Solus Christus Reformed Baptist Church

Explanation of Hebrews 6:4-6 (2) God puts an end unto all his expectation concerning them; he looks for no more from them, and so exerciseth no more care about them. Whilst God is pleased to afford the use of means for conversion and repentance unto any, he is said to look for and expect answerable fruits: "I did," saith he, "so and so to my vineyard; and I looked that it should bring forth grapes," Isaiah 5:2, 4.

Explanation of Hebrews 6:4-6 (3) These persons had an experience of the truth, goodness, and excellency of the gospel, which those others had not, nor could have; for they had "tasted of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come," and had received great satisfaction in the things they were convinced of, as was before at large declared. Wherefore, in their rejection of him and them, an unconquerable hatred and malice must be granted to be predominant.

Cases of Conscience Case 21 I am by profession a follower of the blessed Redeemer, and hope I can appeal to the Searcher of all hearts, that it is my desire to walk in all the statutes and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Holy, serious meditation is, I am persuaded, a duty which every Christian ought to exercise himself in. It is a duty in which I once took great pleasure and delight. Not a day was suffered to pass in the neglect of it for a considerable time. But alas! may I say to my shame, that an alluring world, a tempting devil, and a still viler traitor within, conspired against the welfare of my precious and immortal soul. I began to perform it in a slight and indifferent manner, and at last I was prevailed upon to neglect it. Now I feel the awful effects of this, in a dark understanding, a hard heart, and cold affections. I endeavor to set about the duty — but oh! the Spirit is withdrawn; I have lost my God; and where will I go? My thoughts immediately go after some trifling vanity; I endeavor to rally them, but they are soon gone again. I command them in the name of the Lord to attend to it, for I have a great work to do; but all is of no avail. "I should be greatly obliged to you, Sir, if you would take my case under your notice, and give me some directions concerning the right performance of this so important a duty.

The Holy Ghost is here mentioned as the great gift of the gospel times, as coming down from heaven, not absolutely, not as unto his person, but with respect unto an especial work, — namely, the change of the whole state of religious worship in the church of God, — whereas we shall see in the next words, he is spoken of only with respect unto external actual operations.

Men are very prone to be deceived about their own state, to think themselves something when they are nothing, and to suppose themselves "rich and increased in goods, and to have need of nothing, when they are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." They are greatly deceived about the principles they act from. They think they are sincere in that in which there is no sincerity. And that they do those things from love to God, which they do only from love to themselves. They call mere speculative or natural knowledge, spiritual knowledge; and put conscience for grace; a servile, for a childlike fear; and common affections, that are only from natural principles, and have no abiding effect, for high discoveries, and eminent actings of grace. Yea, it is common with men to call their vicious dispositions by the name of some virtue. They call their anger and malice, zeal for a righteous cause, or zeal for the public good. And their covetousness, frugality. They are vastly deceived about their own righteousness. They think their affections and performances lovely to God, which are indeed hateful to him.

Having made sure that what you are praying for is according to God's revealed will, then plead His promises, such as Matthew 7:7, Philippians 4:19, etc. Plead them in the name of Christ, asking God to give you the "desires of thine heart" (Ps. 37:4) for Christ's sake, That He may be honored in and by a Godly walk from you, and that His people may be helped and encouraged by your example. Those are pleas which God cannot deny.

Ponder with yourself how sad and miserable the case will be with thee in the days of calamity and distress, if the love of God shall be clouded to thy soul. In those days such as love thee, will either be absent from thee, or impotent to help thee; all thy friends and familiars may be removed far off, and whither then wilt thou turn, should God be far off too? This was that evil which Jeremiah so vehemently deprecated, Jeremiah 17. ver. 17..

God Makes Men Sensible of Their Misery Before He Reveals His Mercy and Love. "God makes men consider and be sensible of what sin they are guilty. Before, it may be, they were very regardless of this. They went on sinning, and never reflected upon what they did. [They] never considered or regarded what or how many sins they committed. They saw no cause why they should trouble their minds about it. But when God convinces them, he brings them to reflect upon themselves. He sets their sins in order before their eyes. He brings their old sins to their minds, so that they are fresh in their memory — things which they had almost forgotten.

God Makes Men Sensible of Their Misery Before He Reveals His Mercy and Love (2) "the principle, which is assisted in making natural men sensible of their desert of wrath, is natural conscience. Though man has lost a principle of love to God, and all spiritual principles, by the fall, yet natural conscience remains. Now there are two things, which are the proper work of natural conscience. One is to give man a sense of right and wrong. A natural man has no sense of the beauty and amiability of virtue, or of the turpitude and odiousness of vice. But yet every man has that naturally within, which testifies to him that some things are right, and others wrong. Thus if a man steals, or commits murder, there is something within, which tells him that he has done wrong. He knows that he has not done right."

