HeadTheology

In considering what is really important in the church Newton makes a wonderful point here.

“It is better people should be dissenters or Methodists than heathens.”

‘But Now I See’: The Life of John Newton, p. 337.

“But when zeal spends itself about the less essential matters of forms and names, about points in which the wisest and the best have always differed, I would, if I could, lull it fast asleep.  De he wait till we are all exactly of a mind?  Does He confine His regards, His grace, His presence, within the wall of a party?  Is He the God of the Presbyterians of the Independents only?… And shall zeal presume to come in with its ifs and its buts, and to build up walls of separation?  Yet many true believers are so much under the spirit of self and prejudice that they verily mean to do the Lord’s service by substituting their own commands in the room of His.  And they see no harm in saying, ‘You must think and act as I do, subscribe to my paper, and worship in my way, or else, though I hope the Lord has received you, I think it my duty to keep my distance from you.’”

From ‘But Now I See’: The Life of John Newton, by Josiah Bull

“I feel much more union of spirit with some Arminians than I could with some Calvinists; and if I thought a person feared sin, loved the word of God, and was seeking after Jesus, I would not walk the length of my study to proselyte him to the Calvinist doctrines. Not because I think them mere opinions, or of little importance to a believer – I think the contrary; but because I believe these doctrines will do no one any good till he is taught them of God. I believe a too hasty assent to Calvinistic principles, before a person is duly acquainted with the plague of his own heart, is one principal cause of that lightness of profession which so lamentably abounds in this day, a chief reason why many professors are rash, heady, high-minded, contentious about words, and sadly remiss as to the means of Divine Appointment.”

-‘But Now I See’: The Life of John Newton, by Josiah Bull p. 212

I’ve read four Puritan Paperbacks in my life and intend to read them all before my life is done Lord willing since they are such inspirations to holiness and having an abiding joy in God. So far The Doctrine of Repentance, by Thomas Watson, has to be my favorite, or maybe it convictingly spoke to me when I needed it at a time in my life. Nevertheless, whenever someone wants me to recommend a book to them this is usually one of the first ones I mention. Not only is it an easy read (at least much easier than reading John Owen) but the content is pure gold. I can’t see why Christians would want to feed their life with all of the fluff that overflows most Christian bookstores when they can have something so nourishing as The Doctrine of Repentance. This book goes well with Owen’s The Mortification of Sin since there can be no mortification of sin without repentance. Here are my favorite quotes from The Doctrine of Repentance.

“It is better to go with difficulty to heaven than with ease to hell” (8)

“A woman may as well expect to have a child without pangs as one can have repentance without sorrow. He that can believe without doubting, suspect his faith; and he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.” (19)

“We are to find as much bitterness in weeping for sin as ever we found sweetness in committing it.” (24)

“The Christian has arrived as a sufficient measure of sorrow when the love of sin is purged out.” (24)

“The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ.” (27)

(more…)

I finally finished The Mortification of Sin by John Owen for the second time. I must say that it is a book that gets much richer the second time around. I can’t say though that of all the Puritans I have read it transformed my Christian walk like J. I. Packer’s, The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson holds that place. Nonetheless, The Mortification of Sin is a superb book well worth its arduous read and worth apply to one’s Christian sojourn.

One of the things that I wish more book reviews had in them were more quotes from the book. I know that pulling quotes out of context can be deadly but I’d rather those of you who have not read the book get the highlights from Owen himself. I want you to taste this work itself to inspire you to read it, not to tell you what it tastes like. So without further ado, here are my favorite quotes from The Mortification of Sin.

“the vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.” (p.24)

“Be killing sin, or it will be killing you” (p.26)

“When sin lets us alone, we may let it alone: but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be the most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times, in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion.” (p.28)

“[Sin] is modest, as it were, in its first motions and proposals; but having once got footing in the heart by them, it constantly makes good its ground, and presseth on to some degrees in the same kind.” (p.31)

“Not to be daily mortifying sin is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.” (p.32)

“Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness, who walks not over the neck of his lusts.” (p.34) (more…)