Category Archives: Voices of Wisdom

Puritan quotes.

Self Examination

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Beloved reader, it is important that you should know the exact state of your soul before God. And if you are sincere in that petition which has often breathed from your lip, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me;” you will thank him for any gentle and faithful admonition that sets you upon the great work of self-examination. – Octavius Winslow

I ended my last blog by asking my sisters here to ponder Mr Winslow’s question: “What is the present spiritual state of my soul before God?” Mr Winslow is not the only one encouraging us to examine ourselves and our relationship with the Lord. The Bible itself commands us to do the same.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test! – 2 Corinthians 13:5

To help us arrive at an honest conclusion as we examine ourselves, Mr Winslow gives us some spiritual signs / Symptoms to guide us in making the right judgement about our true spiritual state. I have listed some of them below. For the sake of clarity, I tried to group them under headings. So, the headings are mine, but the quotes under the headings are from the book.

Going Through the Motions

“When a professing man can proceed with his accustomed religious duties, strictly, regularly, formally, and yet experience no enjoyment of God in them, no filial nearness, no brokenness and tenderness, and no consciousness of sweet return, he may suspect that his soul is in a state of secret and incipient backsliding from God.”

Reading your Bible without a true desire to know God

When a professing man can read his Bible
with no spiritual taste, or when he searches it, not with a sincere desire to know the mind of the Spirit in order to a holy and obedient walk, but with a merely curious, or literary taste and aim, it is sure evidence that his soul is making but a retrograde movement in real spirituality.
They may be read, and yet read as any other book, without the deep and solemn conviction that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim 3:16,17).”
They may be read without a spiritual relish,
without being turned into prayer,
without treasuring up in the heart and reducing to daily practice:
its holy precepts,
its precious promises,
its sweet consolations,
its faithful warnings,
its affectionate admonitions,
its tender rebukes.

Praying without Intimacy

When a professing Christian can pray, and yet acknowledge that
he has no nearness to the throne,
no touching of the scepter,
no fellowship with God, – calls him “Father,” without the sense of adoption,
confesses sin in a general way, without any looking up to God through the cross,
has no consciousness of possessing the ear and the heart of God,
the evidence is undoubted of a declining state of religion in the soul.

Making worship about Self

And when too, he can find no sweetness in a spiritual ministry,
when he is restless and dissatisfied under a searching and practical unfolding of truth,
when the doctrines are preferred to the precepts,
the promises to the commands,
the consolations to the admonitions of the gospel, incipient declension is marked. 

Lack of Love towards Other believers

An uncharitable walk towards other Christians, marks a low state of grace in the soul. The more entirely the heart is occupied with the love of Christ, the less room there will be for uncharitableness towards his saints. It is because there is so little love to Jesus, that there is so little towards his followers…
In advocating a wider platform of Christian love, we would by no means “sell the truth,” or compromise principles, or immolate conscience upon the altar of an infidel liberalism. But that for which we plead, is, more of that Christian love, tenderheartedness, kindness, charity which allows the right of private judgment, respects a conscientious maintenance of truth, and concedes to others the same privilege it claims for itself.

Do we see any of this sign in our lives?  Perhaps we read the list above and think to ourselves “I am not like that”.  Before we are quick to cast these signs and symptoms behind us, I would suggest we take some time to read some of the self-examination questions posed by Mr Winslow:

“What think you of Christ?”
Does his blood daily moisten the root of your profession?
Is his righteousness that which exalts you out of and above yourself, and daily gives you free and near access to God?
Is the sweetness of his love much in your heart, and the fragrance of his name much on your lips?
Are your corruptions daily carried to his grace, your guilt to his blood, your trials to his heart?
In a word, is Jesus
the substance of your life,
the source of your sanctification,
the one glorious object on which your eye is ever resting,
the mark towards which you are ever pressing?

Do you find these questions convicting? Do they make you uncomfortable? Then run to Christ.

“Beloved reader, it is important that you should know the exact state of your soul before God. And if you are sincere in that petition which has often breathed from your lip, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me;” you will thank him for any gentle and faithful admonition that sets you upon the great work of self-examination.”

Soli Deo Gloria!

Personal Declension

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“What is the present spiritual state of my soul before God?” – Octavius Winslow

Backsliding is a topic that is often misunderstood. People tend to equate backsliding with a person losing their faith. While that may be true in some cases, it is also possible for a person who has not denied the faith to backslide as well. A person who still appears “active” in church activities.

