If you have read any of my recent articles, you know I have great respect for the Puritans. It is hard to say which are my very favorites, but the following three are certainly near the top. For pithiness, readability, spiritual insight, Thomas Manton, Thomas Brooks, and Thomas Watson are very worthy. Most of these men’s writings are still in print. You may ask “Which one should I start with?” If you are new to Puritan writing, and desire a blessing, I would say purchase Thomas Watson’s All Things for Good, which was formerly titled A Divine Cordial. It is published in paperback by Banner of Truth and you can obtain it for about $8 from Amazon.com, or just read it online by clicking here: http://fivesolas.com/watson/cordal_i.htm . Five Solas also has a lot of other Puritan writings you may wish to read. So much of their work is in print now, and online, and ought to be read for our spiritual edification. Since they have long left this world, their work is not copyrighted. They would smile on your drawing from their wells. (cw)
GOD’S MIND, OUR PRAYERS, PEACE WITH GOD- Thomas Manton, 1620-1677
"God’s mind is revealed in scripture, but we can see nothing without the spectacles of the Holy Spirit.”
“When we make self the end of prayer, it is not worship, but self-seeking.”
”We have peace with God by the righteousness of Christ, and peace of conscience by the fruits of righteousness in ourselves.”
“Continued meditation brings great profit to the soul. Passant and transient thoughts are more pleasant, but not so profitable. Deliberate meditation is of most use because it secures the return of the thoughts.”
“What is the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice? For want of meditation.... Constant thoughts are operative, and musing makes the fire burn. Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing.”
“If you yield to Satan in the least, he will carry you further and further, till he has left you under a stupefied or terrified conscience: stupefied, till thou hast lost all thy tenderness. A stone at the top of a hill, when it begins to roll down, ceases not till it comes to the bottom. Thou thinkest it is but yielding a little, and so by degrees are carried on, till thou hast sinned away all thy profession, and all principles of conscience, by the secret witchery of his temptations.”
OUR ACTIONS-Thomas Brooks, 1608-1680
“A man's most glorious actions will at last be found to be but glorious sins, if he hath made himself, and not the glory of God, the end of those actions.”
“Truth is mighty and will prevail.”
“ The best way to do ourselves good is to be doing good to others; the best way to gather is to scatter.”
"There are three things that earthly riches can never do; they can never satisfy divine justice, they can never pacify divine wrath, nor can they ever quiet a guilty conscience. And till these things are done man is undone.”
"Reader, remember this: if thy knowledge do not now affect thy heart, it will at last, with a witness, afflict thy heart; if it do not now endear Christ to thee, it will at last provoke Christ the more against thee; if it do not make all the things of Christ to be very precious in thy eyes, it will at last make thee the more vile in Christ's eyes."
"There is no such way to attain to better measures of grace, as for a man to live up to that little grace he has."
"Bring your graces to the touchstone, to try their truth, rather than to the balance to weigh their measure."
FOR HIS CHILDREN- Thomas Watson, 1620-1686
“A regenerate person abhors sin not only for the curse but for the contagion. He hates this serpent not only for its sting but for its poison. He hates sin not only for hell but as hell.”
“Tomorrow may be our dying day; let this be our repenting day.”
“We are never more precious in God's eyes when we are lepers in our own.”
"The Scripture is to be its own interpreter, or rather the Spirit speaking in it; nothing can cut the diamond but the diamond; nothing can interpret Scripture but Scripture."
"The Scripture is both the breeder and feeder of grace. How is the convert born, but by the word of truth?" (James 1:18). How doth he grow, but by `the sincere milk of the Word?"
(1 Peter 2:2)
“Why does God woo and beseech you by his ambassadors, if he is not willing to be in covenant?”
“The torments of hell abide for ever.... If all the earth and sea were sand, and every thousandth year a bird should come, and take away one grain of this sand, it would be a long time ere that vast heap of sand were emptied; yet, if after all that time the damned may come out of hell, there were some hope; but this word EVER breaks the heart.”
MORETHOUGHTS FROM THE PURITAN, THOMAS WATSON
“Tomorrow may be our dying day; let this be our repenting day.”
“Civility does but wash a man, grace changes him…Civility is but strewing flowers on a dead corpse. A man may be wonderfully moralized, yet but a tame devil.”
(Thomas Watson inThe Beatitudes)
“A regenerate person abhors sin not only for the curse but for the contagion. He hates this serpent not only for its sting but for its poison. He hates sin not only for hell but as hell.”
(These were all random quotes by these good men. You can find more by many more Puritans in A Puritan Golden Treasury by I.D.E Thomas published by Banner of Truth and it is in print).
The musical part of New England worship consisted of Psalm singing, in which the Psalm was lined out by the ruling elder, or by one designated by the minister. The people knew few tunes and as late as the beginning of the eighteenth century New England congregations were rarely able to sing more than three or four. Even the few melodies commonly known became so corrupted that no two individuals sang them alike, so that a congregation singing sounded "like five hundred different tunes roared out at the same time" often one or two words apart.An eighteenth century New England minister states: "I myself have twice in one note paused to take breath."
The story is told of a New England deacon who, because of failing eyesight, found difficulty in reading the first line of the Psalm and he apologized by observing: "My eyes, indeed, are very blind."
The choir thinking this the first line of a common-meter hymn immediately sang it;
whereupon the deacon exclaimed:
"I cannot see at all."
This the choir also sang. Astonished, the deacon cried out:
"I really believe you are bewitched"
and the choir responded, "I really believe you are bewitched,"
whereupon the deacon added,
"The mischief's in you all,"
and after the choir had sung that, the deacon sat down in disgust.
(From The Story of Religion in America, William W. Sweet; Harper and Brothers, 1950 edition, page 57). (Editor’s note: How would you like to sing that song? And they say the Puritans had no sense of humor ).
POET AND HYMNWRITER
The tradition of singing only Psalms was carried from Calvin, Zwingli and some of the other reformers after the Protestant Reformation, though Lutherans sang some hymns about 100 years earlier. Some churches today in Scotland and elsewhere still sing only Psalms.The Scottish Psalter is still published today. Some of the inherent problems in organizing the Psalms for singing were in the structure. Some were put together in metric, but the wording was often crude.
Then there was the Bay Psalm Book (1640), known as the first book ever published in America. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/tlc0005.jpg It was written by Richard Mather and other Puritans at Cambridge, Massachusetts.The lyrics didn’t rhyme well, but I guess few worried about such things until, in England, a minister of Puritan stock named Isaac Watts came along. He was not satisfied with the arrangements of the psalters because they so poorly rhymed. Being an excellent poet, he composed his own Psalter. Then he began to set other poems he had written to music.First he wrote Behold the Glories of the Lamb, then others
including At the Cross,When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Marching to Zion, Joy to the World, Oh God Our Help in Ages Past and at least 745 more! They became popular, and the era of the hymn in the evangelical churches was born, and I might add, we are much richer for it today. What a blessing to Christ’s church his hymns, those later of Charles Wesley, John Newton, William Cowper, and many others have been over the years, and always will be to worshiping Christians..
