Anyone for a 9.3 million dollar copy of Thomas Watson?

I have to believe this is an error of some kind, but I got a kick out of it. I mean, I like Thomas Watson and all, but . . . $9,335,134.66? I guess I can take comfort that “All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible!”

And this doesn’t even qualify for “super-saver shipping.”

Don’t do drugs

Don Ohlmeyer: “Ratings are the drug of choice in the media world. The Nielsen numbers are a siren song and the justification for innumerable sins.“

Selah.

How do you promote religion?

One of the features of the personal letters of Jonathan Edwards (especially in the 1740′s, it seems to me) was an interest in revivals happening in his region and beyond. The Great Awakening had largely faded by 1743, but Edwards held out hope that God would again pour out the Spirit on his people with a new work of grace. He urged his fellow ministers to pray with his “Concert for Prayer.” And when he wrote his friends in Scotland and elsewhere, he would ask for new reports of new awakenings and share the current revivals of religion in his own region. His interest in this subject was not only sourced in his desire to see God glorified, but his postmillennial eschatology.

In a 1749 Edwards wrote to James Robe (1688-1753), a Scottish minister sympathetic to the Great Awakening who published The Christian Monthly History, a periodical dedicated to revival news in Scotland and beyond.* Therein Edwards shares some possible awakenings in the New World, and, among those instances, cites a New England ministerial covenant that a friend had sent him.

Edwards writes to Robe that “An association of ministers between this and Boston, seem of late to have applied themselves something earnestly to invent means for the promoting religion.”**

The answer here is interesting, especially when placed against the backdrop of contemporary American Christianity. Today, what do people do to promote religion? Movies? Christian night clubs? Sermon series? Trailers? Family fairs? VBS?

As the Association of ministers put it, the question was, “What things shall be done by us for preventing the awful threatening degeneracy and backsliding in religion, in the present day?” They broke their answer down in three parts, what they themselves can do as ministers, what the association can do, and what the people in the churches can do. Quoted below is what the Association believed they could do as ministers.

This really is gold, and worth your reading. I found nos. 4, 6, and 8 quite good.

1. We ought surely to get a deep and affecting sense of this, whether there is not in ourselves defection and great danger of further degeneracy; for otherwise we shall with little heartiness undertake, or earnestness endeavor, reformation.
2. We are not to think it amiss that we ourselves be excited to look, with a proper attention and concern, into our own state, into our own experiences in the divine life, and into what little proficiency we make, or declension we fall into, ourselves.
3. We must by all means see to it that we be sound and clear in the great doctrines of the gospel, which are the life of our holy religion (we here intend those doctrines which are exhibited in our excellent Westminster Catechism and Confession of Faith); and that we all boldly and impartially appear in the defense thereof. At the same time, we must take heed and beware of the dangerous errors which many have run into; particularly the Arminian and neonomian on the one hand, and the antinomian and enthusiastical on the other.
4. We must be very faithful in every part of our ministerial works, and make conscience to magnify our office. In a particular manner, we must take good heed to our preaching; that it be not only sound, but instructive, savory, spiritual, very awakening and searching, well adapted to the times and seasons which pass over us; laboring earnestly herein. We must therefore dwell much upon the doctrine of repentance and conversion; the nature, necessity and evidence thereof; and much urge the duty of self-examination, and open the deceits of the heart: bringing the unconverted under the work of the law, that they may be prepared to embrace the offer of the gospel. Moral duties must be treated of in an evangelical strain; and we must give unto everyone his portion, and not shrink from it, under the notion of prudence; in special, in the important duty of reproving sinners of all sorts, be they who they will. Again, we must not be flighty in our private conference with souls, and examining candidates for the communion, or other special privileges; and we must carefully and wisely suit our endeavors to the several ages and conditions of persons, the elder and younger. And in a very particular manner, we must set ourselves to promote religion among our young people. And in a word, we must see whether we are animated to all these things by the grace of God in us.
5. We are impartially to see what evils are to be found among ourselves, and remove ‘em. Let us be seriously thoughtful whether (among our defects) we have not been, in some respect or other, the blamable means of discouragement to those who have been under religious concern; or whether we have not given strength and boldness to the ungodly, when we have been testifying against extravagancies and disorders of the late times.
6. We must conscientiously be exemplary in our whole behavior and conversation. ‘Tis necessary that we be serious and grave, as what highly becomes gospel-bishops. And especially, we must be very watchful over our frame and conduct on the Lord’s day. We must therefore look well to our sabbatizing, both at home and abroad, both before our own and other people. Our example is of vast consequence in magnifying our office, before recommended.
7. We ought to stir up the gifts which are in us, and to grow more and more, according to the sacred injunction, II Tim. 1:6.
8. We should follow all our endeavors with fervent prayer to God; especially our labors in preaching and teaching: the seed of the Word is to be steeped in tears.***

——–

*James Robe himself, like Edwards, was attacked by other clergy for his belief that the revivals happening in his homeland were genuine works of the Spirit.