I never really thought much of the backslidden person as one who not only still profess faith in Christ but can actually appear active in the things of the Lord until I began to read “Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul” by the puritan Octavius Winslow. I will be posting some excerpts from the book over the coming weeks, and I encourage you to read and discuss it with me.

In his preface to the book, Mr Winslow tells why he wrote the book. He observed that most of the preaching and teaching in his day centered around defending the faith and rousing a slumbering Church, but not much was being said about personal holiness.

This is what he said:

While other and abler writers are employing their pens, either in defending the outposts of Christianity, or in arousing a slumbering church to an increased intensity of personal and combined action in the great work of Christian benevolence, he has felt that it might but be instrumental, in ever so humble a way, of occasionally withdrawing the eye of the believer from the dazzling and almost bewildering movements around him, and fixing it upon the state of HIS OWN PERSONAL RELIGION, he would be rendering the Christian church a service, not the less needed and important in her present elevated and excited position.

It must be admitted, that the character and the tendencies of the age are not favorable to deep and mature reflection upon the hidden, spiritual life of the soul. Whirled along as the church of God is, in her brilliant path of benevolent enterprise, – deeply engaged in concerting and in carrying out new and far-reaching plans of aggression upon the dominion of sin, – and compelled in one hand to hold the spiritual sword in defense of the faith which, with the other, she is up-building, – but few energies are left, and but little time is afforded, for close, faithful, and frequent dealing with the personal and spiritual state of grace in the soul; which, in consequence of thus being overlooked and uncultivated, may fall into a state of the deepest and most painful declension. “They made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept.” (Song 1:6)

It is, then, the humble design of the writer in the present work, for a while to withdraw the mind from the consideration of the mere externals of Christianity, and to aid the believer in answering the solemn and searching inquiry, – “What is the present spiritual state of my soul before God?”

While we should definitely defend the Truths of the gospel and rouse a slumbering church, but we should never forget that the church is made up of individuals. The Church cannot be holier than the individual members within it.

As a member of the Church, I fear that I have contributed to the “slumbering” of the church in my sometimes lackluster attitude towards the things of God.  I pray that the Lord will use this book together with His word to open my eyes to the declension within my heart and may He grant me the wisdom to use all the means of grace He has given to set my soul on fire for Him again.

How about you? If you’re saved, I would encourage you to take the time to ponder Mr. Winslow’s questions: “What is the present spiritual state of my soul before God?”

Soli Deo Gloria!

The Gospel Way

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Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;
Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness
by my own doings.

 

Like all believers, I am eternally thankful to God for my salvation. That a Holy, righteous and separate God would choose to stoop down to not only save a wretch like me, but also adopt into His family and make me a joint heir with Christ is something i cannot comprehend, but of which I will forever be grateful for.

“The Gospel Way” is a prayer of thanksgiving for salvation. It can be found on pages 62-63 in “The Valley of Vision”.

 

BLESSED LORD JESUS,

No human mind could conceive or invent
the gospel.
Acting in eternal grace, thou art both
its messenger and its message,
lived out on earth through infinite compassion,
applying thy life to insult, injury, death,
that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,
Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God,
for opening this way,
Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit,
for applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul,
until its virtue diffuses every faculty;
Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.

Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;
Help me to give up every darling lust,
to submit heart and life to its command,
to have it in my will,
controlling my affections,
moulding my understanding;
to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,
not departing from them in any instance,
nor for any advantage in order to escape evil,
inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;
Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness
by my own doings.
O gracious Redeemer,
I have neglected thee too long,
often crucified thee,
crucified thee afresh by my impenitence,
put thee to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me
so long,
and for the grace that now makes me willing to be
thine.
O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds,
that nothing may ever draw me back from thee,
my Lord, my Saviour.

 

Amen!

Giving Thanks in & for Everything

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If we pray without ceasing, we shall not want matter for thanksgiving in every thing. We shall see cause to give thanks for sparing and preventing, for common and uncommon, past and present, temporal and spiritual mercies. Not only for prosperous and pleasing, but also for afflicting providences, for chastisements and corrections; for God designs all for our good, though we at present see not how they tend to it. – Matthew Henry

 

Thankfulness, gratitude, and contentment all go hand in hand, and they ought to be the mark of every true believer in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, thanklessness, ingratitude, and discontent also go hand in hand they mark the unbeliever.