ISAAC WATTS’ GREATEST HYMN?
(At least I think so. My children learned it when very young, and we often sang it together).
When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Certainly there was nothing forbidden in using Psalms in worship as the Puritans did. To do so exclusively is not commanded however. As a matter of fact the Bible does tell us exactly what should be done in private and corporate worship. It does so without specifying in minute detail. For instance in Psalm 150 we are told various instruments, besides the human voice, may be used in praising the Lord. The key verse is “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” (Psalm 150:6). Some want to restrict this to the Old Testament, but I see no warrant in them doing so. If you do that, you had better do away with “a pulpit of wood” for it is only found in Nehemiah 8:4; or “storehouse tithing” which is found only in Malachi 3:10.
First, we are to sing unto the Lord: “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence
with singing” (Psalm 100:2). We are to sing psalms -- unto Him: “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works” (Psalm 105:2). Sing with understanding. This means doctrine, or teaching should be in the praises and songs: “For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding” Psalm 47:7). This is in the New Testament as well as old: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms” (James 5:13).
Secondly, hymns are to be sang as well as Psalms. “Greek= humnos; which denotes a song of praise addressed to God” W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words.
“ Songs -- joyous lyric pieces on sacred subjects; contrast the reveling, licentious songs of pagan feasts (Amos 8:10).” Fausset’s Bible Dictionary on “hymn”.
“And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30).
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard
them” (Acts 16:25)
“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
These verses should be most instructive to us on what kind of singing in Christian assemblies is acceptable to God. I found Fausset’s words “contrast the reveling, licentious songs of pagan feasts” very alarming. He was speaking of pagans back before 1877 when his dictionary was originally published. What would he have to say about the modern pagans in England and America today and their so-called church music? Thirdly, the verses above are saying “spiritual songs” as opposed to worldly or pagan songs.
How do you define the difference? “All music is be to offered to God. Johann Sebastian Bach, perhaps the greatest musician of all time, said that the aim of all music is the glory of God. In his own life and work the great composer and organist sought to live out that aim, frequently initialing his works S.D.G.: Sola Deo Gloria--to the glory of God alone. Whenever believers sing, they must constantly remind themselves that their song should be a gift of praise to the Lord. Every word of every song should be biblical, rightly reflecting God's own thoughts and attitudes. It is tragic that much of the music today classified as Christian is nothing more than theological mishmash.”John MacArthur on Ephesians 5:19; from Monergism.com..
Some of you may say “Oh, it is just a matter of choice. A ‘Christian rock’ or ‘Christian rap’ song can praise the Lord as much as a hymn.” Be careful now, Christian friend! First of all, as we have said, the lyrics should be biblical. Also, the song should be offered to God. I can’t get too detailed in this issue, but hope to expand later. Suffice it to say, there is a certain amount of latitude in types of songs. Rhythm in itself is not wrong. The Hebrew songs certainly had rhythm.But, to take the rhythm that serves the devil so well, put a few Christian sounding phrases with it,and call it “Christian rock.”or“Christian rap”or “contemporary” is a misnomer. I used to listen to Elvis, Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Lynryd Skynyrd and many other rock singers, and you can’t take the same tunes and styles they sang, give them religious lyrics and call them Christian. They may be religious, but not Christian -- certainly not spiritual songs! So many young people (and some older ones as well), are being fooled today by contemporary Christian music, most of which will not, and cannot help you worship the true Sovereign God aright. “Be ye not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part
hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)
WHAT ABOUT NEW SONGS?
Likely some will get angry and puffed up with me, but think about this; I am not saying every song must be an old hymn written before 1900. I am saying our worship songs in our churches should meet our chief end -- which is to glorify God! I am not saying every good song must have been written by a Calvinist. Charles Wesley, although an Arminian, wrote some great hymns. Some modern songs are good. It is just the trend to throw out the old songs, along with the old paths -- the old biblical theology of Sovereign Grace. Our songs, whether old or new,should be scriptural.
“O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD,
bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day” (Psalm 96:1-2).
I am sure someone will point out the preceding verse to defend all contemporary songs, but as you see the new song here was also to be a song of praise to Jehovah. If we in the New Testament are “showing forth His salvation from day to day.” our songs must present Jesus Christ, whose very name means salvation. He is our salvation (see Isaiah 12:2).
“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Here is an example of a good modern song IMHO.
WE SHALL BEHOLD HIM (Words and music by Dottie Rambo)
The sky shall unfold, preparing His entrance;
The stars shall applaud Him with thunders of praise.
The sweet light in His eyes shall enhance those a waiting,
And we shall behold Him then face to face.
Chorus
And we shall behold Him, we shall behold Him
Face to face in all of His glory;
And we shall behold Him, Yes, we shall behold Him
Face to face, our Saviour and Lord.
The angels shall sound the shout of His coming,
The sleeping shall rise from their slumbering place.
And those who remain shall be changed in a moment,
We shall not find as many Puritan writings by American Puritans as we did by British Puritans. Why is this? Because the Pilgrims, who were generally of the same theology as others known as Puritans, had left England for Holland in an attempt to find religious freedom. Many of the others stayed in the Church of England and tried to “purify” her. Then under persecution, such as the Pilgrims had faced, many more dissented and left the Anglican church and became Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists and Congregationalists. After the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, others began immigrating to America. Most of the first were Puritans who also settled in Massachusetts. Many came to America, but many more remained in Britain. The American Puritans were different in that for the first time Puritans actually formed a government, based on the Mayflower Compact. So we not only had theology, but government based on biblical law. Of course, they still had to answer to the British crown, but were largely self governing. This was not to happen in England until Cromwell established the Protectorate and deposed King Charles in 1653. The Protectorate only lasted 12 years, and the monarchy was restored to England.
Difficulty arose in Massachusetts Bay as more people immigrated. The laws were strict, and even punished those who broke the Sabbath in any way, such as not attending the church. In effect, unregenerate people were expected to behave as Christians, or find themselves in jail, or worse. One Puritan who opposed this way of thinking was Roger Williams. He believed it was not the job of civil government to enforce the first table of the Law. He also believed that a man or woman could not be forced to be a Christian, or believe a certain thing. He believed in religious freedom for all. Eventually he had to leave the Massachusetts Bay colony, and went on to start Providence, eventually to become the capitol of Rhode Island.So ironically, the Puritans who were persecuted in England sometimes became persecutors in the New World. In Providence, Williams is said to have started the first Baptist church in America. He certainly was an influence on the Puritans regarding freedom of conscience, which became a way of life in America.Yet among these godly, but fallible, men were some Bible teachers and preachers of the first order. They published, but not as prolifically as their English and Scotch brethren. Yet a number of great works and sermons were published up to the time of Jonathon Edwards, arguablythe most brilliant American theologian, and often called “The Last Puritan“. Let us examinea morsel or two of these other great writers’ work.
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
(By Cotton Mather-1663-1728; grandson of John Cotton, and the son of Increase Mather).
