Mortification of Sin, Study Guide Chapter 11c (John Owen)

08 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by memoirandremains in Biblical Counseling, Deuteronomy, Discipleship, John Owen, Micah, Mortification, Psalms

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Affections, Conduct, Desire, Fire, Flood, Genesis 3:6, James 1, James 1:14-15, John Owen, Mortification, Mortification of Sin, Obedience, Psalm 37, Puritan, Sanctification, Sin, Study Guide, Thoughts

The previous post in this series will be found here

Seventh General:

Rise mightily against the first actings of thy distemper, its first conceptions; suffer it not to get the least ground. Do not say, “Thus far it shall go, and no farther.” If it have allowance for one step, it will take another.

Sin in our actions begins as sin our hearts:

20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Mark 7:20–23 (ESV)

Thus, sin first begins in our thoughts and affections, it is an idea and desire before it ever becomes an action. Read James 1:14-15: What are the steps there listed for the beginning of sin?

Read Genesis 3:6: What takes place in Eve before she takes the fruit?

What about sins which seem to spring up spontaneously without any precursor, such a rage of anger: in what ways do such sins have start? Consider a recent experience of anger: What thoughts and desires had to be in place for anger to be possible? How would an increase in humility, pity, love have altered your heart in such a way that anger would not have been expressed? By way of comparison — consider other sins which you see others commit but you do follow in yourself. What is different your thoughts and affections that lead you to not following in that sin?

We must stop sin at first actings.

It is impossible to fix bounds to sin. It is like water in a channel,—if it once break out, it will have its course. Its not acting is easier to be compassed than its bounding. Therefore doth James give that gradation and process of lust, chap. 1:14, 15, that we may stop at the entrance.

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The Spiritual Chymist, Meditation Ten

12 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by memoirandremains in 1 Corinthians

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Fire, Meditation, Resurrection, The Spiritual Chymist, William Spurstowe

Meditation Ten
Upon Building After Fires

It is a saying of Florus the historian, concerning the fatal fire of Corinth, in which all the edifices were consumed into ashes and its statues of brass, silver and gold melted into one common mass: the devastating of that wealthy city was an occasion to make the metal of it to be highly esteemed in after ages. The like may be said concerning many buildings, that the flames which have turned them into desolate ruins, have occasioned a following a beauty and stateliness in the second fabrics far above what the first ever had.

How oft have we seen by such accidents the dimensions of buildings enlarged, the forms and models of them much bettered, the whole with much more art and cost enriched, so as to fill the beholders with delight and wonder.

Can man thus improve disadvantages and make burnings and indigested heaps to serve as a foil to his art and skill? Can he effect a kind of resurrection and new-birth to what was once destroyed?

What then can God do, whose power is perfected in weakness, and like the sun shines brightest when envisioned with the blackest clouds and difficulties? Surely he can, yea, and undoubtedly will give a being to the bodies of his martyrs, which the fire hath consumed into ashes and the wind has scattered into distances. He will awake his saints, who have made (for ages) their beds in the grave, and have filled their mouths with gravel and slime of the pit: He will call for his redeemed ones from out of the deep sea, and from the maws of fishes that have devoured them, and give to every one of them, not only the same specific, but the same numerical body, changed in its properties, but not in its essence, clarified angelical perfections but not transubstantiated from a corporeal to a spiritual substance [1 Corinthians 15:44]: Is not all this done already in Christ? Our nature in his body is spiritualized, to tell us, that for possibility it may be, and for certainty it shall be so in us. He is our brother therefore we may be like him. And he is our head, therefore we must be like him in a conformity to his glorious body.

Why therefore should I fear the greatest enemies of life, the fire, the grave and the sea? Is there anything too hard for God? Is not his power and his promise engaged to do that for me which he has done for my Savior? Has he not said that those that sleep in Jesus he will bring with him?

Lord help me to make it my only care to have my life holy,
that my resurrection may be happy;
to live to Christ that I may live with Christ;
and from a Netherlander in the dust below,
may be made a citizen of the New Jerusalem which is above
and rejoice in the joy of thy people and glory with your inheritance.

