John Newton

“My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things; That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”

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David Brainerd’s ‘vision’

David Brainerd (1718-1747) was a missionary to the American Indians in New York, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania. Born in Connecticut in 1718, he died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-nine.

I continued, as I remember, in this state of mind, from Friday morning until the Sabbath evening following, … when I was walking again in the same solitary place where I was brought to see myself lost and helpless … and here, in a mournful melancholy state, was attempting to pray; but found no heart to engage in that, or any other duty; my former concern, and exercise, and religious affections were now gone. I thought the Spirit of God had quite left me; but still was not distressed: Yet disconsolate, as if there was nothing in heaven or earth could make me happy. And having been thus endeavouring to pray (though being, as I thought, very stupid and senseless) for near half an hour, … as I was walking in a dark thick grove, unspeakable glory seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul: I do not mean any external brightness, for I saw no such thing; nor do I intend any imagination of a body of light, some where away in the third heavens, or any thing of that nature; but it was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God, such as I never had before, nor anything which had the least resemblance of it. I stood still, and wondered and admired! I knew that I never had seen before any thing comparable to it for excellency and beauty: It was widely different from all the conceptions that ever I had had of God, or things divine. I had no particular apprehension of any one person in the Trinity, … but it appeared to be divine glory that I then beheld: And my soul rejoiced with joy unspeakable, to see such a God, such a glorious divine Being; and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied, that he should be God over all for ever and ever. My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, loveliness, greatness, and other perfections of God, that I was even swallowed up in him; at least to that degree, that I had no thought … about my own salvation, and scarce reflected there was such a creature as myself.

Thus God, I trust, brought me to a hearty disposition to exalt him, and set him on the throne, and principally and ultimately to aim at his honour and glory, as King of the Universe.

I continued in this state of inward joy and peace, yet astonishment, until near dark, without any sensible abatement; and then began to think and examine what I had seen; and felt sweetly composed in my mind all the evening following: I felt myself in a new world, and every thing about me appeared with a different aspect from what it was wont to do.

At this time, the way of salvation opened to me with such infinite wisdom, suitableness and excellency, that I wondered I should ever think of any other way of salvation; was amazed that I had not dropped my own contrivances, and complied with this lovely, blessed, and excellent way before. If I could have been saved by my own duties, or any other way that I had formerly contrived, my whole soul would now have refused. I wondered that all the world did not see and comply with this way of salvation, entirely by the righteousness of Christ.

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Puritan quotes

Matthew 6:6 (KJV)

The word translated closet refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible. In old Engliah usage a closet was a room in which one could privately read or sit.

“The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer lives, thrives or dies.”

“Believer, closet prayer will be found to be but a lifeless, comfortless thing, if you do not enjoy communion with God in it.”

THOMAS BROOKS

“I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”

RICHARD BAXTER

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John Owen – The Mortification of the Flesh

 

Key verse

 

(Romans 8:13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

 

Thesis

 

The choicest believers,

who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin,

ought yet to make it their business all their days

to mortify the indwelling power of sin.

 

Notes

 

“… every lust tends unto [deeds]; though it do but conceive and prove abortive, it aims to bring forth a perfect sin.”

 

 

a principle (the life of the Spirit) contrary to it (the flesh) and destructive of it is planted in our hearts

 

Conclusion

 

the mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies,

that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh

is the constant duty of believers.

 

 

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Adoption

J.I. Packer (whose three children are adopted) writes in Knowing God:

 

“Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.”

Chapter 19 – Sons of God

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Prayer and discipleship

How we pray reflects the character of our discipleship.

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A Minister’s Prayer before Preaching

My Master God,

I am desired to preach today,

but go weak and needy to my task;

Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,

that an honest testimony might be borne for thee;

Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,

with heart uplifted for grace and unction.

Present to my view things pertinent to my subject,

with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,

proper expressions, fluency, fervency,

a feeling sense of the things I preach,

and grace to apply them to men’s consciences.

Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,

and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.

Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,

and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting thy mercy.

Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,

and to set before them comforting considerations.

Attend with power the truth preached,

and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.

May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,

and help me to use the strongest arguments

drawn from Christ’s incarnation and sufferings,

that men might be made holy.

I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness,

that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,

and be able to do something for thee;

Give me then refreshment among thy people,

and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,

or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a Redeemer,

or be harsh in treating of Christ’s death, its design and end,

from lack of warmth and fervency.

And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.

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Degrees of happiness and glory

Jonathan Edwards – sermon on Romans ii.10

There are different degrees of happiness and glory in heaven. As there are degrees among the angels, viz. thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers; so there are degrees among the saints. In heaven are many mansions, and of different degrees of dignity. The glory of the saints above will be in some proportion to their eminency in holiness and good works here. Christ will reward all according to their works. He that gained ten pounds was made ruler over ten cities, and he that gained five pounds over five cities. Luke xix. 17 2 Cor. ix. 6 “He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” And the apostle Paul tells us that, as one star differs from another star in glory, so also it shall be in the resurrection of the dead. 1 Cor. xv. 41. . Romans ii:10 . Christ tells us that he who gives a cup of cold water unto a disciple in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward. But this could not be true, if a person should have no greater reward for doing many good works than if he did but few. It will be no damp to the happiness of those who have lower degrees of happiness and glory, that there are others advanced in glory above them: for all shall be perfectly happy, every one shall be perfectly satisfied. Every vessel that is cast into this ocean of happiness is full, though there are some vessels far larger than others; and there shall be no such thing as envy in heaven, but perfect love shall reign through the whole society. Those who are not so high in glory as others, will not envy those that are higher, but they will have so great, and strong, and pure love to them, that they will rejoice in their superior happiness; their love to them will be such that they will rejoice that they are happier than themselves; so that instead of having a damp to their own happiness, it will add to it. They will see it to be fit that they that have been most eminent in works of righteousness should be most highly exalted in glory; and they will rejoice in having that done, that is fittest to be done. There will be a perfect harmony in that society; those that are most happy will also be most holy, and all will be both perfectly holy and perfectly happy. But yet there will be different degrees of both holiness and happiness according to the measure of each one’s capacity, and therefore those that are lowest in glory will have the greatest love to those that are highest in happiness, because they will see most of the image of God in them; and having the greatest love to them, they will rejoice to see them the most happy and the highest in glory. And so, on the other hand, those that are highest in glory, as they will be the most lovely, so they will be fullest of love: as they will excel in happiness, they will proportionally excel in divine benevolence and love to others, and will have more love to God and to the saints than those that are lower in holiness and happiness. And besides, those that will excel in glory will also excel in humility. Here in this world, those that are above others are the objects of envy, because that others conceive of them as being lifted up with it; but in heaven it will not be so, but those saints in heaven who excel in happiness will also in holiness, and consequently in humility. The saints in heaven are more humble than the saints on earth, and still the higher we go among them the greater humility there is; the highest orders of saints, who know most of God, see most of the distinction between God and them, and consequently are comparatively least in their own eyes, and so are most humble. The exaltation of some in heaven above the rest will be so far from diminishing the perfect happiness and joy of the rest who are inferior, that they will be the happier for it; such will be the union in their society that they will be partakers of each other’s happiness. Then will be fulfilled in its perfection that which is declared in 1 Cor. xii. 22. “If one of the members be honoured all the members rejoice with it.”

 

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The key Old Testament verses behind the Psalms

Exodus 34:6-7

The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;

who keeps lovingkindness for thousands,

who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin;

yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished,

visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children

and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Numbers 6:24-27

The LORD bless you, and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace

So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them,

for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you.

He will not fail you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 32:4-6

The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just;

A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He. …

Is not He your Father who has bought you?

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