“It is impossible to ask a more weighty Question! It is deplorable that we hear it asked with no more Frequency, with nor more Agony. The Spirit of Slumber which the Poison of the old Serpent has brought upon the children of Men is to be deplored exceedingly. Awaken us out of this [terrible] stupidity, O God of all Grace, lest we perish [eternally]. My Design is to bring in a Good and full Answer to this Weighty Question, Oh! how Thankful ought we to be, for the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, that makes us able to Answer it! The Gospel which we have in our hands, this a Gospel of such astonishing Mystery, of such Heavenly Majesty, and of such Consummate Purity, that it can be no other than the Word of God; It must be of a Divine Original. Oh! highly Favoured People, who know this Joyful Sound! Oh! Unavoidably and Inexcusably Wretched, if we disregard it.”
MAGNALIA CHRISTI AMERICANA
(or Great Works of Christ in America), Cotton Mather’s massive work of over 1200 pages. This is from the introductionwhere it was stated “The object of the first planters of New England was to form a CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH”. Very interesting indeed, when so many both in the churches and theworld, tell us that America was never designed to be a Christian nation but a strictly secular society. If you really like to read early historical accounts you can view the entire “Magnalia” in PDF at the excellent Monergism site which has literally thousands of Puritan and Reformed books and articles online.http://www.monergism.com/directory/search.php?action=search_links_simple&search_kind=and&phrase=cotton+mather&B1=Go
"For, if we look on the dark side, the humane side of this work, then is much of humane weakness, and imperfection hath appeared in all that hath been done by man, as was acknowledged by our fathers before us.
Neither was New-England ever without some fatherly chastisements from God; shewing that He is not fond of the formalities of any people upon earth, but expects the realities of practical godliness, according to our profession and engagement unto him. Much more may we, the children of such fathers, lament our gradual degeneracy from that life and power of Godliness, that was in them, and the many provoking evils that are amongst us; which have moved our God severely to witness against us, more than in our first times, by his lesser judgments going before, and his greater judgments following after; he shot off his warning pieces first, but his murthering pieces have come after them, in so much as in these calamitous times, the changes of wars of Europe have had such a malignant influence upon us in America, that we are at this day greatly diminished and brought low, through oppression, affliction , and sorrow.
And yet if we look on the light side ,the divine side, of this work, we may yet see,
that the glory of God which was with our fathers, is not wholly departed from us their children; there are as yet many signs of his gracious presence with us, both in the way of his providence, and in the use of his ordinances, as also in and with the hearts and souls of a considerable number of his people in New-England, that we may yet say, as they did,
"Thy name is upon us, and thon art in the midst of us; therefore, Lord, leave us not!" As
Solomon prayed, so may we, “The LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; let him not leave nor forsake us; but incline our hearts to keep his commandments" And then "that he would maintain his own, and his people's cause, at all times, as the matter
may require”
REMARKABLE PROVIDENCES
(By Increase Mather- 1639-1723; father of Cotton Mather and a renownedpreacher as well).
Chapter 1: Of Remarkable Sea Deliverances
“The royal pen of the prophet David hath most truly affirmed, ‘that they who go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.’ And, in special, they see wonders of Divine goodness in respect of eminent deliverances wrought by the hand of the Most High, who stills the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves. lt is meet that such providences should be ever had in remembrance, as most of all by the persons concerned in them, so by others, that the God of Salvation, who is the confidence of them that are afar off upon the sea, may have eternal praise....
Remarkable was that deliverance mentioned both by Mr. Janeway and Mr. Burton, wherein that gallant commander, Major Edward Gibbons, of Boston, in New England, and others were concerned. The substance of the story is this:–A New England vessel going from Boston to some other parts of America, was, through the continuance of contrary winds, kept long at sea, so that they were in very great straits for want of provision; and seeing they could not hope for any relief from earth or sea, they apply themselves to heaven in humble and hearty prayers; but no calm ensuing, one of them made this sorrowful motion, that they should cast lots, which of them should die first, to satisfy the ravenous hunger of the rest. After many a sad debate, they come to a result, the lot is cast, and one of the company is taken, but where is the executioner to be found to act this office upon a poor innocent? It is death now to think who shall act this bloody part in the tragedy. But before they fall upon this involuntary execution, they once more went unto their prayers; and while they were calling upon God, he answered them, for there leaped a mighty fish into the boat, which was a double joy to them, not only in relieving their miserable hunger, which, no doubt, made them quick cooks, but because they looked upon it to be sent from God, and to be a token of their deliverance. But alas! the fish is soon eaten, and their former exigencies come upon them, which sink their spirits into despair, for they know not of another morsel. To lot they go again the second time, which falleth upon another person; but still none can be found to sacrifice him: they again send their prayers to heaven with all manner of fervency, when, behold a second answer from above! a great bird alights, and fixes itself upon the mast, which one of the company espies, and he goes, and there she stands till he took her with his hand by the wing. This was life from the dead the second time, and they feasted themselves herewith, as hoping that second providence was a forerunner of their complete deliverance. But they have still the same disappointments; they can see no land; they know not where they are. Hunger increaseth again upon them, and they have no hopes to be saved but by a third miracle. They are reduced to the former course of casting lots; when they were going to the heart-breaking work, to put him to death whom the lot fell upon, they go to God, their former friend in adversity, by humble and hearty prayers; and now they look and look again; but there is nothing. Their prayers are concluded, and nothing appears, yet still they hoped and stayed; till at last one of them espies a ship, which put new life into all their spirits. They bear up with their vessel, they man their boat, and desire and beg like perishing, humble supplicants to board them, which they are admitted. The vessel proves a French vessel–yea, a French pirate. Major Gibbons petitions them for a little bread, and offers ship and cargo for it. But the commander knows the Major (from whom he had received some signal kindnesses formerly at Boston), and replied readily and cheerfully–‘Major Gibbons, not a hair of you or your company shall perish, if it lie in my power to preserve you.’ And accordingly he relieveth them, and sets them safe on shore.”
THE DANGER OF DESERTION
(By Thomas Hooker-1586-1647; In July of 1633 he left England. He boarded the ship Griffin at the Downs to sail for Massachusetts. Hooker arrived in Boston in September, 1633.Also aboard the same ship were Samuel Stone and John Cotton, two other Puritan ministers. Samuel Stone(1602-1663), was co-founder of the colony of Connecticut with Thomas Hooker).
The date of Hooker's final sermon in Essex, England is not known, but its contents have largely survived, being published subsequently under the title, The Danger of Desertion. The text was Jeremiah 14.9,'And we are called by thy Name, leave us not'. Even in the imperfect notes (taken by two of his hearers) which have survived we can sense something of what this farewell meant to both preacher and hearers. From the application of the sermon we take the following:
“I am an importunate suitor for Christ. Oh, send me not sad away I What are you resolved of ? Are you willing to enjoy God still, and to have him dwell with you? Well, look to it, for God is going, and if he do go, then our glory goes also. And then we may say with Phinehas' wife, II Samuel 4.22 'Glory is departed from Israel'. So glory is departed from England; for England hath seen her best days and the reward of sin is coming on apace, for God is packing up of his gospel because none will buy his wares. God begins to ship away his Noahs which prophesied and foretold that destruction was near; and God makes account that New England shall be a refuge for his Noahs and his Lots, a rock and a shelter for his righteous ones to ran unto; and those that were vexed to see the ungodly lives of the people in this wicked land shall there be safe. Oh, therefore my brethren, lay hold on God, and let him not go out of your coasts! He is going! Look about you, I say, and stop him at the town's-end, and let not thy God depart! Oh, England, lay siege about him by humble and hearty closing with him, and although he be going, he is not yet gone! Suffer him not to go far, suffer him not to say, 'Farewell, or rather fare-ill, England!'“
CAUTIONS AGAINST SPIRITUAL DRUNKENNESS
(Thomas Shepard-1605-1649; known as the “soul melting Puritan”. He came over to Boston in 1635 and pastored the church in Cambridge, Mass until his death in 1649).