**Jonathan Edwards to Reverend James Robe, Northampton, May 20, 1749, in Letters and Personal Writings, ed. George S. Claghorn, vol. 16 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998), 276.

***Ibid., 277-8.

Was Calvin without emotions?

John T. McNeill, in his luminous The History and Character of Calvinism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1954), explains John Calvin this way:

“There is a strange impression in many quarters that Calvin was a man without emotions. It is a judgment easily made of those who do not talk much about their emotions. The whole story of his youth, his studies, his many friendships, and his correspondence shows that he was in fact of an unusually ardent nature. His conversation was not merely enlightenment; it was that unreserved, wholehearted commitment to the living God that is symbolized with the seal which he later used—a flaming heart on the palm of an extended open hand. God had rescued him from the depths; Calvin remained a man astonished by the mercy of God—la miséricorde de Dieu—mercy wholly undeserved and beyond man’s earning” (116).

I do not take McNeill’s portrait to mean that Calvin looked like a sentimental American evangelical with respect to his “emotions,” but this is a helpful humanizing commentary on a man usually dismissed as scholastic or stiff.

One more example of the tragedy that is American Christianity

I recently observed that Wingspread publishers had repackaged the compilation of Tozer’s remarks on worship, titled Tozer on Worship and Entertainment. In this volume is a short treatise that every Christian ought to read, “The Menace of the Religious Movie.” From which treatise, I here quote:

“Because man is such a being . . ., all moral teachers, and especially Christ and His apostles, make sincerity to be basic in the good life. . . .

Sincerity for each man means staying in character with himself. Christ’s controversy with the Pharisees centered around their incurable habit [of moral play acting. The Pharisee constantly pretended to be what he was not. . . . He assumed a false character and played it for effect. Christ said he was a hypocrite.

It is more than an etymological accident that the word ‘hypocrite’ comes from the stage. It means actor. . . . An actor is one who assumes a character other than his own and plays it for effect. The more fuly he can become possessed by another personality, the better he is an actor. . . .

No one who has been in the presence of the Most Holy One, who has felt how high is the solemn privilege of bearing His image, will ever again consent to play a part or to trifle with that most sacred thing, his own deep sincere heart. He will thereafter be constrained to no one but himself to preserve reverently the sincerity of his own soul.

In order to produce a religious movie someone must, for the time, disguise his individuality and simulate that of another. His actions must be judged fraudulent, and those who watch them with approval share in the fraud. To pretend to pray, to simluate godly sorrow, to play at worship before the camera for effect–how utterly shocking to the reverent heart! How can Christians who approve this gross pretense ever understand the value of sincerity as taught by our Lord? What will be the end of a generation of Christians fed on such a diet of deception disguised as the faith of our fathers?” (pp 193-95)

Having made those comments, I present to you the new cover of the Wingspread Publications edition of Tozer on Worship and Entertainment, from whose very pages that quote was taken:

Please click here.

Here, dear brothers and sisters, we have tragic state of American Christianity quintessentially exemplified.

“Our mourning should be moderate”: Jonathan Edwards’s letter to his friend who lost his daughter

Jonathan Edwards and Thomas Prince (1687-1758) were close friends. Prince was one of his closest allies in the Great Awakening, a Congregational minister and publisher who would detail works of God in his periodical Christian History. (The Christian History was America’s first religious periodical.)

By 1743, the revival fires were all but past. While Edwards was lamenting in his correspondence that the gracious work of God had turned into the judgment of God, yet he was optimistic (in conjunction with his postmillennial theology of ‘revival’) that God would again bless his people with heightened awakenings and grace. Still, this was not the best of times for Edwards especially.