Thanksgiving Day is upon us, a day specifically set aside to give thanks to God. As Christians, we who are recipients of the grace and mercy of God, our lives ought to be characterized by thankfulness, gratitude and contentment.

While this is not always the case, our thanksgiving to God should be “wrapped up” in contentment. I believe this is what Paul is addressing here in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

To give thanks “in all circumstances” is in essence to be thankful and content in the sovereignty of God in whatever situation we find ourselves. This means giving thanks while resting in His goodness in all situations, knowing that while we may not understand it all, every situation we find ourselves in is for His glory and for our good. As Matthew Henry puts it:

“……Not only for prosperous and pleasing, but also for afflicting providences, for chastisements and corrections; for God designs all for our good, though we at present see not how they tend to it.”

Since the sovereign God designs all things for our good, not only are to be called to give thanks “in everything”, we are also called to give thanks “for everything”. This may come as a shock to some people as I have heard more than one sermon in my lifetime telling us the Bible tells us to give thanks “in everything”, but not “for everything”.

Well, the Bible does tell us to give thanks “for everything”.  Ephesians 5:20 –

“giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. I never understood this scripture as a young believer, but over time, I have come to understand that this command to give thanks “for everything” is not based on my feelings about the situation or circumstances, but on the goodness and sovereignty of God.

This is not a command to feel thankful for the terrible things that happen to us, this is a command to give thanks with the Father and the son as the object of our thanksgiving. I love how Joni Eareckson Tada puts it  here “……We may not feel thankful for the terrible things that happen to us (and God is not asking us to feel thankful); but we are commanded to give thanks, always with the Father and the Son as our focus, always seeking His point of view, always looking at things from His heavenly perspective. For when we give thanks for everything in the name of Jesus, it really is asking us to look at the awful stuff from Jesus’ vantage point. And we can do that because EVERYTHING friend, EVERYTHING falls within the overarching decrees of God’s sovereignty.”

She goes on to say, “Ephesians 5:20, giving thanks for everything in the name of Jesus, well; it’s one of those “deep calls to deep” commands. In closing, I do thank God for my paralysis. I couldn’t have done that years ago.”

I think one of the reasons people struggle with Ephesians 5:20 is because we tend to equate giving of thanks to exuberant singing and jubilation. While this can sometimes be the case when we give thanks, a life of thanksgiving and gratitude is not always characterized by exuberant singing and jubilation. In such a case, giving thanks becomes a lifestyle, an attitude of mind. Here is part of Matthew Henry’s commentary on Ephesians 5:20:

“Though we are not always singing, we should be always giving thanks; we should never want disposition for this duty, as we never want matter for it, through the whole course of our lives. Always, even in trials and afflictions, and for all things; being satisfied of their loving intent, and good tendency.”

 

I say Amen to that! Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Soli Deo Gloria!

The All Good

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Help me to see how good thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.

 

A Prayer from the “Valley of Vision” page 10.

MY GOD,

Thou hast helped me to see,
that whatever good be in honour and
rejoicing, how good is he who gives them,
and can withdraw them;

that blessedness does not lie so much
in receiving good from and in thee,
but in holding forth thy glory and virtue;

that it is an amazing thing to see Deity
in a creature, speaking, acting,
filling, shining through it;

that nothing is good but thee,
that I am near good when I am near thee,
that to be like thee is a glorious thing:
This is my magnet, my attraction.

Thou art all my good in times of peace,
my only support in days of trouble,
my one sufficiency when life shall end.

Help me to see how good thy will is in all,
and even when it crosses mine
teach me to be pleased with it.

Grant me to feel thee in fire, and food and
every providence,
and to see that thy many gifts and creatures
are but thy hands and fingers taking hold of me.

Thou bottomless fountain of all good,
I give myself to thee out of love,
for all I have or own is thine,
my goods, family, church, self,
to do with as thou wilt,
to honour thyself by me, and by all mine.

If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels,
the purpose of thy grace,
and the great ends of thy glory,
then bestow upon me the blessings of
thy comforts;
If not, let me resign myself to
thy wiser determinations.