“What is meant by a spirit of drunkenness? Sometimes it means the drunkenness of men's
bodies. Other times it speaks of soul-calamities so drastic that men do not know what to do
(Lamentations 3:15). Sometimes it means spiritual judgments because of sin and therefore refers
not so much to misery in general as to spiritual misery, when the Lord gives men up to a
reprobate spirit. ‘They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger but not with strong
drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your
eyes’ (Isaiah 29:9,10). Jeremiah speaks of the calamity of the people in their being dashed one
against another. Drunkenness prepares them for this misery.
Spiritual drunkenness is a forerunner of a people's merciless destruction. ‘I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them ’ says the Lord.in Jeremiah 13:14.
Belshazzar had been drinking through the evening and that same night the handwriting of the Lord appeared on the wall: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN... God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it... Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.’ (Daniel 5:25-28). ‘While drunken...they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry’ (Nahum 1:10).”
Practically everyone has heard the name Puritan. In the turmoil and cultural change of the 1960’s in America, it was an epitaph often hurled at people who refused to go along with the loose living and radical social change that was overtaking society. It is still used that way, but in this day of apostasy when relatively few are standing against sin and for the gospel, dissenters from the modern religious libertines are usually called fundamentalists. Both words have become a term of disgust in the mouths of the ungodly. Puritans, strictly speaking, began in England as a movement in the 16th century within the Anglican church to speed up the process of the Protestant Reformation in Great Britain. Because the dissent later brought about some Puritans leaving the Church of England, it affected Presbyterians, Independents, Baptists, and Congregationalists during two centuries, but had effects for a lot longer period. It was probably the most profound time of sound Bible preaching since the early church. Later, I plan to give references to study their history, if you are interested; and look at the American Puritans. But for this article, I want us to look at some of the learned and pithy teaching of English Puritans. There were hundreds of them in Britain at the time. Most were Calvinists, but some were Arminian. The Puritans had a wide range of educational attainments. Some were self taught like John Bunyan, the tinker’s son. Then on the other end were the Doctors of Divinity, like Dr. John Owen, Dr. Thomas Goodwin and Dr. William Ames. Much of the work of many Puritans can be found online, and I recommend most of them for their rich spiritual insight.
PURITANS AND THE BIBLE
“An English Puritan preacher once exhorted his people about their neglect of the Bible. One hearer reported how the preacher "personates God to the people, telling them, 'Well, I have trusted you so long with my Bible; you have slighted it, it lies … covered with dust and cobwebs; you care not to listen to it. Do you use my Bible so? Well, you shall have my Bible no longer.'
"And he takes up the Bible from his cushion, and seemed as if he were going away with it and carrying it from them; but immediately turns again and personates the people to God, falls down on his knees, cries and pleads most earnestly, 'Lord, whatever thou dost to us, take not thy Bible from us; kill our children, burn our houses, destroy our goods; only spare us thy Bible, only take not away thy Bible.'
"And then he personates God again to the people: 'Say you so? Well, I will try you a while longer; and here is my Bible for you. I will see how you will use it, whether you will love it more … observe it more … practice it more, and live more according to it.' "
In response, the people broke down and were "deluged with their own tears."
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD: and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).
“Quest. How is meditation to be defined, as it is taken in the former sense?
Answ. Meditation is a serious, earnest and purposed musing upon some point of Christian instruction, tending to lead us forward toward the Kingdom of Heaven, and serving for our daily strengthening against the flesh, the world and the Devil. Or it is the steadfast and earnest bending of the mind upon some spiritual and heavenly matter, discoursing thereof with our selves, till we bring the same to some profitable issue, both for the settling of our judgments, and the bettering of our hearts and lives.
Quest. How do prayer and meditation differ?
Answ. They are often confounded in name, but inseparably linked in nature going hand and hand together; and can no more be severed, than two twins, who live and die together; only in prayer we confer and commune more directly with God by petition and thanksgiving; in meditation we talk and confer more directly and properly with ourselves and our own souls.”
A Treatise of Divine Meditation by John Ball (1585-1640).
“Meditation is a pure and rational converse with God. It is the flower and height of consecrated reason” (Thomas Manton, 1620-1677).
THOUGHTS ON PRAYER
“It is good for us to keep some account of our prayers, that we may not unsay them in our practice” (Matthew Henry, 1662-1714).
"The reason why our souls are so empty of joy, is because our mouths are empty of prayer" (Robert Traill,1642-1716).
“Not the people only, but those who are themselves ministers, should pray for the increase of ministers. Though self-interest makes those that seek their own things desirous to be placed alone (the fewer ministers the more preferments), yet those that seek the things of Christ, desire more workmen, that more work may be done, though they be eclipsed by it “ (Matthew Henry on Matthew 9:35-38; emphasis original).
THOUGHTS ON HOLINESS
“Because true faith has holiness joined with it, which it keeps effectual (Acts 15:9), and the profession of true faith cannot be separated from the profession of holiness, the church is variously but with the same meaning called a society of believers and a society of saints; ‘To the saints which are at Ephesus, and to thefaithful in Jesus Christ’ (Ephesians1:1;1 Corinthians1:2 compared with 2 Corinthians. 1:1; Romans. 1:7; and Colossians 1:2)”
(From The Church Instituted; Dr.William Ames, 1576-1633).
“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was” (Joseph Hall,1574-1656).
“The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve its purity” (Matthew Henry, 1662-1714).
THOUGHTS ON SALVATION
"For God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
“For the explication: ‘by our Lord Jesus Christ.’ The first title is ‘Lord’, and this is a name of dominion and sovereignty, and implies a power and strength in Christ to carry on the work of our salvation. If Christ were a Jesus and not a Lord, He could not save us.
He is the ‘Lord Jesus’. As ‘Lord’ is a title of dominion, so ‘Jesus’ is a title of mercy and bounty, and signifies a Savior. He is not only a Lord, and so has power to do us good, but He is also a Jesus, and so He has a will to do us good. The dialect of the Old Testament is the ‘Lord our God’, but never ‘the Lord Jesus’ till in the New Testament.
He is the ‘Lord Jesus Christ,’ that is, He is God's anointed. He was set apart and appointed by God to carry on the great work of man's salvation. ‘Christ’ is a name of office and function” (From Wrath and Mercy, Sermon #4;By Christopher Love, 1618-1651).