In July 1744 Thomas Prince’s daughter Deborah died. It was on this occasion that Edwards wrote his dear friend and ministry colleague:

Northampton, July 27, 1744

Rev. and Honored Sir,

¶We had some time ago heard of your daughter’s dangerous illness, which my daughter in Boston informed us from time to time of the prevalence and increase of; and we have lately heard the sorrowful tidings of her death, which we have received with hearty condolence with you in your affliction; which must needs be great, but yet, by what we have heard, is attended with great ground of comfort and cause of thankfulness of god.

We have heard of very hopeful evidences that she gave in her lifetime of a saving interest in Christ, which puts out of the reach of all the ill consequences of death, or any hurt that death can do, those that are the subjects of such an infinite privilege; and not only so, but makes death their great gain.

¶And how unspeakable, dear Sir, must the support and consolation needs be to surviving friends, in the case of the death of dear relatives, to have ground to think of them as being now in glory, in a state of eternal rest and perfect blessedness, having all tears wiped away from their eyes, and sorrow and sighing forever banished!

And surely when we mourn for the death of such friends, our mourning should be moderate, for that which they rejoice at; and if we may mourn, our mourning may well be mingled with rejoicing.

As we hope we belong to the same society with the blessed in heaven, and have our conversation and citizenship with them, it becomes us to partake with them in their joys, and rejoice with them, especially those of them that were our nearest and dearest friends on earth; and surely we should not sink in mourning and tears while they sing and rejoice with exceeding, inconceivable, and eternal joy.

But yet, such is our infirmity, so dark are our minds, and so little do we see beyond the grave, that we need much divine assistance and support to do as becomes Christians under our trials.

And we have, therefore, to wonder that God has made such glorious provision in Christ Jesus for the support and comfort of all that trust in him under all afflictions, and that he has given us so many great and precious promises, sealed with his blood, and confirmed with his oath, that we might, in every case, have strong consolation.

We live in a vale of tears, a world of sorrow. Oh, that all that we meet with here may cause us to live more as pilgrims and strangers on the earth, and to be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises!

¶Remember me, honored Sir, to your mournful spouse and dear surviving children, as one of their friends that heartily sympathizes with them. That God may abundantly support both you and them, and make up the great loss to you in himself, and grant that you may at last have a joyful meeting with your dear departed relative in immortal glory, is the prayer of, dear Sir, your friend and servant,

In Christian love and affectionate sympathy,

Jonathan Edwards.

P.S. My wife joins with me in sympathy and condolence with you and your family under this heavy affliction.*

——–

*Edwards to Prince, Northampton, July 27, 1744, in Letters and Personal Writings, ed. George S. Claghorn, vol. 16 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998), 146-7.

Pascal on vanity and diversion

Reading Blaise Pascal is like a tall, cool glass of water on a hot summer day. Thanks be to God for thoughtful Christians like Pascal.

Notice how well he knows the youth of his own day, and thus the youth of our day. And how many adults are still youths as Pascal depicts them?

36 Anyone who does not see the vanity of the world is very vain himself. So who does not see it, apart from young people whose lives are all noise, diversions, and thoughts for the future?

But take away their diversion and you will see them bored to extinction.

Then they feel their nullity without recognizing it, for nothing could be more wretched than to be intolerably depressed as soon as one is reduced to introspection with no means of diversion. (164)*

——–

*Pensées (trans. A. J. Krailsheimer; New York: Penguin Books, 1966), 38.

John Gill on the Jewish custom of three times of prayer

Baptist pastor and theologian John Gill has this to say about the Jewish observance of three times of prayer (cf. Psa 55:1;7 Dan 6:10):

The Jews had stated times in the day for prayer. Daniel prayed three times a day; and what these times were we learn from David; “Evening, and morning, and at noon” (Ps. 55:17).

The prayer in the morning, according to Maimonides*, was from sunrising to the end of the fourth hour (or ten o’clock) which is the third part of the day (see Acts 2:15). The prayer at noon, was at the sixth hour (or twelve o’clock), at which time Peter went up to the housetop to pray (Acts 10:9). The evening prayer was at the ninth hour (or three o’clock in the afternoon), about the time of the evening sacrifice; at which time, which was the hour of prayer, Peter and John went up to the temple to pray; at this time we find Cornelius at prayer (Acts 3:1 10:3), and this practice obtained among Christians in early times.