Revivals on our nation's college campuses. Are they genuine? How do they compare with genuine historic revival documented and published from before 1860? What are those elements that are missing? A critique.

It is hence evident, that an assurance of being regenerate is no way previously necessary to the believing of an interest in forgiveness; so that although a man have not the former, it is, or may be, his duty to endeavor the latter. When convinced persons cried out, "What shall we do to be saved?" the answer was, "Believe, and you shall be so." "Believe in Christ, and in the remission of sin by his blood," is the first thing that convinced sinners are called unto. They are not directed first to secure their souls that they are born again, and then afterward to believe.

The dangers and fears of the people of God in this world are many and great; and were it not for the Lord's assiduous and tender care over them, they must necessarily be ruined both in soul and body by them. The church is God's vineyard, its enemies as so many wild boars to root it up: Upon this account he saith, Isa. 27:3. "I the Lord do keep it; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."

Forgiveness of Sin - Rule number 10 The soul of which we speak is afflicted and tossed, and not comforted. There is in the intimation of grace and pardon intended a remote discovery made of some relief. This may be Christ; it may be forgiveness. This it is convinced of; it cannot deny but at such or such a time, under such ordinances, or in such duties, it was persuaded that yet there might be mercy and pardon for it. This is enough to carry it to steer its course constantly that way,—to press forward unto that harbour which will give it rest.

direction:—Consider in particular where the stress and hinderance lies that keeps you off from peace, through an established persuasion of an interest in evangelical pardon. Do not always fluctuate up and down in generals and uncertainties; but drive things unto a particular issue, that it may be tried whether it be of sufficient efficacy to keep you in your present entanglements and despondencies. Search out your wound, that it may be tried whether it be curable or not.

broken. Their power to do mischief shall be effectually taken away, for the arms which they lifted up against God shall be crushed even to the bone. God often makes implacable men incapable men. What is a more contemptible sight than toothless malice, armless malevolence! But the Lord upholdeth the righteous. Their cause and course shall be safe, for they are in good keeping. The sword of two edges smites the wicked and defends the just.

Men Naturally Are God's Enemies sections 8 and 9 "Is God obliged to show mercy to his enemies? Is God bound to set his love on them that have no love to him; but hate him with perfect hatred? Is he bound to come and dwell with them that have an aversion to him, and choose to keep at a distance from him, and fly from him as one that is hateful to them? Even should you desire the salvation of your soul, is God bound to comply with your desires, when you always resist and oppose his will? Is God bound to put honor upon you, and to advance you to such dignity as to be a child of the King of kings, and the heir of glory, while at the same time you set him too low to have even the lowest place in your heart?

A Sermon on God's Providence" by Arthur Dent, who lived until 1607, is a powerful sermon that explores the theological concept of God's providence. In this sermon, Dent explores the belief that God, in His infinite wisdom and omnipotence, governs and orchestrates all aspects of the universe, from the grandest cosmic events to the minutest details of individual lives.

What God can do to his enemies. Or rather, what can he not do? How miserable can he who is almighty make his enemies! Consider, you that are enemies to God, whether or not you shall be able to make your part good with him. "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" 1 Cor. 10:22. Have you such a conceit of your own strength, as that you think to try it out with God? Do you intend to run the risk of an encounter with him? Do you imagine that your hands can be strong, or your heart can endure?

If it were not for the laws of the land, we should soon see a massacre of the righteous. Jesus was watched by his enemies, who were thirsting for his blood: his disciples must not look for favor where their Master found hatred and death.

Men Naturally are God's Enemies Dated August, 1736. "The power of the enmity of natural men against God, is so great, that it is insuperable by any finite power. It has too great and strong a possession of the heart, to be overcome by any created power. Indeed, a natural man never sincerely strives to root out his enmity against God. His endeavors are hypocritical. He delights in his enmity, and chooses it. Neither can others do it, though they sincerely, and to their utmost, endeavor to overcome this enmity. If godly friends and neighbors labor to persuade them to cast away their enmity, and become friends to God, they cannot persuade them to it. Though ministers use never so many arguments and entreaties, and set forth the loveliness of God; tell them of the goodness of God to them, hold forth God's own gracious invitations, and entreat them never so earnestly to cast off their opposition, and be reconciled; yet they cannot overcome it. Still they will be as bad enemies to God, as ever they were. — The tongue of men or of angels cannot persuade them to relinquish their opposition to God. Miracles will not do it."

