Sibbes on Health and Wealth

Richard Sibbes in Divine Meditations tells us that "whatsoever is good for God's children they shall have it, for all is theirs to help them toward heaven. Therefore, if poverty be good they shall have it, if disgrace or crosses be good they shall have them, for all is ours to promote our great prosperity."

Prayer

"I ought to spend the best hours of the day in communion with God. It is my noblest and most fruitful employment, and it not to be thrust into any corner."
Robert Murray M'Cheyne

Revival at Kilsyth

A memorable revival began at Kilsyth on July 23, 1839. William C. Burns wrote at the time: "I have since heard that some of the people of God in Kilsyth had been longing and wrestling for a time of refreshing from the Lord's presence. During much of the previous night, after travailing in birth for souls, came to the meeting not only with the hope, but with the certain anticipation of God's glorious appearing. This came from the impression they had received upon their own souls of Jehovah's approaching glory and majesty."

William C. Burns

It is said of the 19th century Scots evangelist and missionary William Burns that "His whole life was literally a life of prayer. His whole ministry a series of battles fought at the mercy seat." Burns had concluded early in his ministry that the "great, fundamental error, as far as I can see, in the economy of the Christian life, which many, and alas, I for one commit, is that of having too few and too short periods of solemn retirement with our gracious Father and His loving Son, Jesus Christ."

Let Me Be With Thee

Let me be with Thee where Thou art,
My Savior, My eternal rest;
Then only shall this longing heart
Be fully and for ever blest.

Let me be with Thee where Thou art,
Thy unveiled glory to behold;
Then only will this wand'ring heart
Cease to be false to Thee and cold.

Let me be with Thee where Thou art,
Where none can die, where none remove,
Then neither death nor life shall part
Me from Thy presence and Thy love.

Charlotte Elliott

Wise Words from Newton

"Of all people who engage in controversy, we, who are called Calvinists, are most expressly bound by our own principles to the exercise of gentleness and moderation. . . . The Scriptural maximum, that "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God," is verified by daily observation. If our zeal is embittered by expressions of anger, invective, or scorn, we may think we are doing service to the cause of truth, when in reality we shall only bring it into discredit." John Newton

Assurance

"He that has assured hope can sing in prison, like Paul and Silas at Philippi. Assurance can give songs in the night. He can sleep with the full prospect of execution on the morrow, like Peter in Herod's dungeon. Assurance says, 'I will lay me down and take my rest, for thou, Lord, makes me dwell in safety.' He can rejoice to suffer shame for Christ's sake, as the apostles did. Assurance says, 'Rejoice and be exceeding glad -- there is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' He can meet a violent and painful death without fear, as Stephen did in olden time, and Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer and Taylor in our own land. Assurance says -- 'Fear not them which kill the body, and after that have no more they can do. Lord Jesus, into Thy hand I commend my spirit.'" J. C. Ryle

Mrs. Gardiner

John Newton often exchanged letters with a Mrs. Gardiner. In a letter he wrote to a Mrs. Dawson he says the following about Mrs. Gardiner:

"My friend Mrs. Gardiner has been confined to her drawing-room and chamber for these five years. For so long a time she has not been able to set foot down a single stair, nor does she ever expect it. Yet I think a more lively, cheerful, exemplary Christian than she is, is scarcely to be found in London. And since it is the will of God to confine her, she seems to have no more desire to go out of the door than out of the chamber window." (Written in 1788; Mrs. Gardiner died in 1795.)

ESV Bible Atlas

The Crossway ESV Bible Atlas has been published . . . to see the announcement go to thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/

What Is Sanctification?

"Sanctification is the Christianizing of the Christian." Adam Clarke

Pink

"Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to commit into the hand of the Lord." -- A. W. Pink

The Crux

Terry Johnson in his book on the parables says the following:

"I'll never forget one of my important mentors, the Rev. William Still of Aberdeen, saying that his trouble began at the Gilcomston South Church when he quit preaching to the unconverted and began to apply Scripture to allegedly converted church members. He said they nearly went 'mad with rage.' They are willing to hear a good sermon. But they didn't want anyone implying that they had sins from which they needed to repent. This is the great rub. This is the crux. This is perhaps the biggest problem in the church. We have too many connoisseurs of sermons who fail to ever apply the teaching of Scripture to their lives. They have no guilt. They never change. They are unteachable. Tragically, unless we act upon Jesus' words, unless we actually put them into action, unless we believe and obey them, then certain destruction awaits us."

Lloyd-Jones on Singing

In his book on revival D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes the following comments on singing:

"I am no opponent of singing, we are to sing God's praises in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Yes, but again there is a sense of proportion even here. Have you not noticed how singing is becoming more and more prominent? People, Christian people, meet together to sing only. 'Oh,' they say, 'we do get a word in.' But the singing is the big thing. At a time like this, at an appalling time like this, with crime and violence, and sin, and perversions, God's name desecrated and the sanctities being spat upon, the whole state of the world surely says that this is not a time for singing, this is a time for preaching. I am reminded of the words of Wordsworth about Milton, 'Plain living, and high thinking are no more.' It is almost true of us to say plain speaking and high thinking are no more. We are just singing. We are wafting ourselves into some happy atmosphere. We sing together. My dear friends, this is no time for singing. 'How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?' (Ps. 137:4). How can we take down our harps when Zion is as she is?"

"This is no time for singing, it is a time for thinking, for preaching, for conviction. It is a time for proclaiming the message of God and his wrath upon evil, and all our foolish aberrations. The time for singing will come later. Let the great revival come, let the windows of heaven be opened, let us see men and women by the thousands brought into the Kingdom of God, and then it will be time to sing."