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[Hackett]

Don't cut your conscience to fit this year's fashions.

[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, SANS-SERIF]-Lillian Hellman[/FONT]
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[cygnusx1]

“O, Arminian, Arminian, thou that distortest the prophets and misinterpretest them that are sent unto thee; how often have I told you your children the plain truth... and ye would not let them understand.” - Gordon Clark.

 

[cygnusx1]

Another subterfuge resorted to by the Arminians in order to explain away the particular election of individuals, is to say that the text 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated' (Romans 9: 13) means a national election, not particular persons, but Jacob's children and Esau's children -- the children of Israel and the children of Edom. "Now, we ask them by everything reasonable," comments C. H. Spurgeon, "is it not equally unjust of God to choose one nation and leave another? The argument which they imagine overthrows us overthrows them also. There never was a more foolish subterfuge than that of trying to bring out national election. What is the election of a nation, but the election of so many units, of so many people? -- and it is tantamount to the same thing as the particular election of individuals. In thinking, men cannot see clearly that if -- which we do not for a moment believe -- there be any injustice in God choosing one man and not another, how much more must there be injustice in choosing one nation and not another. No! The difficulty cannot be got rid of thus, but is greatly increased by this foolish wresting of God's Word. Besides here is the proof that it is not correct: read the verse preceding it. It does not say anything at all about nations; it says, 'For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth: It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger referring to the children, not to the nation. Of course the threatening was afterwards fulfilled in the position of the two nations; Edom was made to serve Israel. But the text means just what it says; it does not mean nations, but it means the persons mentioned. 'Jacob' -- that is the man whose name was Jacob -- 'Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.' Take care, my dear friends, how any of you meddle with God's Word. I have heard of folk altering passages they did not like. It will not do, you know, you cannot alter them; they are really just the same. Our only power with the Word of God is simply to let it stand as it is, and to endeavour by God's grace to accommodate ourselves to that. We must never try to make the Bible bow to us, in fact we cannot, for the truths of divine revelation are as sure and fast as the throne of God. If a man wants to enjoy a delightful prospect, and a mighty mountain lies in his path, does he commence cutting away at its base, in the vain hope that ultimately it will become a level plain before him? No, on the contrary, he diligently uses it for the accomplishment of his purpose by ascending it, well knowing this to be the only means of obtaining the end in view. So must we do; we cannot bring down the truths of God to our poor finite understanding; the mountain will never fall before us, but we can seek strength to rise higher and higher in our preception of divine things and in this way only may we hope to obtain the blessing." (From sermon on 'Jacob and Esau' by C. H. Spurgeon).

 

[cygnusx1]

"The preachers of the gospel" says Dr. John Owen, "in their particular congregations, being utterly unacquainted with the purpose and secret counsel of God, being also forbidden to pry or search into it, (Deut. 29: 29) may justifiably call upon every man to believe, with assurance of salvation to every one in particular upon his so doing; knowing and being fully persuaded of this, that there is enough in the death of Christ to save every one that shall do so; leaving the purpose and counsel of God on whom He will bestow faith and for whom in particular Christ died, to Himself. When God calls upon men to believe, He does not in the first place call upon them to believe that Christ died for them: but that there is none other name under heaven among men, whereby we must be saved, but only of Jesus Christ, through whom salvation is preached. (Death of Death. Bk. 4, Ch. 1).

 

[cygnusx1]

In Vol. 3, p. 295 of his Works, Dr. Owen also says, "Preachers of the gospel and others have sufficient warrant to press upon all men the duties of faith, repentance and obedience, although they know in themselves they have not a sufficiency of ability for their due performance; for (1) It is the will and command of God that they should do so, and that is the rule of their duties. They are not to consider what men can do or will do, but what God requires. To make a judgment of men's ability and to accommodate the commands of God unto them accordingly, is not consistent unto any of the sons of men . . . such are God's commands, and such are the duties required in them. In and by them God doth use to communicate of His grace unto the souls of men: not with respect unto them as their duties, but as they are ways appointed and sanctified by Him unto such ends."

 

[cygnusx1]

John Calvin says, "As ministers of the Gospel are messengers between God and men, the first duty devolving upon them is to make free offer of the grace of God, and the second is to strive with all their might that it may not be offered in vain."

 

[McWilliams]

Hateful to me as are the gates of hell, is he who, hiding one thing in his heart, utters another.
Homer (900 BC-800 BC)

 

[McWilliams]

"In the beginning God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since." - Anonymous
sola fide * sola gratia * sola Scriptura * soli Deo gloria
NOW that the President has called us to prayer.....
NOW that Congress has called us to prayer.....
NOW that our Governor has called us to prayer....
NOW that the city Mayor has called us to prayer....
NOW that the "liberal" media and most other branches of our American society have called us to prayer.....
AND NOW that our churches are assembling in special prayer....
"Honorable" Justices of the Supreme Court, I have only one question....
Would it be O.K. to pray in our schools? "Tolerance is a virtue for those who have no convictions." - Anonymous

 

[McWilliams]