– Amen

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rest for the Weary

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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:28-29

 

One of the things I look forward to in heaven is that fact that there will be no more sin.  We will completely and finally saved from the presence of sin.  I am so tired of sin.

I have a dear sister in Christ whose family have been going through some severe trials with two of their sons, It is one thing to have a son with mental health issues and quite another to have two sons with mental health issues.  To say their lives have been extremely stressful would be the understatement of the year.

While I cannot claim to understand all that she is going through, I can however be an instrument in the Redeemer’s hands to help her see that God has not forsaken her,  by praying for her, being a comfort to her and reminding her of the goodness of God in her life and circumstances even when it does not look that way. To this end, we scheduled and meet monthly over lunch to catch up, go through scripture  and pray.

 

Unrest is one great characteristic of the world. Hurry, vexation, failure, disappointment, stare us in the face on every side. But here is hope.  There is an ark of refuge for the weary, as truly as there was for Noah’s dove. There is rest in Christ, rest of conscience, and rest of heart, rest built on pardon of all sin, rest flowing from peace with God. – JC Ryle

 

I got a phone call from her on the day before our monthly lunch meeting letting me know she will not be able to make it as one of the sons had had an episode and had been admitted to the hospital. So, we prayed over the phone and I encouraged her with the word. The next day, I got another phone call from her letting me know that the second son has been missing for two days. He was on his way home at about 10pm two days before and never made it. While she was on the phone with me (6am), she was driving from street to street and from train track to train track looking for him. She and her husband were taking turns driving around looking for him, while the police was going around interviewing his friends.

My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach and all I could was cry out to the Lord in prayer. I could not imagine the horror they were going through not knowing. My husband and I began to pray for them.

 

“Go not,” He seems to say, “to man for relief. Wait not for help to arise from any other quarter. Just as you are, this very day, come to me.”   Mark what an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, “I am gentle and lowly of heart.”  – JC Ryle

 

I am currently through the M’Cheyne Reading Plan for the year and part of today’s reading was Matthew 11.  Verse 28-29 of Matthew 11 are familiar verses and were very much needed today in light of what had transpired in the last two days.  Matthew 11:28-29 reads: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

What a comfort!  JC Ryle’s commentary on these verses were also such a blessing:

Unrest is one great characteristic of the world. Hurry, vexation, failure, disappointment, stare us in the face on every side. But here is hope. There is an ark of refuge for the weary, as truly as there was for Noah’s dove. There is rest in Christ, rest of conscience, and rest of heart, rest built on pardon of all sin, rest flowing from peace with God. 

Mark what a simple request Jesus makes to the laboring and heavy-laden ones:

“Come to me — Take my yoke upon you, learn from me.” He interposes no hard conditions. He speaks nothing of works to be done first, and deservingness of His gifts to be established. He only asks us to come to Him just as we are, with all our sins, and to submit ourselves like little children to His teaching. 

“Go not,” He seems to say, “to man for relief. Wait not for help to arise from any other quarter. Just as you are, this very day, come to me.”   Mark what an encouraging account Jesus gives of Himself. He says, “I am gentle and lowly of heart.”  

Mark, lastly, the encouraging account that Jesus gives of His service. He says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” 

 No doubt there is a cross to be carried, if we follow Christ. No doubt there are trials to be endured, and battles to be fought. But the comforts of the Gospel far outweigh the cross. Compared to the service of the world and sin, compared to the yoke of Jewish ceremonies, and the bondage of human superstition, Christ’s service is in the highest sense easy and light.

 His yoke is no more a burden than the feathers are to a bird. His commandments are not grievous. His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. (1 John 5:3. Prov. 3:17.)

 God is so good and knows how to send comfort to His children!  This morning before I wrote this bog article, I got a phone call from my friend letting me know that her missing son had contacted them by text and phone call.  While they had not yet seen him, it was a relief to know that he is still alive.  Please continue to pray for this dear sweet family.

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Longings After God

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Lord, give me more of thy likeness;
Enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness;
Engage me to live more for thee.

 

The older I get, the more I realize that Christ is all we need. This has led me to daily cry out to God to make me more like Him and give me more of Himself.  This prayer from page 230 of “The Valley of Vision” has truly blessed my soul.

 

MY DEAR LORD,

I can but tell thee that thou knowest
I long for nothing but thyself,
nothing but holiness,
nothing but union with thy will.

