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Of Communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 2, Chapter 3c.3 (Desiring the Beauty of Christ)

28 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Biblical Counseling, Desire, Discipleship, John Owen, Meditation, Mortification, Puritan, Romans, Song of Solomon

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A Serious Discourse Touching a Well-Grounded Assurance, Beauty, Biblical Counseling, Brooks, Communion, Desire, Discipleship, Fellowship, Holiness, John Owen, Meditation, Mortification, Of Communion With the Father Son and Holy Spirit, Praise, Puritan, Romans, Romans 8:13, Song of Solomon, Thomas Brooks

However, in Romans 8:13, Paul explains that it is by the Spirit that sin is put to death. What does the Spirit do? The Spirit causes us to see sin as filthy and Christ as beautiful:

 

The third reason why God denies assurance to his most precious ones, is that they may be the more clearly and fully convinced of that exceeding sinfulness and bitterness that is in sin, Jer. 2:19.1 Ah, Lord, says the soul that [is] sighing and mourning under the want of assurance, I see now that sin is not only evil, but the greatest evil in the world, in that it keeps me from an assurance of my interest in thee, who art the greatest good in the world, and from an assurance of that favour of thine that is better than life, and from the light of thy sweet countenance, that is better than corn, and wine, and oil; and from those joys and comforts that can only make a paradise in my soul, Ps. 4:7, 63:3, 4. Ah, Lord! now I find sin not only to be bitter, but to be the very quintessence of bitterness. Ah! no bitterness so bitter as sin, that keeps my soul from that sweet assurance, that is not only the top and crown of mercy, but also the sweetener of all mercy, misery, and glory.2 Oh what unspeakable evil do I now see in that evil that keeps me from the most desirable good! Oh what bitterness do I now find in that which Satan, the world, and my own deluded heart told me I should find sweetness in! Ah, now I find by experience, that to be true, which long since the faithful messengers of the Lord have told me; viz., that sin debaseth the soul of man, that it defiles and pollutes the soul of man, that it renders the soul most unlike to God, who is optimum maximum, the best and greatest, who is omnia super omnia, all, and above all, and renders it most like to Satan, who is a very sea and sink of sin.4 That it hath robbed the soul of the image of God, the holiness of God, the beauty of God, the glory of God, the righteousness of God, and that keeps the soul from wearing this golden chain of assurance.

 

Thomas Brooks, The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume 2, “A Serious Discourse Touching a Well-Grounded Assurance”,  ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart, (Edinburgh; London; Dublin: James Nichol; James Nisbet and Co.; G. Herbert, 1866), 332.

 

Thus, holiness is the nature outflow of desire for Christ. Christ is desired above all rivals.

 

Of Communion with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 2, Chapter 3c.2 (Desiring the Beauty of Christ)

28 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by memoirandremains in Biblical Counseling, Desire, Discipleship, Edward Taylor, John Owen, Meditation, Mortification, Puritan, Romans, Song of Solomon

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Beauty, Biblical Counseling, Communion, David Clarkson, Desire, Discipleship, Edward Taylor, Fellowship, Holiness, John Owen, Meditation, Meditation on Canticle 2.1, Mortification, Of Communion With the Father Son and Holy Spirit, Of Living by Faith, Praise, Puritan, Romans, Romans 7, Song of Solomon

The idea developed by Owen – and found through the theology of this period — is that Christ is of such great beauty, that one will desire him above all rivals. As Taylor wrote in Meditation on Canticle 2.1:

 

The gawdy world me courts t’unlock the box,

A motion made where love may pick and choose

….

Love pausing on’t, these clayey faces she

Disdains to court ….

       And there doth see

The Rose of Sharon which with beauty shines.

Her chest unlocks; the spark of love outbreathes

To court this Rose: and lodgeth in its leaves.

 

Owen explains it thus:

 

The liking of Christ, for his excellency, grace, and suitableness, far above all other beloveds whatever, preferring him in the judgement and mind above them all. In the place above mentioned, Song of Solomon 5:9, the spouse being earnestly pressed, by professors at large, to give in her thoughts concerning the excellency of her Beloved in comparison of other endearments, answereth expressly, that he is “the chiefest of ten thousand, yea,” verse 16, “altogether lovely,” infinitely beyond comparison with the choicest created good or endearment imaginable. The soul takes a view of all that is in this world, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,” and sees it all to be vanity, — that “the world passeth away, and the lust thereof,” 1 John 2:16,17. These beloveds are no way to be compared unto him. It views also legal righteousness, blamelessness before men, uprightness of conversation, duties upon conviction, and concludes of all as Paul does, Philippians 3:8,

 

“Doubtless, I count all these things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”

 

So, also, does the church, Hosea 14:3, reject all appearing assistance whatever, — as goodly as Asshur, as promising as idols, — that God alone may be preferred. And this is the soul’s entrance into conjugal communion with Jesus Christ as to personal grace, — the constant preferring him above all pretenders to its affections, counting all loss and dung in comparison of him. Beloved peace, beloved natural relations, beloved wisdom and learning, beloved righteousness, beloved duties, [are] all loss, compared with Christ.

 

This desire for Christ is the true key in understanding the Puritan concept of mortification of sin and striving for holiness.  Often times holiness can be understood as refraining from some thing which I want. Such a method of “holiness” is bitterness and pain. It requires one’s self-will to combat sin. It is Romans 7 living.

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