"Neither shall you allege the example of the many as an excuse for doing wrong." - God
(Exodus 23:2)

 

[The Princess Bride]

True Repentance is not your realization that you need saved just from sin, but that you need saved from yourself.
~ a friend

 

[Hackett]

'I am the way the truth and the life. None comes to the Father but by me.' Jesus of Nazareth

 

[cygnusx1]

Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon titled Self Righteousness - A Smoldering Heap of Rubbish on this text. In it, he describes how dangerous and insidious self righteousness is. "Moreover, self-righteous men, like foxes, have many tricks and schemes. They condemn in other people what they consider to be very excusable in themselves. They would cry out against others for a tenth part of the sin which they allow in themselves: certain constitutional tendencies, and necessities of circumstances, and various surroundings, all serve as ample apologies. Besides this, if it be admitted that they are wrong upon some points, yet in other directions they are beyond rebuke. If they drink, they do not swear; and if they swear, they do not steal: they make a great deal out of negatives: if they steal, they are not greedy and miserly, but spend their gains freely. If they practice fornication, yet they do not commit adultery; if they talk filthily, yet they boast they do not lie. They would be counted well because they are not universally bad. They do not break every hedge, and therefore they plead that they are not trespassers. As if a debtor for a hundred pounds should claim to be excused because he does not owe two hundred: or, as if a highwayman should say, 'I did not stop all the travelers on the road; I only robbed one or two, and therefore I ought not to be punished.' If a man should willfully break the windows of your shop, I warrant you, you would not take it as an excuse if he pleaded, 'I did not break them all; I only smashed one sheet of plate glass.' Pleas which would not be mentioned in a human court are thought good enough to offer to God. O the folly of our race!" (Spurgeon)

 

[cygnusx1]

C. H. Spurgeon: "How I Learned of Grace"

.
Well can I remember the manner in which I learned
the doctrines of Grace in a single instant?​

Born as all of us are by nature, an "Arminian," I still believed the old things I had heard continually from the pulpit, and did not see the Grace of God. When I was coming to Christ, I thought I was doing it all myself, and though I sought the Lord earnestly, I had no idea the Lord was seeking me. I do not think the young convert is at first aware of this.
I can recall the very day and hour when first I received these truths in my own soul — when they were, as John Bunyan says, burnt into my heart as with a hot iron: I can recollect how I felt that I had grown all of a sudden from a babe into a man — that I had made progress in scriptural knowledge, through having found, once for all, the clue to the truth of God.
One week-night when I was sitting in the house of God, I was not thinking much about the preacher's sermon, for I did not believe it. The thought struck me, "how did you come to be a Christian?" (...I sought the Lord). But how did you come to seek the Lord? — (the truth flashed across my mind in a moment) — I should not have sought Him unless there had been some previous influence in my mind to make me seek Him.

I prayed, thought I, but then I asked myself, "How came I to pray?" — I was induced to pray by reading the Scriptures. I did read them; but what led me to do so? — Then, in a moment, I saw that God was at the bottom of it all, and that He was the Author of my faith; and as the whole doctrine of GRACE opened up to me, and from that doctrine I have not departed to this day, and I desire to make it my constant confession.​

"I ascribe my change wholly to God."​

 

[McWilliams]

Our own heart, and not other men's opinions form our true honor.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)

 

[McWilliams]

The worst viper in the human heart!

(Jonathan Edwards[SIZE=+2])

Pride is the worst viper in the human heart!

Pride is the greatest disturber of the soul's
peace, and of sweet communion with Christ.

Pride is with the greatest difficulty rooted out.

Pride is the most hidden, secret, and deceitful
of all lusts!

Pride often creeps insensibly into the midst of
religion, even, sometimes, under the disguise
of humility itself![/SIZE]

 

[BBAS 64]

The worst viper in the human heart!

(Jonathan Edwards[SIZE=+2])[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Pride is the worst viper in the human heart![/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Pride is the greatest disturber of the soul's [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]peace, and of sweet communion with Christ.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Pride is with the greatest difficulty rooted out.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Pride is the most hidden, secret, and deceitful [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]of all lusts![/SIZE]

[SIZE=+2]Pride often creeps insensibly into the midst of [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]religion, even, sometimes, under the disguise [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]of humility itself![/SIZE]

I was thinking of you the other day, when I picked up a book that had all your underlining ang hi-lighting in it.

Hope you are well, sister!!

Bill

 

[Hackett]

It isn't hard to be good from time to time. What's tough is being good every day.

[FONT=VERDANA, ARIAL, SANS-SERIF]-Willie Mays[/FONT]
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[BlakeRussell]

"God knoweth we have nothing of ourselves, therefore in the covenant of grace he requireth no more than he giveth, and giveth what he requireth, and accepteth what he giveth. "
Richard Sibbes from The Bruised Reed.

"It's not when you see the blood, but when God sees the blood"
Spurgeon from The Blood

"Jesus only"
Spurgeon from The Blood

 

[Hackett]

'Always forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so much.' Oscar Wilde

 

[McWilliams]

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/freegrace/library/Pink/doctor_brother.htm