peculiar to the godly (e.g. faith and love);
(iii) the extraordinary gifts are tongues, miracles, prophecy etc;
(iv) the ordinary gifts are those that are peculiar to the godly but are ordinarily bestowed on the church.
Secondly we are shown that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit of God are indeed great privileges. This is shown from evidence in the Old and New Testaments.
Thirdly Edwards teaches that though the extraordinary gifts are great privileges, yet the ordinary influence of the Spirit of God, working the grace of charity in the hearts, is a far more excellent privilege than any of them because:
(i) love is inherent in the nature of him that is the subject of it;
(ii) the Spirit communicates himself much more in bestowing love;
(iii) love is that wherein the spiritual image of God consists and not in these extraordinary gifts of the Spirit;
(iv) love is a privilege which God bestows only on his own favourites and children;
(v) the fruit of love is infinitely more excellent;
(vi) happiness itself does much more immediately and essentially consist in love;
(vii) love is the end of all the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit;
(viii) the extraordinary gifts will be so far from profiting with love that they will but aggravate the condemnation of those that have them;
(ix) love will not fail but the other gifts will.
What grabbed me What a helpful chapter. Edwards is careful to affirm the privilege of charismatic gifts, but puts them in their right place - below the gift of love.
So many good quotes to choose from. This one is particularly good: 'So if anything appears to persons, as though they had a vision of some visible form, and heard some voice, such things are not to be taken as signs of grace, for if they are real and from God, they are not grace, for the extraordinary influence of the Spirit, producing visions and dreams, such as the prophets of old had, are no sure signs of grace. All the fruits of the Spirit, which we are to lay weight upon as evidential of grace, are summed up in charity, or Christian love ; because this is the sum of all grace. And the only way, therefore, in which any can know their good estate, is by discerning the exercises of this divine charity in their hearts, for without charity, let men have what gifts you please, they are nothing. '
Don't crave the extraordinary gifts, crave the ordinary gift of love which is better by far!
Next week's reading
Read Lecture III (The greatest performances or sufferings in vain without charity). Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Attributes of God by Charnock (Available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue Chapter 9 (A discourse upon the wisdom of God) by reading up to the paragraph commencing '(2) The wisdom of God appears in his government of his creatures'. Note that this is a shorter reading than that which I gave out last week, I decided to modify it slightly.
My summary Today we continue the discourse on the wisdom of God by beginning Charnock's fourth main point which shows wherein the wisdom of God appears.
There will be three major subpoints to this main point. God's wisdom appears:
(i) in creation;
(ii) in government;
(iii) in redemption.
This week we deal only with the point, 'in creation'. Next week will be 'in government'. And the week after will be 'in redemption'.
So this week Charnock teaches us that the wisdom of God appears:
(i) in the variety of creation;
(ii) in the beauty of creation;
(iii) in the fitness of everything for its end, and the usefulness of it;
(iv) in the linking of all these useful parts together, so that one is subordinate to the other for a common end.
What grabbed me I enjoyed reading the 'use' at the end of the section: 'How much may we see of the perfection of God in every thing that presents itself to our eyes! And how should we be convinced of our unworthy neglect of ascending to him with reverent and admiring thoughts, upon the prospect of the creatures! What dull scholars are we, when every creature is our teacher, every part of the creature a lively instruction! Those things that we tread under our feet, if used by us according to the full design of their creation, would afford rich matter, not only for our heads, but our hearts. As grace does not destroy nature, but elevate it, so neither should the fresher and fuller discoveries of Divine wisdom in redemption, deface our thoughts of his wisdom in creation. Though the greater light of the sun obscures the lesser sparkling of the stars, yet it gives way in the night to the discovery of them, that God may be seen, known, and considered in all his works of wonder and miracles of nature. No part of Scripture is more spiritual than the Psalms; none filled with clearer discoveries of Christ in the Old Testament; yet how often do the penmen consider the creation of God, and And their meditations on him to be sweet, as considered in his works! " My meditation of him shall be sweet," Psal. civ. 34, When? Why, after a short history of the goodness and wisdom of God in the frame of the world, and the species of the creatures. '
Indeed, what dull scholars we are!
Next week's reading
Continue Chapter 9 (A discourse upon the wisdom of God) by reading up to the paragraph commencing '(3) The wisdom of God doth wonderfully appear in redemption.'
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Confessions by Augustine (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Book VII.
My summary Augustine has hit 31 years of age but is still searching for God.
Today we see him struggle with the question of the origin of evil. He hears various views from the Manichees (such as free-will) and tries to come up with the answer himself but to no avail.
But Augustine has also begun to read the Bible more closely and has a particular love for Paul's letters. What grabbed me I enjoyed hearing about Augustine's struggles with the apostle Paul.
I particularly liked this quote: 'Most eagerly then did I seize that venerable writing of Thy Spirit; and chiefly the Apostle Paul. Whereupon those difficulties vanished away, wherein he once seemed to me to contradict himself, and the text of his discourse not to agree with the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets. And the face of that pure word appeared to me one and the same; and I learned to rejoice with trembling.'
Paul still has the same effect on his readers today: joy and fear experienced at the same time.
Next week's reading Read Book VIII. Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Tracts and Letters (Volume 3) by John Calvin (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Tract II (The Adultero-German Interim) by reading Chapters 19 to 26.