Thou hast given me these desires,
and thou alone canst give me the thing desired.
My soul longs for communion with thee,
for mortification of indwelling corruption,
especially spiritual pride.

How precious it is
to have a tender sense and clear apprehension
of the mystery of godliness,
of true holiness!

What a blessedness to be like thee
as much as it is possible for a creature
to be like its Creator!
Lord, give me more of thy likeness;
Enlarge my soul to contain fullness of holiness;
Engage me to live more for thee.

Help me to be less pleased with my spiritual
experiences,
and when I feel at ease after sweet communings,
teach me it is far too little I know and do.

Blessed Lord,
let me climb up near to thee,
and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle
with thee,
and pant for deliverance from the body of sin,
for my heart is wandering and lifeless,
and my soul mourns to think it should ever
lose sight of its Beloved.

Wrap my life in divine love,
and keep me ever desiring thee,
always humble and resigned to thy will,
more fixed on thyself,
that I may be more fitted for doing
and suffering.

Amen.

Can I do anything through Christ?

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I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

 

Philippians 4:13 is one of the most popular verses in all of scripture.  People quote it all the time, and when they do, it is usually in the context of pushing through a difficult situation or as a means of motivating or inspiring individuals to greater achievement.

But is that what the verse really means? Is this verse about motivating a person to “be all they can be”?  Does this verse mean that if we really set our minds to it, we can do anything?  Is that what the Lord is telling us with this verse? Absolutely not!

Like all scripture in the Bible, context matters. In order to understand what Paul is saying here, you will  need to read the whole book.  However, to put this verse in context, we will need to read the two preceding verses – the means starting from verse 10.

 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Phillippians 4:10-13

Paul is thanking the Philippians for the gift they sent him. He then proceeds to the tell them the while he was thankful for their gift, he was not really in need because he had learned the secret of being content.  He is content when he has much or when he has little, he is able to maintain a heart of contentment through Christ’s strength that is at work in him.

Philippians 4:13 is not about you being able to achieve whatever you set your mind to do. Rather, it is about the power of Christ at work in the life of Paul enabling him to find contentment in Christ. Christ is the focus of the verse, not you.

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Oh the Deep Love of Jesus!

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Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, I find no guilt in this man… Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us… but they kept shouting, Crucify, crucify him!.. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. – Luke 23:4,15a, 21,24

 

This is Easter weekend. Where would we be today without the cross?  Thank you Jesus!

 

Luke 24:1-8

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.

And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.

And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them,

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?

He is not here, but has risen.

Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

And they remembered his words

 

How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Soli Deo Gloria!

God Enjoyed

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Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth
his praise.

 

This prayer captured my heart as soon a I read it and I have prayed over and over again.  It can be found on page 18 of the “The Valley of Vision”.

 

THOU INCOMPREHENSIBLE BUT PRAYER-HEARING GOD,

Known, but beyond knowledge,
revealed, but unrevealed,
my wants and welfare draw me to thee,
for thou hast never said, ‘Seek ye me in vain’.

To thee I come in my difficulties, necessities,
distresses;
possess me with thyself,
with a spirit of grace and supplication,
with a prayerful attitude of mind,
with access into warmth of fellowship,
so that in the ordinary concerns of life
my thoughts and desires may rise to thee,
and in habitual devotion I may find a resource
that will soothe my sorrows,
sanctify my successes,
and qualify me in all ways for dealings
with my fellow men.

I bless thee that thou hast made me capable
of knowing thee, the author of all being,
of resembling thee, the perfection of all excellency,
of enjoying thee, the source of all happiness.

O God, attend me in every part of my arduous
and trying pilgrimage;
I need the same counsel, defence, comfort
I found at my beginning.

Let my religion be more obvious to my conscience,
more perceptible to those around.
While Jesus is representing me in heaven,
may I reflect him on earth,
While he pleads my cause, may I show forth
his praise.

Continue the gentleness of thy goodness
towards me,
And whether I wake or sleep, let thy presence
go with me,
thy blessing attend me.

Thou hast led me on and I have found thy
promises true,
I have been sorrowful, but thou hast been my help,
fearful, but thou hast delivered me,
despairing, but thou hast lifted me up.
Thy vows are ever upon me,
And I praise thee, O God.

 

Amen!

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!