Jerome** speaks of it as a tradition of the church, that the third, sixth, and ninth hours are times for prayer;

and it is a practice laudable enough, where there is leisure from other lawful exercises; and when no stress is laid on the punctual performance of it at these precise times; and is not made a term and condition of acceptance with God; which would bring us back to the covenant of works, ensnare our souls, and entangle us with a yoke of bondage.

What Clemens of Alexandria*** observes, is worthy of notice; some, says he, appoint stated hours for prayer, the third, sixth, and ninth hours; but “the Gnostic [who is endued with the true knowledge of God and divine things] prays throughout his whole life; his whole life is an holy convocation, a sacred festival:” yea it is said of Socrates, the heathen philosopher, to the shame of Christians, “the life of Socrates was full of prayer.”

From the whole of this we learn, that at least a day should not pass over without prayer.

Truly Christian prayer should be without ceasing, but it’d be good if we could even practice three times of prayer each day.

——–
* Hilchot Tephillah, c. 3. s. 1.
** Comment. in Dan. fol. 270. M.
*** Strom. l. 7. p. 722, 728. Maximus Tyrius apud Witsium in Orat. Domin. Exercitat. 2. s. 19. p. 43.

Hoisted up to the heights by the crane of Jesus Christ

Ignatius of Antioch encouraged the Ephesians to ignore the heretics who were distorting the doctrines of Christ by comparing them to a temple in this memorable quote:

But I have learned that certain people from elsewhere have passed your way with evil doctrine, but you did not allow them to sow it among you. You covered up your ears in order to avoid receiving the things being sown by them, because you are stones of a temple, prepared beforehand for the building of God the Father, hoisted up to the heights by the crane of Jesus Christ, which is the cross, using as a rope the Holy Spirit; your faith is what lifts you up, and love is the way that leads up to God. So you are all participants together in a shared worship, God-bearers and temple bearers, Christ-bearers, bearers of holy things, adorned in every respect with the commandments of Jesus Christ. I too celebrate with you, since I have been judged worthy to speak with you through this letter, and to rejoice with you because you love nothing in human life, only God.  – Epistle to the Ephesians 9

Fired with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love, and serve him

If Jesus words are true in Matthew 6:8, “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask them,” then why do we need to pray at all?

In the Institutes, John Calvin offers these six reasons why prayer is not superfluous:

Therefore, even though, while we grow dull and stupid toward our miseries, he watches and keeps guard on our behalf, and sometimes even helps us unasked, still it is very important for us to call upon him:

1. First, that our hearts may be fired with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love, and serve him, while we become accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor.
2. Secondly, that there may enter our hearts no desire and no wish at all of which we should be ashamed to make him a witness, while we learn to set all our wishes before his eyes, and even to pour out our whole hearts.
3. Thirdly, that we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving, benefits that our prayer reminds us come from his hand [cf. Ps. 145:15-16].
4. Fourthly, moreover, that, having obtained what we were seeking, and being convinced that he has answered our prayers, we should be led to meditate upon his kindness more ardently.
5. And fifthly, that at the same time we embrace with greater delight those things which we acknowledge to have been obtained by prayers.
6. Finally, that use and experience may, according to the measure of our feebleness, confirm his providence, while we understand not only that he promises never to fail us, and of his own will opens the way to call upon him at the very point of necessity, but also that he ever extends his hand to help his own, not wet-nursing them with words but defending them with present help (Institutes §3.20.3).

Johann Gerhard on the “practical applications” of the image of God

Johann Gerhard (1582-1637) offers three practical applications to learn from the doctrine of the image of God in man. The first is to acknowledge God’s goodness in both creating us in the image of God and that image in believers through Christ. The third application is that the doctrine of the image of God strengthens the hope of believers reminding them  that all things will be restored. The second is,

¶It should lead us to acknowledge our misery. Having been endowed originally with a heavenly dignity, we are now born of parents who make us sinners even before we are born.

¶Esdras tells us that the elders who had seen the beauty of the first temple built by Solomon were moved to tears when they saw the new temple as it was restored by Zerubbabel after the Babylonian captivity.

How much more reason for sorrow and tears should we have when we call to mind the first man as he was created in the image of God–as the most beautiful temple and dwelling of the most holy Trinity–and then look at him as he was horribly ravaged by the infernal Chaldeans and robbed of all the divine gifts with which he had been first endowed.*

What imagery! That’s the kind of theology I love. It’s like Grudem‘s “Questions for Personal Application,” but much better and nearly 500 years older.