“What they shall pray in the time of their extremity, who now spit at all praying and religion! They shall be religious in their kind, when they shall cry , ‘Mountains and rocks fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb’ (Revelation 6:16). You cannot believe that a Lamb shall chase the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich man, and every bondman, and every free man, into the dens and rocks of the mountains, to hide themselves. But the Lord acteth wrath and judgment before your eyes. Men will not suppose the real story of hell. Say but with thyself, Oh! shall I weep, and gnaw my tongue for pain, in a sea of fire and brimstone? Do but forefancy, I pray you, how you shall look on it, what thoughts you will have, what you shall do, when you‘shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power‘( II Thessalonians 1:9)”. (From Christ Dying and Drawing Sinners to Himself by Samuel Rutherford, 1600-1661).
THOUGHTS ON ELECTION
“Election is God’s decree whereby on His own free will, He hath ordained certain men to salvation, to the praise of His glory of His grace. ‘According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.’(Ephesians1:4-6).
“This decree is that book of life wherein are written the names of the elect. ‘And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works’(Revelation. 20:12). ‘Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity’ (2 Timothy 2:19)”.
“The execution of this decree, is an action, by which God, even as He purposed with Himself, worketh all those things effectually, which He decreed for the salvation of the Elect. For they whom God elected to this end, that they should inherit eternal life, were also elected to those subordinatemeans, whereby, as by steps, they might attain this end: and without which, it were impossible to attain it. ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified’(Romans 8:29-30)”.(From The Order of Salvation and Damnation by William Perkins, 1558-1602).
William Perkinsis said to have encountered a young condemned prisoner who was terrified not so much of death as of the impending judgment of God. The Puritan preacher knelt beside him to "show what the grace of God can do to strengthen thee." He showed him that Christ is the means of salvation by the grace of God and urged him with tears to believe in Him and experience the remission of sins. The youth did so and was able to face his execution with composure, a glorious display of God's sovereign grace. This incident should be kept in mind while studying Perkins' chart of election and reprobation. It shows his theology did not make him cold and heartless when dealing with sinners in need of a Savior. (From A Puritan’s Mind website)
THOUGHTS ON HOPE IN CHRIST
Hope is a glorious grace, whereunto blessed effects are ascribed in the Scripture, and an effectual operation unto the supportment and consolation of believers. By it are we purified, sanctified, saved. And, to sum up the whole of its excellency and efficacy, it is a principal way of the working of Christ as inhabiting in us: “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Where Christ evidenceth His presence with us, He gives us an infallible hope of glory; He gives us an assured pledge of it and worketh our souls into an expectation of it. Hope in general is but an uncertain expectation of a future good which we desire; but as it is a gospel grace, alluncertainty is removed from it, which would hinder us of the advantage intended in it. It is an earnest expectation, proceeding from faith, trust, and confidence, accompanied with longing desires of enjoyment. From a mistake of its nature, it is that few Christians labor after it, exercise themselves unto it, or have the benefit of it; for to live by hope, they suppose, infers a state not only beneath the life of faith and all assurance in believing, but also exclusive of them. They think to hope to be saved is a condition of men who have no grounds of faith or assurance; but this is to turn a blessed fruit of the Spirit into a common affection of nature. Gospel hope is a fruit of faith, trust, and confidence; yea, the height of the actings of all grace issues in a well-groundedhope, nor can it rise any higher (Rom 5:2-5).(From The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded by Dr. John Owen, 1616-1683).
On August 21, 2005, I received a call from Simion’s wife, Maria, that he had gone home to be with the Lord early that morning. He had been ill for some time with many physical maladies. Yet, when I was told of his passing, I found it hard to think of him as “dead”.
A few days later on August 27, 2005, I realized again why I thought of him as very much alive. The service was hardly a “funeral” service, but a home going celebration for a dear man of God!
The service reminded much of services I had been in, and even preached in,when in 1985 I visited several cities in Simion’s native Romania. The country at that time was still in the iron grip of Nicolae Ceausescu and the Romanian Communist party. They made it very difficult for the Christians there. There was much persecution, yet when I met them, they were some of the happiest people I had ever been with. In the services there was much singing and worship of the Lord. Most of the services that I was in lasted no less than 3 hours! It was almost easy to preach in such an atmosphere of joy, and I did.
One Sunday, with the very able translation of Simion’s son, Doru Motz, I preached 3 times, and a number of times during the week. These times of joy and fellowship they had so often I am sure sustained these persecuted Christians during the hard times.
Also, I have worshiped in some Romanian congregations in Florida and Georgia with Simion, and I knew that here in the states they carry the same joy in their worship services, so I was not at all surprised at how Simion’s home going service went.
There were at least seven “sermons”, if you count the vigorous testimonies of a couple of his close brethren. There were some of those who had been in prison with Simion in Romania, some who knew him in the church there, and some, like me, who knew him after he came to America.
Yes, I was even recruited to testify and preach a little. I was reluctant to stand before a congregation just then, for I was having extensive dental work done, and several teeth were missing until I got an upper plate. But it did me no good to beg off! I was compelled by several of his relatives there, since I had been close to Simion, and traveled extensively with him when we were with Pastor Haralan Popov’s ministry ECL/Door of Hope. After that, I worked with him in the mission which Simion founded, Suffering Church Ministries.
Once I was at the podium, and began to read scripture, and reflect and preach again, I was caught up in the joy and would not have cared if I had no teeth at all! Maybe it was again the excellent translation of the able English scholar, Doru Motz, who is also an able preacher, and preached his own message there also.
Most everything was in Romanian, that beautiful Latin tongue. There were wonderful songs, familiar hymns, and though sung in Romanian, I could join in to some degree, and was very refreshed.As all this was going on, I remembered the wonderful times when Simion and I would be in a meeting, and he would sing. Often he sang How Great Thou Art in English and Romanian. I was also reflecting how much he must be enjoying this meeting. It had about everything he loved in a meeting; scriptures, songs, prayers, testimonies and preaching.
Of course, now I know he suffers no more, and he, Bro Haralan Popov, Bro.Richard Wurmbrand, Bro Georgi Vins, Bro Peter Dyneka, Bro Ivan Moiseyev, and many others including my son, Chuck Woodruff are rejoicing around the throne.
Simion always longed for that "city whose builder and maker is God." In travel together, living in close quarters in homes and hotel rooms, you can learn so much about a person. Simion is the genuine article, a real saint of God. We had so many good times of fellowship together which I would like to relate to you. Perhaps I will in future articles.
For now, suffice it to say that the service in the chapel was not the last of it! At the graveside there were at least two more songs, three short eulogies and several prayers! Yes, for a spoiled American such as I, it was a bit tiring, but even there with a total of four and ½ hours of service, I can say “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
I do not remember what Simion’s favorite verse was, but one that will always remind me of him is “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13.
He was a man not afraid to share with his brethren. The mission he founded never got very large, but he made sacrifices, and did more than many with a lot more money have done. I will never forget him, and in future days may share with you some of our moments together, if you will let me. (This is the end of part one, originally published October 27, 2005 A.D..)