Anne Bradstreet: I Blessed His Name That Gave and Took

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by memoirandremains in affliction, Anne Bradstreet, Contentment, Faith, Literature, Puritan, Submission, Thankfulness

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1 Timothy 6:6–8, 17th Century Poetry, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Anne Bradstreet, Ecclesiastes 1:2, Fire, Jeremiah 17:5, Job 1:20–21, Job 21:25–26, John 14:1–3, Matthew 6:19–24, poem, Poetry, Puritan Poetry

Here follows some verse upon the burning of our house, July 10, 1666. Copyed out of a loose paper.

In silent night when rest I took,

For sorrow neer[1] I did not look,

I waken’d was with thundering nois[2]

And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.

That fearful sound of fire and fire

Let no man know is my desire[3].

I, starting up, the light did spye

And to my God my heart did cry

To strengthen me in my distress

And not to leave me succourless[4].

Then coming out beheld a space,

The flame consume[5] my dwelling place.

And, when I could no longer look,

I blest his Name that gave and took[6],

That layd my good now in the dust[7]:

Yea, so it was, and so ‘twas just.

It was his own: it was not mine;

Far be it that I should repine.

He might of all justly bereft[8],

But yet sufficient for us left.[9]

When by the ruins oft I pass,

My sorrowing eyes aside did cast,

And here and there the places spy

Where of I sate[10], and long did lye.

Here stood that trunk, and there that chest;

There lay that store I counted best:

My pleasant things in ashes lye,

And them behold no more shall I.

Under thy[11] roof no guest shall sit,

Nor at thy table eat a bit.

No pleasant tale shall ‘ere be told,

Nor things recounted done of old.

No candle ‘ere shall shine in thee,

Nor bridgegroom’s voice ere heard shall be.

In silence ever shall thou lye;

Adieu, adieu; all’s vanity[12].

The straight I gin[13] my heart to chide,

And did thy wealth[14] on earth abide?

Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,

The arm of flesh[15] didst make thy trust?[16]

Raise up thy thoughts above the skye

That dunghill mists away may flie.

Thou hast a house on high erect

Fram’d by that mighty architect[17]

With glory richly furnished,

Stands permanent tho: this be fled.

‘Its purchased and paid for too

By him who hath enough to do.

A prise so vast as is unknown,

Yet, by his gift, is made thine own.

Ther’s wealth enough, I need no more;

Farewell my pelf[18], farewell my store.

The world no longer let me love,

My hope and treasure lyes above.

[1] Near

[2] Noise

[3] Let no one think that I would desire such a thing. This point develops through the poem: Bradstreet sees God’s goodness in the loss and sets her hope upon God will bring. However, one should not see some glorying in her sorrow. The loss is real and painful, despite the good end God makes of it.

[4] Without succor, without help or aid.

[5] See at that time beheld the flaming consuming her dwelling place. The present tense is purposeful: I saw, at that time, the flame consume, et cetera.

[6] Upon hearing of the loss of his family and property, Job responds:

Job 1:20–21 (AV)

²⁰ Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, ²¹ And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

[7] Job 21:25–26 (AV)

²⁵ And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure. ²⁶ They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

[8] God could rightly take everything, because all is his.

[9] 1 Timothy 6:6–8 (AV)

⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

[10] Sat

[11] At this point she turns to address the house directly.

[12] Ecclesiastes 1:2 (AV)

² Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

[13] Begin

[14] Matthew 6:19–24 (AV)

¹⁹ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: ²⁰ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: ²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ²² The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. ²³ But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! ²⁴ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

[15] Jeremiah 17:5 (AV)

⁵ Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

[16] At this point, she begins to reflect upon a common strain in Scripture:

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (AV)

¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; ¹⁸ While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

[17] 2 Corinthians 5:1-10:

¹ For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: ³ If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. ⁴ For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. ⁵ Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷ (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) ⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. ⁹ Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

John 14:1–3 (AV)

¹ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many mansions [dwelling places, not the modern usage which means very large house] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

[18] Pelf: property, money, riches. The word has a negative connotation: either the property was dishonestly gained, or it is trash and rubbish.

Seventh General:

Meditation Ten Upon Building After Fires

Meditation Ten
Upon Building After Fires