——–

*Johann Gerhard, “The Image of God,” in The Doctrine of Man in Classical Lutheran Theology, eds. Herman A Preus and Edmund Smits (Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Publishing House, 1962), 65-66.

Machen on the wonders of God’s grace in predestination

If you would like a brief but very good summary of the doctrines of grace, I would recommend very strongly the first several chapters of J. Gresham Machen’s little book A Christian View of Man. This little Banner of Truth publication is swimming with lucid explanations of difficult Bible doctrines.* If anything, the book well demonstrates that Calvinism embraces a kind of “compatibilism.”**

As I said a couple days ago, the book is actually a series of lectures Machen gave  for some radio addresses “shortly before he departed this life on January 1, 1937.” I have been restraining myself not to cite him endlessly (actually, there is a real temptation to quote the entire book). But here, sample Machen’s explanation of how the believer should think about God’s choosing some and not others, and extolling the wonders of grace:

[B]ecause we do not know what the reason is for God’s choice of some and His passing by of others, that does not mean that there is no reason. As a matter of fact, there is without doubt an altogether good and sufficient reason. We can be perfectly sure of that. God never acts in arbitrary fashion; He acts always in accordance with infinite wisdom; all His acts are directed to infinitely high and worthy ends. We must just trust Him for that. We do not know why God has acted thus and not otherwise, but we know the One who knows and we rest in His infinite justice and goodness and wisdom.

I think the Christian man glories in his ignorance of God’s counsels at this point. He rejoices that he does not know. The hymns of the evangelical church are full of the celebrations of the wonder of God’s grace. It is such a strange, such an utterly mysterious thing that God should extend His mercy to such sinners as we are. We deserved nothing but His wrath and curse. It would have been completely just if we had been lost as others are lost; it is a supreme wonder that we are saved. We cannot see why it is; we could not possibly believe it unless it were written so plainly in God’s Word. We can only rest in it as a supreme mystery of grace (pp. 70-71).

——–

*Unfortunately, Machen does espouse a version of theist evolution later in the book.

**What I don’t mean by “compatibilism” is this: sometimes one runs into those believers who “see both” doctrines in Scripture, and don’t want to come down on either side of the coin. But it does seem that there are a couple of very important questions that can be answered either positively or negatively which pushes one into an espousal of either a “Calvinistic” or “Arminian” scheme. In other words, I’m skeptical whether there really is such a “middle ground.” One of these questions, for example, is the definition of foreknowledge. If “foreknowledge” means that God looks down the corridors of time and knows those who will choose him, then it is necessary (it seems to me) for that individual (generally speaking) to be  a ‘Arminian’ of some kind. If “foreknowledge” means God foreordained certain persons to become Christians (you know, like all the Scriptures say he does ), then you must nearly necessarily be a ‘Calvinist’ of some kind. I’m just not sure how you can wiggle out of it. But perhaps one of you can try to explain it to me. Either way, what I mean by “compatibilism” is that God has decreed “whatsoever comes to pass”, is not the author of sin, and that people make real choices for which they are responsible.

Hiscox on pastoral authority and music

Edward Hiscox, in his Principles and Practices for Baptist Churches, writes:

It must be remembered that Church music is a part of worship, and since the conducting of worship devolves on the pastor, and is his by right, so the management of the singing should be only on consultation with him, and with his approval. And while he has not the right to overrule or reverse the action of the Church, they should not attempt to force on him musical adjustments which are unwelcome, or repugnant to his sense of propriety. The pulpit and the orchestra must be in accord, if worship is to be pleasant and profitable.*

Later he makes this recommendation:

In order to realize the full advantage of congregational singing as an aid to worship, some churches have weekly meetings, especially of the young people, for the purpose of practising, and becoming familiar with the hymns and tunes used on the Lord’s Day. . . . Every Church should should provide for the instruction of the young in the congregation and Sunday-school, in the elements of vocal music. Such instruction, during six, or at least three months of the year, with a weekly exercise, would soon make congregational singing practicable and successful.**

——–

*New Directory for Baptist Churches (Judson, 1894; Repr., Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1982), 243.

**Ibid., 244.

Carl Trueman on John Chrysostom

These are sound words. In the writings of men of antiquity I have always found remarks that are of great “relevance” for our present situation, and that’s one of the reasons I love to study church history. Carl Trueman well illustrates that fact here.

HT: Reformed Baptist Fellowship Blog