(PART TWO)
During Simion’s funeral in Buford, Georgia, one of the memories I reflected on was how I met him. I was working with ECL/Door of Hope as U.S. Field Director. In 1978 I was in the home office in Glendale, CA working on some projects including scheduling meetings in churches, as I often did. I had frequently met Christians from the USSR and Eastern Europe in my work with the mission. I organized a number of church meetings for Pastor Haralan Popov from Bulgaria, the founder and president of the mission. In my work, I also was involved preaching and sharing the Bible distribution work in numerous churches.
In the office at that time was Dorin Motz from Romania. I met him for the first time then. Doru (his nickname by which everyone called him), along with his wife, Maria, and their two children, David and Esther, immigrated to the USA in August 1977. They started out in the Fort Lauderdale area, later locating in Portland, Oregon. Doru was doing some translation for the mission, which, as I stated before, he is well qualified to do. I can’t remember if his wife had delivered their third child yet when we met, but it was right around the time of his son Joseph’s birth when I was in the Glendale office in February 1978.
Doru was troubled about a matter which he shared with me. It seems his father and mother, Simion and Maria Motz, along with two sons, Daniel and Eugene, and daughter, Nicole, were allowed to leave Romania after much effort and were in a refugee camp in Rome, Italy attempting to get permission to immigrate to America as refugees. Red tape was delaying them in Italy, but at least they were out of Communist Romania. This would have never been possible a few years earlier, because Simion had been sentenced to 17 years in prison in Romania. It was because of the relaxing international situation that Simion only served around 1/3 of that terrible sentence, as he explained in his autobiography (On the Way of the Cross in the King’s Service).
Doru asked me if I knew any Christians in government, or someone who might be willing to help speed the process. I immediately thought of former Arizona congressman John Conlan, whom I had met briefly the year before. He and Bill Bright had started an organization to educate America regarding her Christian heritage. I just knew he would help if he could. He was no longer a congressman, but still had a lot of influence. I tried to telephone him in Arizona, but couldn’t get him. We were a little unsure of the next move, but we prayed.
Just after that, something marvelous, evenmiraculous, happened. Ron Hallornan, the producer that organized radio broadcasts for Pastor Haralan Popov, came into the office. He didn’t know anything about what we were doing. He picked up the phone and called somebody. He used our office phone. (Remember there weren’t cell phones in those days). We couldn’t help but overhear him; he wasn’t trying to be secretive about his call. I heard him tell someone in the office he was calling a person at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Washington, DC. I was utterly amazed when he asked for---- JOHN CONLAN! I nearly jumped out of my seat! I wanted to be patient while Ron talked to the congressman. I lasted about a minute! I was afraid Ron might hang up so I rudely interrupted him to say. “Ron, this is very important! I must talk to Mr. Conlan when you finish. Please, put me on with him before you hang up. I apologize for cutting in while you are trying to talk, but this is urgent! Thanks.” I know he must have thought “Charles has lost his mind!”
Well, he did put him on and I was able to explain the plight to John. He assured me that he would do what he could, even though he was out of Washington now. But he was in Washington at that moment and I’m sure he made some contacts regarding these persecuted Christians. Doru and I gave thanks to God for His blessing!
I don’t know how instrumental John Conlan was in getting them out of Rome, but less than a month later on March 1, 1978, the Motz family arrived in Los Angeles. I did not get to greet them at the airport, but sometime later that year I met Simion, and it was a joy to see the photos made of these refugees at Los Angeles Airport. In the words of our Lord “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you;” Matthew 7:7
Simion and family got an apartment in Glendale and he began doing accounting at the mission. I visited their home there, after meeting Simion at the ECL office that year, A little later he flew to Atlanta to begin a southern itinerary which I had arranged for him. It was a busy year for me. For example, in September 1978 I went to Russia.I could dig and get exact dates of exactly when I first met Simion, but I am not trying to write a book, just some remembrances! When I did meet him, I suppose because of the immigration miracle, I felt I had known him for a long time.
The thing I remember most is this; when I was asked to organize some meetings for him, I was told he spoke English. When I was first with him he told me he learned English by reading language books and listening to radio a little. He did not have the formal training of his son Doru. It turned out, though he spoke English pretty well; his pronunciations were sometimes off quite a bit. I was worried that Americans wouldn’t understand him. Most did, but his English got better with my help! For instance I noticed he said “blued” for our English word--blood. I helped him get that right along with correcting his pronouncing of soup as “soap” He never got angry about it.He even asked for my help. I would write down mispronounced words and go over them with him after each service. We got a good laugh when I told him “Simion, the only problem with me as your English teacher, you will speak with a southern accent!"
I need not have worried though about Christians receiving him. “They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake” (Acts 6:10). Mostly they loved him, because they realized he loved Jesus Christ and longed to see Him. One memorable example comes to mind. We were in a church in the mountains of northern Georgia. An elderly lady came to me after the service and spoke to me in words, that I, as a city boy from Atlanta, barely understood without getting her to repeat her words. Here’s what she said, “You know, I couldn’t understand hardly a word he said, but I know it was good because I felt the Holy Ghost so strong when he spoke”. So with God’s help he overcame language barriers all the time. That was my friend, Simion!
We got along well. As I said when you travel with someone and room with them many days, there are little things that may annoy. Romanians are Latin, often considered hot tempered. He had mostly a gentle temperament even if we disagreed on a point. Once or twice I wanted the room to have more A/C than he did. I would turn it down and he would scold me a little. He would say “I cannot suffer this 'wind' on my back each night that you enjoy so much.” He taught me a little Romanian too. I now know that a “machina” is a car. “lubinetza” is watermelon. “clititas” are pancakes. His English was much better than my Romanian!
Another incident was in Florida around 1980. I was driving a car that Chuck Redding, a Christian mechanic friend in St Petersburg, was trying to keep repaired for me. It was getting a few miles on it. Anyway going from Lake Wales to Fort Pierce on a very hot Florida day, the A/C went out. Simion didn’t understand and thought I had shut it off deliberately. He complained I was trying to burn him up! It was hot! We both were sweating profusely. He finally understood that it was mechanical. We certainly welcomed a wonderful rain shower we came into. And this was a case where he learned to appreciate the “wind” in our motel room.
Simion loved the word of God. I believe his most favorite teachings were “knowing, brethren, your election of God” 1 Thessalonians 1:4. He knew he was God’s and that it was originally God’s choice, not his. He told often of God convicting him when in college and overwhelming him with truth. He would say “God stopped me in the night".At that time he had thought he was already saved. We spoke of this truth often. We did not agree on all the smallest details of doctrine, but agreed that“Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9), and that the “whosoever wills” that come to Christ are His chosen enabled by His Spirit to come to Him.
Also, He longed for the coming of Christ with all his heart. If he could speak to us all today, I believe he would say:“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you I told you these things?” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5KJV.
(The end of part two, originally published November 18, 2005 A.D... Part three can be found, along with a photo of Simion Motz at our cyberphotos blog).
