purgeon wrote this credo

I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes—

that every particle of spray that dashes against the steamboat has its orbit, as well as the sun in the heavens—

that the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as the stars in their courses.

the creeping of an aphid over the rosebud is as much fixed as the march of the devastating pestilence—

the fall of sere leaves from a poplar is as fully ordained as the tumbling of an avalanche.

HT: Between Two Worlds

This passage about the privileges of full-time pastors is my favourite from the book:

Others are glad of the leisure of the Lord’s day, and now and then of an hour besides, when they can lay hold upon it. But we may keep a continual Sabbath. We may do almost nothing else, but study and talk of God and glory, and engage in acts of prayer and praise, and drink in his sacred, saving truths.

Our employment is high and spiritual. Whether we be alone, or in company, our business is for another world. O that our hearts were but more tuned to this work! What a blessed, joyful life should we then live! How sweet would our study be to us! How pleasant the pulpit! And what delight would our conference about spiritual and eternal things afford us!

To live among such excellent helps as our libraries afford, to have so many silent wise companions whenever we please – all these, and many other similar privileges of the ministry, bespeak our unwearied diligence in the work.

– Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor

HT: A Common Place Blog

Not Ashamed is a campaign to celebrate this and for individual Christians to declare that they are not ashamed of Jesus.

Jesus Christ is good news not just for individuals or for the church but also for our nation as a whole. He is the only true hope for our society.

– Not Ashamed leaflet

It is a good reminder that it is essential that we be able to speak about Jesus openly, because Jesus is the only hope for people all across the UK.

credit: auro.That is an extraordinary statement to make. How can one be confident that God will keep you going as a Christian? We don’t know what the future holds, after all. But of course if we are not trusting in God’s power to keep us going, we will inevitably trust in our own faithfulness.

For sinful people like me, one’s own faithfulness is the very worst thing to trust. You can imagine the enslaving power of living like that, terrified of your faith or discipline one day not measuring up.

It is such good news that, as Paul Tripp puts it, “we are not kept in the faith by our own discipline and resolve, but by the loving chains of faithful, rescuing grace.”

Let me heartily recommend a video on lessons to be learned from George Whitefield on Spirit-filled ministry. The speaker is Vaughan Roberts at EMA 2010:

Dan Green outlines Vaughan’s four points:

1. Spirit-filled ministry is shaped by the miracle of the Spirit in conversion
2. Spirit-filled ministry depends on the power of the Spirit in preaching
3. Spirit-filled ministry expects the fellowship of the Spirit in Christian living
4. Spirit-filled ministry maintains the unity of the Spirit in relating to other Christians

HT: The Proclaimer

Indeed, if there is any real evidence of the decline of Christianity in the West, the evidence resides precisely in the eagerness of so many professing Christians to employ the state to advance the Christian religion…. [It] resides not in the presence of other religions (including secularism) in our culture, but in the Judge Moores, the hand-wringing over “under God” in the pledge of allegiance, and the whining about the “war on Christmas.”

If professing Christians believe our religion is advanced by the power of the state rather than by the power of the Spirit, by coercion rather than by example and moral suasion, then perhaps Christianity is indeed in decline. If we can no longer say, with the apostle Paul, “the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly,” then perhaps Christianity is indeed in significant decline. If we believe we need Christian presidents, legislators, and judges in order for our faith to advance, then we ourselves no longer believe in Christianity, and it has declined.

Christianity does not rise or fall on the basis of governmental activity; it rises or falls on the basis of true ecclesiastical activity. What Christianity needs is competent ministers, not Christian judges, legislators, or executive officers.

– T. David Gordon, “The Decline of Christianity in the West?”

HT: Old Life Theological Society

Calvin has developed an increasingly rich set of visual metaphors by which to describe the ways in which the invisible God makes [himself] somewhat visible in the universe.

1. The universe may be described as a “mirror or representation of invisible things” (Heb 11:3).
2. The world may also be described as the theater of God’s glory, which, when we behold it, should lead us to the knowledge of God who created it.
3. The universe is the living image of God, in which God represents [himself] to us.
4. The world is the clothing that the invisible God wears so that we might behold God therein.
5. Because the invisible God appeares to us in the fabric of God’s works, the world is also the school in which we should be taught to know the God who created us.
6. Finally, the universe is the speechless proclamation or the mute teaching that would instruct us in the true knowledge of God, who is the Author of all things.

– Randall C. Zachman, Image and Word

One helpful excerpt:

Students often develop a particularly intense relationship with those faculty members who who teach the Scriptures directly… Because of the special bond that exists between seminary students and their biblical studies faculty one might expect that student reaction to the board’s decision might be particularly intense… let me urge upon WTS/P students (and students in other institutions) some caution. Over the years many students have said to me “Well I heard….” and then have proceeded to announce as fact things that we completely contrary to fact. The falsehood of the reports, however, did not prevent them from spreading among the students. Sometimes these reports can be quite damaging both to the students and to the institutions where they study and to the persons involved in whatever controversy exists. The reality is, in situations such as these, that it is virtually impossible for students to know as much as they think they know.

He also gives a helpful (presbyterian) analogy to the church discipline that lies in the future of many students at theological college:

There is a good analogy for this situation: the church discipline process in the local congregation. Some of the students at WTS/P will one day be pastors. They will sit in session (consistory) and presbytery (classis) meetings where matters of church discipline will come before them. As pastors they will likely counsel with folk who, sadly, will reject their counsel and persist in sin and rebellion requiring the session (consistory) to begin disciplinary proceedings. The congregation may or may not know what is happening and things may look very different in the pew than they do in the session (consistory) meeting. There will be particulars that members of session (consistory) know that members of the congregation will never and should never know. Some members of the congregation may even regard the session (consistory) with suspicion for bringing “such a fine member of our congregation” under discipline. As a minister you will know a different story but you won’t be able to explain. You must simply stand there and “take it.” That member may never regard you the same way again and there’s nothing you can do about it. Your duty to Christ is greater than your reputation. Welcome to the ministry.

Owen writes:

A due apprehension of the love of Christ, with the effects of it in his whole mediatory work on our behalf — especially in his giving himself for us, and our redemption by his blood — is the great motive [to faith]. They whose hearts are not deeply affected herewith, can never believe in him in a due manner. “I live,” saith the apostle, “by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Unless a sense hereof be firmly implanted in our souls, unless we are deeply affected with it, our faith in him would be weak and wavering, or rather none at all. The due remembrance of what the blessed Lord Jesus hath done for us, of the ineffable love which was the spring, cause, and fountain of what he so did — thoughts of the mercy, grace, peace, and glory which he hath procured thereby — are the great and unconquerable motives to fix our faith, hope, trust, and confidence in him.