01.30.08
Young Sober Christians by Matthew Henry (4)
This is the fourth part in this short series from Matthew Henry. For an explanation of the series read here.
8. Content “You must be content and easy, and not ambitious and aspiring… A sober mind is that which accommodates itself to every estate of life, and every event of providence, so that whatever changes happen, it preserves the possession and enjoyment of itself. You that are young, must learn betimes to reconcile yourselves to your lot, and make the best of that which is, because it is the will of God it should be as it is, and what pleases him ought to please us; for he knows what is fit to be done, and fit for us to have, better than we do. Let this check all disquieting discontented thoughts.
Should it be according to your mind? Shall you who are but of yesterday control him, quarrel with him, or prescribe to him, whose counsels were of old from everlasting? It is folly to direct the divine disposals, but wisdom to acquiesce in them. He who determineth the times before appointed, and the bounds of men’s habitation, ordered what our rank and station should be in the world – what parents we should be born of – what lot we should be born to – and what our make and capacity of mind and body should be. [Both Socialism and Egalitarianism promote discontentment with one’s lot in this life; they encourage men to be jealous of those who are born into a higher status than themselves, those who do better in this life, ‘those who get the breaks’, those who are naturally superior mentally, physically, and socially. And they encourage the lie that all men should be brought down to the one level. But God, who has predestined all things, has ordained, that though all men are equal in dignity as human beings, they are not all equal in just about every other way. We need to accept this, to be content with it, and see God’s wisdom in it all. G.M.]
And in these respects there is a great variety ordained by providence between some and others, who yet are made of one blood; some are born to wealth and honour, others to poverty and obscurity; some seem made and marked by nature, that is, the God of nature, to be great and considerable, while others are doomed to be all their days little, and low…
Whatever you are dispossessed of, or disturbed in the enjoyment of, resolve to be easy – not because you cannot help it; ‘this is an evil, and I must bear it’; that is but a poor reason – but because it is the will of God, whose will is his wisdom; ‘this is an evil, but it is designed for my good, and I will bear it’… ['Evil' means trouble here.]
Not that I would have young people mean-spirited, or cramped in their aims and endeavours. Whatever your business is, strive to be excellent and eminent in it; whatever your substance is, be diligent, that, by the blessing of God upon it, it may, like Job’s be increased in the land. A good man leaves an inheritance, honestly gotten, to his children’s children… Let it suffice to thrive by inches, with the increases of the sober-minded, that do not make haste to be rich; for soft and fair go far.
…I persuade you to reckon it your best preferment to be eminently pious, and serviceable to the glory of God, and the interests of his kingdom in the world; that is the way to have the best reputation among men… Aim at advancing yourselves, not that you may live in so much pomp and ease, but that you may be in so much the better capacity to do good, and that is true preferment… Let young people be modest and moderate, and sober-minded in their desires and expectations of temporal good things, as becomes those who see through them, to the things not seen, that are eternal.”
Part Four
G.M.
01.21.08
Puritan Summaries (6) – Education
This is the sixth summary taken from Worldly Saints by Leland Ryken.
Education
“The Puritan theory of education was a wonderfully unified and integrated whole. It combined God’s special and natural revelations, the Bible and human knowledge, faith and reason. The curriculum included both theology and the arts and sciences, both the Bible and the classics.”
The goals of education were similarly comprehensive. They included both piety and knowledge, both becoming like God and preparing to do all things well in daily life in the world.
Puritan education aimed to educate the whole person. Samuel Willard summed up the ideal by asserting:
‘The Word of God and rule of religion teach us, not to destroy, but to improve every faculty that is in us…to the glory of God who gave them to us.’
All this integration was possible ultimately because of the Puritans view of truth. In their view, God was the source and end of all truth. There is thus no dichotomy between religious and human or natural truth. Samuel Willard’s description once again serves as a fitting conclusion:
‘All streams do naturally lead down to the ocean; and all divine truths do as certainly carry us home to God himself, who is the essential truth. As truth comes from God, so it leads back to God.’”
I would like to just add a few quotes; one from Calvin: ‘In reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator. If we reflect that the Spirit of God is the only foundation of truth, we will be careful…not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears.’ (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 2:2:15); and one from Sibbes: ‘truth comes from God, wherever we find it, and it is ours, it is the church’s… We must not make an idol of these things, but truth, wherever we find it, is the church’s; therefore, with a good conscience we may make use of any human author.’ (The Christian’s Portion, p.347)
Part Six
G.M.
01.15.08
The Purpose and Context of Education
This quote is taken from Richard Baxter’s ‘Reformed Pastor.’ It reminds us of the context and purpose of all education. With it we ask a question we have asked many times in the past. Can you believe this and at the same time support our atheistic public school system? It would appear that the two are mutually exclusive.
‘The most holy men are the most excellent students of God’s works, and none but the holy can rightly study them or know them. His works are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein, but not for themselves, but for him that made them. Your study of physics and other sciences is not worth a rush, if it be not God that you seek after in them. To see and admire, to reverence and adore, to love and delight in God, as exhibited in his works – this is the true and only philosophy; the contrary is mere foolery, and is so called again and again by God himself. This is the sanctification of your studies, when they are devoted to God, and when he is the end, the object and the life of them all.’
Does our state education system, its curriculum and its teachers, aid our children in the pursuit of God in their studies? Are they taught to admire, reverence and adore God in their studies? Is love and delight in him an educational goal? If not, God and Scripture hold it to be foolery, hostile foolery at that!
G.B.
01.11.08
Knox’s Words to the People of N. Ireland
I had hoped to have written a post explaining the situation here in N. Ireland and giving several reasons why I believe it to be wrong. However, for various reasons this has not happened and so this will at least say something for now.
Terrorists have been placed into the highest positions of government here, including the offices of Deputy First Minister and Minister for Education. No decision can be made regarding the governing of this little province without their approval – since they have an absolute veto in the executive. These terrorists are not Roman Catholic Freedom Fighters (as they are often represented – though Rome hopes to advance her cause through them and so has sometimes given suport even at an official level. They do, also, enjoy widespread popular suport among Romanists); rather they are Marxist Revolutionaries who hate true religion intensely. Indeed they are probably the most anti-Christian party in the whole of Europe.
I will have to leave my comments there, but for now here is a quote from John Knox that applies to the situation.
“No manifest idolater, nor notorious transgressor of God’s holy precepts, ought to be promoted to any public regiment [government], honour, or dignity, in any realm, province, or city that has subjected itself to his blessed evangel.”
Part of his Summary of the Proposed Second Blast of the Trumpet, Part 2
G.M.