I was reading these small pieces that I published in 2006, and I thought I would share with you. Hope you find something interesting. If you would like to be on my email list, send me your email address at graceman@minister.com.
John Newton’sautobiography introduced me to a new word: concatenation. It means a series of events (providentially) linked together. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).(from Out of the Depths, Moody Press, Chicago, 1972 A.D. edition. The 2003 Kregel edition is revised and may not even have this word). Anyway, it is recommended reading in either edition.
God found John Newton in a strange place, as we have pointed out before. A slave trader and blasphemer saved by grace. As Arthur W. Pink said: “The high favorites of Heaven are sometimes to be located in queer and unexpected places. Joseph in prison, the descendants of Abraham laboring in the brick-kilns of Egypt, Daniel in the lions’ den, Jonah in the great fish’s belly, Paul clinging to a spar in the sea, forcibly illustrate this principle. Then let us not murmur because we do not now live in as fine a house as do some of the ungodly; our 'mansions' are in Heaven!” (The Life of David, Reiner Publications, Swengel, PA,1969 A.D. edition, page 79). (emphasis his).
David was a type of Christ in many ways including:
David was a prophet as well as a king; so was our Lord.
David was anointed about the 30th year of his life; so Christ, the son of David, was baptized and anointed at 30.
David in his wars had many poor men follow him such as were in debt; so Jesus Christ had many poor men who followed Him, and became His disciples, who were heavy laden under the burden of sin, called a debt.
(Adapted from Preaching From Types and Metaphors by Benjamin Keach, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1972 A.D. edition. Benjamin Keach was a Baptist Preacher in London who livedfrom 1640- 1704.This work was originally called Tropologia).
“The devil directs his fiercest batteries against those doctrines in the word, and those graces in the heart, which most exalt God, debase man, and bring men to their lowest subjection to their creator. Such is the doctrine and grace of justifying faith.” (Stephen Charnock (1628-1680), The Existence and Attributes of God, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI ,1971 A.D. edition, page 106). Read some of his works- free. Click on link: http://www.puritansermons.com/charnock/charindx.htm
I know I am often looking at the writings of theologians of long ago, but I think it is so necessary in this day of apostasy. If you go into the average Christian bookstore, you will find so little of these classic books of yesteryear. You find a few I know, among so much lightweight, shallow reading. The most popular books in these stores are novels. Then there are the endless trinkets. I ask the clerks sometimes “Why don’t you carry Pink’s books, Spurgeon’s books, J.C. Ryle’s books, Lloyd-Jones’ books, or evenR.C. Sproul’s books?”The usual answer, “We can order them, but most people don’t buy them.” That is sad, because if you are going to read anything besides your Bible, it ought to be, at least some of these classics.
Whatever you read, we owe a great debt to Johann Gutenberg(1400-1468). He is credited with inventing movable type, and a printing press that made mass printing easier. His first project was printing a Latin Bible. He saw the significance of unlocking the Bible’s treasures for the common man. He said “Religious truth is captive in a small number of little manuscripts which guard the common treasures, instead of expanding them. Let us break the seal which binds these holy things; let us give wings to truth that it may fly with the Word, no longer prepared at vast expense, but multitudes everlastingly by a machine which never wearies, to every soul which enters life.” More on this fascinating man and his work at the British Library’s site: http://www.bl.uk/treasures/gutenberg/homepage.html
The accounts of Christ’s crucifixion in the four gospels solve a number of theological problems if we will take care to study these narratives. All of the seven sayings of Christ on the cross are pregnant with teaching for us. For example, the saying of Christ “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, Why has thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) immediately shows usthree things.
1.Christ was the substitute for God-forsaken sinners. Remember God hates sin, and Jesus had become the bearer of our sins, so God turned his back on Him.
2. Christ as man could be separated from His Father. This was the cup He dreaded at Gethsemane.
3. Unless a sinner’s eyes are opened, he will not really see Christ as the saviour. Because He spoke in Aramaic, they thought He was calling for Elias (Elijah), and mocked and said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come and save Him” (Matthew 27:49).
There is much more in this saying, and all seven, but I want to focus on the fact that there were three crosses there. This is not unusual, for this was Rome’s most common way of execution. Literally thousands were crucified by them during the height of the Roman Empire. What was different here?
Jesus had been convicted in a mock trial. Pontus Pilate, who was good atmockery himself when meting out judgment, wrote a superscription in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, saying THIS IS JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS(1),and set it over Jesus’ head. This same Pilate was the one who had mingled some Galileans’ blood with their sacrifices (see Luke 13:1-3). Jesus had been whipped, accused falsely, interrogated, mocked, beaten with fists, forced to bear his cross most of the way on the Via Dolorosa, stripped of His garments, and nailed to the cross at Golgotha. All, more or less common with Roman capital punishment.
But, this man was different. He was crucified between two thieves. These two were very likely co-conspirators with Barabbas, the insurrectionist, murderer, and thiefwho was set free while Jesus was crucified. At first both these thieves were evidently mocking Him. After all, He was in the same state they were; about to die. He did not seem any different than other men, in spite of what they had heard. So when the chief priests and scribes mocked Him, they joined in. If mere preaching and teaching could save, all of them; thieves, priests and scribes, should have been converted. After all, they verified in there own words what they had seen and heard about Him.First- He saved others.
Second- He said He was a King.
Third-He trusted in God.
Fourth- He said I am the Son of God.
All He had to do was come down from the cross and they would believe Him, they declared. Mere preaching was not going to save them, they had to have a personal miracle. Well, God saves people His way, not theirs. Jesus could really win some souls here, all He had to do was step down to prove who He was. He didn’t, and they would not have believed anyway. Lost, blind, dead, corrupt sinners won’t suddenly change solely on what they hear and see. There must be an inner transformation(See Ephesians 2:1).
At first, “the thieves also, which were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth” (Matthew27:44). “And they that were crucified with Him reviled Him” (Mark 15:33b). But there was a change in one of them.Only Luke tells us: “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, if thou be the Christ save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly: for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day thou shalt be with me in paradise” ( Luke 23:39-43). Both originally reviled, one repented. (2) Why? Why only one? Why not both? Did the one have a spark of goodness in himself? Was it free will exercised by one, and not the other? Both their wills had evidently only brought them sin and now, execution. Free will was not going to get them down from the cross. One asked in unbelief ‘save thyself and us’. The other admitted he was a sinner, repented, and looked to Christ in faith. Did faith save him? A few minutes before he also was an unbeliever.
Now he exhibited faith in Christ. We are told “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Here the Living Word, the Speech (3) that God had spoken to the world was right beside the repentant thief on the next cross. This thief, whose name we know not, was given repentance and faith. The gift of God. This was a sovereign choice of God first. Grace and faith are God’s gifts. The man did have to exercise faith, but he had none until graciously given it by Christ. The man had to repent, but he could not until he was by the grace of God led to repentance (see Romans 2:4).