My summary Today we continue the 'Interim, or declaration, of religion of his imperial majesty Charles V'.
Last week we read the first eighteen chapters of the declaration and so now we read the remaining chapters. Next week we will read Calvin's rebuttal.
Once again the titles of the chapters are a good summary of what today's reading was about: (xix) of sacred unction; (xx) of the sacrament of orders; (xxi) of the sacrament of matrimony; (xxii) of the sacrifice of the mass; (xxiii) of the commemoration of saints; (xxiv) of the remembrance of the dead in Christ; (xxv) of joining communion with sacrifice; (xxvi) of ceremonies and the use of the sacraments.
What grabbed me Terrible teaching regarding the sacraments: 'The Sacraments which we have already explained undoubtedly confer great and multiplied benefits on the human race. They either regenerate men when languishing under our old carnal nature, or confirm them when regenerated in the grace which they have received, or restore them, when they have lapsed, into the grace from which they have fallen, or unite them when restored more firmly to Christ ; for which salutary purpose the grace of Christ is not wanting in the Sacraments, but is rather given to men through those Sacraments as instruments.'
Sacraments do not regenerate. Only the Holy Spirit regenerates through repentance and faith.
Next week's reading Continue Tract II (The Adultero-German Interim) by starting 'John Calvin on the true method of giving peace to Christendom and reforming the church' and reading up to the paragraph beginning 'Now, to leave everything else, if they wish the Roman Pontiff" to be recognised as Head of the whole Church, they must, in the first place, give us a true bishop ; for who is to have pre-eminence among bishops but one, and an excellent one in the order of bishops?' (Page 374 in the Banner edition). Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading The Works Volume 1 by Richard Sibbes (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the second discourse entitled 'The saint's safety in evil times'. My summary Today we read the second discourse entitled 'The Saint's safety in evil times.
This discourse is based on 2 Timothy 4:17-18: 'Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.'
Firstly Sibbes speaks of Paul's experience of God's loving care of him in his deliverance past. God often suffereth his children to fall into the mouths of lions but delivers them in divers ways.
Secondly we are taught that because of our past deliverances, we have an assured hope built for the time to come. This is because the Lord will:
(i) deliver us from every evil work;
(ii) preserve us for his heavenly kingdom.
Thirdly Sibbes observes that our suffering and deliverance brings glory to God. Thus we should:
(i) seriously meditate on God's mercies, both past and to come;
(ii) consider the kinds of favours you receive;
(iii) think of the greatness of all these: the greatness of the deliverance from sin and damnation;
(iv) labour to have humble spirits to see God in all things;
(v) labour to be assured of salvation.
What grabbed me I enjoyed the encouragement to focus on the fact that we are preserved for a heavenly kingdom: 'And see here a point of heavenly wisdom ; to look, when we are in any danger, with the apostle, to the heavenly kingdom. When we are sick, look not at death. Paul cared not for that, but says he, ' The Lord will preserve me to his kingdom.' He looked to the bank of the shore. As a man that goes through a river hath his eye still on the shore, so the apostle had his eye fixed upon heaven still. I beseech you therefore, in all dangers and distresses whatsoever, if you would keep your souls without discouragements, as you should, be much in heaven in your thoughts, minding the things above, and conversing with God in your spirits. Look to the crown that is held out to us ; let our minds be in heaven before our souls. It is a wondrous help to our weakness in the time of trouble, not to think, I am full of pain, I must be turned into the grave, and rot, and what shall be come of me then? &c. Away with this carnal reasoning. It much weakens faith, and damps the hearts of Christians.'
When you suffer, let your mind be in heaven before your soul is!
Next week's reading Read the discourse entitled 'Christ is best'. Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
Required reading Glory of Christ by John Owen (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 2 (The glory of the person of Christ...).
My summary Now Owen looks at the glory of the person of Christ as the only representative of God unto the church.
Initially Owen speaks about the blindness that man has to the glory of Christ. This has been since men fell and continues to be the case.
Yet the Lord Christ is glorious and it is in him that we have a clear, distinct view of the glory of God and his excellencies. Particularly his infinite wisdom and love.
Then Owen gives exhortations to excite us unto the practice of the great duty of beholding the glory of Christ. He answers some objections and then tells us: (i) reckon in your minds that beholding the glory of Christ is the greatest privilege in this life; (ii) reckon in your minds that it is the great mystery and requires much spiritual wisdom; (iii) learn from the actings of contrary vicious habits; (iv) behold the glory of God as he manifesteth it in nature in Christ Jesus.
What grabbed me A strong warning was given to those who would spurn the glory of Christ presented in the gospel: 'Our forefathers in this nation were given up unto as brutish a service of the devil as any nation under the sun. It is therefore an effect of infinite mercy, that the day has dawned on us, poor Gentiles, and that the “day-spring from on high hath visited us.” See the glory of this grace expressed, Eph. iii. 5–10. God might have left us to perish in the blindness and ignorance of our forefathers; but of his own accord, and by his own powerful grace alone, he has “translated us out of darkness into his marvellous light.” But, alas! the horrible ingratitude of men for the glorious light of the Gospel, and the abuse of it, will issue in a sore revenge.'
It'll be better on judgement day for Sodom and Gomorrah than for those who hear about the glory of Christ and choose to reject him.
Next week's reading Read Chapter 3 (The glory of Christ in the mysterious constitution of his person).
Now it's your turn Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