Of himself this man was totally unable to do anything to save himself. He was condemned for his crimes, for all practical purposes, already dead, not capable of any action, but helplessly hanging there. He was made to see his utter destitute and hopeless state. In other words he was awakened (brought to spiritual life), so he could see his real need. Christ did this for him, and Christ was who he needed! No other could do this for him. A dying saviour saving a dying sinner! Christ must do this for each and every sinner who is saved, else they are forever lost! He took the place of this sinner, as he must take your place if you are saved. Has he done this for you, dear reader? Has He shown you, really revealed this to you, that He, Christ, is the only saviour of sinners? We are all sinners just as much in need, in just as desperate a situation as those two thieves. Which one will you be like?
What happened here that day knocks in the head several false teachings. Because the repentant thief’s time was at an end, he was saved, but there were several things he could not do.
First- he could not join a local church.
Second -he could not be baptized.
Third- he couldnot do good works.
Fourth- he could not witness or point others to Christ.
Normally, in time, each of these things are important, and would be done by a new convert. Christ’s New Testament church was ready to be established fully after his death, burial and resurrection. After Pentecost, the NT church would be shaped into one body, and as it expanded, into many local assemblies in diverse places. But this man could not join one; OT or NT. No matter, the Lord of the church was going to take him to be with Him. It was going to be today! No waiting for a thousand years. No waiting for resurrection day- but today!
He could not be baptized. Normally, to follow Christ, after being saved, is believer’s baptism, one of the two ordinances of Christ’s church, the other being the Lord’s Supper. These are very important, but proving here that baptism is not necessary for salvation, Christ took him to Paradise.
I remember seeing a TV program some years ago that featured a debate by some Baptist preachers, and some Campbellite preachers, often called Church of Christ. The Campbellites believe that baptism is absolutely necessary, and completes your salvation. In other words, to most of them, you cannot be saved without water baptism.
In the debate the Baptists pointed out the repentant thief to prove their case. One of the Church of Christ men stated that the thief was really the last to die under the old covenant, so that was why he did not need baptism. The Baptists who also held a distinction between old covenant and new (and there are some real distinctions admittedly), seemed to be defeated. The Campbellites were smiling, and just about to claim total victory for their erroneous baptismal regeneration doctrine, when something amazing happened. One of the Baptists, an Australian, I seem to recall, said the following. “ Acovenant must be sealed with blood, and Hebrews says there must be the death of the testator. Correct?” (4) All agreed. He then quoted the following: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished,: and He bowed His head, andgave up the ghost. Then the Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was a high day),besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which were crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs” ( John 19:30-33).
“Jesus died first, beginning the new covenant” said the Baptist preacher. “They did not have to break his legs to kill Him, He was already dead.” Of course, that closed the debate. Scripture was fulfilled here, and some “water ducks” were not quacking so loud!
Good works? The thief could do nothing. He was dying.
Witness? Well he did that. As William Cowper’sHymn says so well:
“The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day.
And there may I though vile as he, wash all my sins away” (5)
The witness of this man by the reading and preaching of the gospel will continue forever. He was blessed to be with Jesus on the cross, and in paradise. Yes, if you are an unbeliever, he was, and is blessed, but you are cursed! If he was here right now, he would beckon you to believe on the now risen Christ. Have you? Do you? I pray that you will.
Notes
(1) This compilation is a blend of all four gospels from The Life of Christ in Stereo, Four Inspired Voices Testify As One by Johnston M. Cheney, Edited by Stanley A Ellisen, Western Baptist Seminary Press, Portland, OR, A.D.1969, page 199, sec 155. }.“ Slight differences in the accounts {originally} are due to the different languages of the inscription, one account based on one, the other on another.”
(2) Ibid, p. 200
(3) “ In the beginning was the Speech, and the Speech was with God, and the Speech was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3- Calvin’s NT). As to the Evangelist calling the Son of God the speech, the simple reason appears to me to be, first, because He is the eternal Wisdom and Will of God; and, secondly, because He is the lively image of His purpose; for, as Speech is said to be among men the image of the mind,, so it is not inappropriate to apply this to God, and to say that He reveals Himself to us by His Speech.”Commentary on the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John by John Calvin.Originally written in A.D.1553, translated from Latin in A.D.1847 by William Pringle, this edition by Associated Publishers and Authors Edition, A.D.1970, Wilmington , DE
(4) “For this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” (Hebrews 9:15-16).
(5)William Cowper , A.D. 1772 ,see web page for his story.
There is one case of death-bed repentance recorded, that of the penitent thief, that none should despair; and only one, that none should presume. --Augustine ( A.D.354-430)
Probably 80 years ago, In “Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross”
Arthur W. Pink said the following:
Salvation by grace - sovereign, irresistible, free grace - is illustrated in the New Testament by example as well as precept. Perhaps the two most striking cases of all are those of Saul of Tarsus and the Dying Robber. And the case of the latter is even more noteworthy than the former. In the case of Saul, who afterwards became Paul the apostle to the Gentiles, there was an exemplary moral character to begin with. Writing years afterwards of his condition before his conversion, the apostle declared that as touching the righteousness of the law he was "blameless" (Phil. 3:6). He was a "Pharisee of the Pharisees": punctilious in his habits, correct in his deportment. Morally, his character was flawless. After his conversion his life was one of gospel-righteousness. Constrained by the love of Christ he spent himself in preaching the gospel to sinners and in labouring to buildup the saints. Doubtless our readers will agree with us when we say that probably Paul came nearest to attaining the ideals of the Christian life, and that he followed after his Master more closely than any other saint has since.
But with the saved thief it was far otherwise. He had no moral life before his conversion and no life of active service after it. Before his conversion he respected neither the law of God nor the law of man. After his conversion he died without having opportunity to engage in the service of Christ. I would emphasize this, because these are the two things which are regarded by so many as contributing factors to our salvation. It is supposed that we must first fit ourselves by developing a noble character before God will receive us as his sons; and that after he has received us, tentatively, we are merely placed on probation, and that unless we now bring forth a certain quality and quantity of good works we shall "fall from grace and be lost". But the dying thief had no good works either before or after conversion. Hence we are shut up to the conclusion that if saved at all he was certainly saved by sovereign grace.
The salvation of the dying thief also disposes of another prop which the legality of the carnal mind interposes to rob God of the glory due unto his grace. Instead of attributing the salvation of lost sinners to the matchless grace of God, many professing Christians seek to account for them by human influences, instrumentalities and circumstances. Either the preacher or providential and propitious circumstances or the prayers of believers, are looked to as the main cause. Let us not be misunderstood here. It is true that often God is pleased to use means in the conversion of sinners; that frequently he condescends to bless our prayers and efforts to point sinners to Christ; that many times he causes his providences to awaken and arouse the ungodly to a realization of their state. But God is not shut up to these things. He is not limited to human instrumentalities. His grace is all powerful, and when he pleases, that grace is able to save in spite of the lack of human instrumentalities, and in the face of unfavorable circumstances. So it was in the case of the saved thief. (Read the entire chapter at site below).
"He must increase, I must decrease" (John 3:30). I am 67 years old, and my desire is to serve God the rest of my days, preaching the old evangelical gospel that Paul and Peter preached, that Calvin preached, that Whitefield preached, that Spurgeon preached, and that Isaac Watts wrote about in his hymns.
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