Men Naturally Are God's Enemies - Section 6 God's work in the restraint that he exercises over a wicked world, is a glorious work. God's holding the reins upon the corruptions of a wicked world, and setting bounds to their wickedness, is a more glorious work, than his ruling the raging of the sea, and setting bounds to its proud waves, and saying, hitherto shalt thou come, and no further. In hell, God lets the wickedness of wicked spirits have the reins, to rage without restraint; and it would be in a great measure upon earth as it is in hell, did not God restrain the wickedness of the world. But in order to the better understanding how it is owing to the restraining grace of God, that we are kept and withheld from the highest acts of sin, I would here observe several things.

The destruction of the ungodly will be speedy, sudden, sure, overwhelming, irretrievable. The grass cannot resist or escape the mower. And wither as the green herb. The beauty of the herb dries up at once in the heat of the sun, and so all the glory of the wicked shall disappear at the hour of death. Death kills the ungodly man like grass, and wrath withers him like hay; he dies, and his name rots. How complete an end is made of the man whose boasts had no end!

Letters to the Aged - 2 Why should the aged be more peevish and morose than others? If they are pious, there can be no good reason for it; but it is not difficult to account for the fact. In the decline of life a gradual change takes place in our physical system, by which the mind is considerably affected; and often serious disease is added to this natural change. The nervous system is debilitated and shattered, and in consequence, the spirits are apt to sink, or to become irregular.

Take heed of undue expressions concerning God and his ways in distress. Take heed, in doubts, distresses, and perplexities, of hard thoughts of God, hasty unweighed expressions concerning him or his ways, or of secret resolves that it were as good give over waiting as continue in the state wherein you are, seeing your condition is remediless.

The gospel dispensation is finished wholly and entirely in free and glorious grace: there is glorious grace, shines in every part of the great work of redemption; the foundation is laid in grace, the superstructure is reared in grace, and the whole is finished in glorious grace.

Christians ought not to drop like other men in the day of trouble. A wicked man's boldness, and a Christian's cowardliness, in times of affliction, are alike ungrounded and uncomely. Why should thy heart, Christian, despond and sink at this rate, upon the prospect of approaching troubles? Are there not safe and comfortable chambers taken up, and provided for thee against that day? Is not the name of the Lord a strong tower, into which thou mayest run and be safe?

If sin be evil, why do you live in it? If it be not, why do you dissuade men from it? If it be dangerous, how dare you venture on it? if it be not, why do you tell men so? If God's threatenings be true, why do you not fear them? if they be false, why do you needlessly trouble men with them, and put them into such frights without a cause? Do you know the judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death, and yet will you do them?

Fruitless and heartless complaints, bemoanings of themselves and their condition, is the substance of the profession that some make. If they can object against themselves, and form complaints out of their conditions, they suppose they have done their duty. I have known some who have spent a good part of their time in going up and down from one to another with their objections and complaints. These things are contrary to the life of faith.

Once again let this unbelief of ours be forgiven, and let us stand, with no sin upon the conscience, but absolved through Jesus' blood, in the enjoyment of such confidence with You, that we may lift up our face without a cloud, and may trust in You henceforth without a doubt, and go on our way rejoicing whatever that way may be. Lord teach us to be resigned to Your will; teach us to delight in Your law; teach us to have no will but Your will; teach us to be sure that everything You do is good and is the very best that can be done. Help us to leave our concerns in Your divine hands.

This narration is dedicated to L M and Esther with heart felt gratitude. First published in the year 1612, five years after Arthur Dent's death, this treatise remains a nourishing guide for believers who long to grow in both the understanding and practice of prayer. Dent, a faithful preacher and minister of God's Word, draws his readers into the deep spiritual contours of the Lord's Prayer, expounding each petition with theological clarity and heartfelt exhortation. Forgive us our Debts In this petition and the next, we ask for spiritual blessings, which teaches us that, since there are two petitions for spiritual things and only one for temporal things, our concern for our souls must be twice as great as our concern for our bodies. Coherence. God's will is done when we trust His providence for our daily needs and trust His mercy for the forgiveness of our sins. Reason for the order (why we ask first for things of the body, and only afterwards for things of the soul) even though the body is not more excellent than the soul:

Remember that prayer is always to be offered in submission to God's will; that when we say, God hears prayer, we do not intend by that, that He always gives us literally what we ask for. We do mean, however, this, that He gives us what is best for us; and that if He does not give us the mercy we ask for in silver, He bestows it upon us in gold. If He does not take away the thorn in the flesh, yet He says, "My grace is sufficient for you," and that comes to the same in the end.

The Golden Key Of Prayer - Most of you are doing something for Christ; I am happy to be able to say this, knowing that I do not flatter you. My dear friends, wait upon God much in prayer, and you have the promise that He will do greater things for you than you know of. We know not how much capacity for usefulness there may be in us. That ass's jawbone lying there upon the earth, what can it do? Nobody knows what it can do. It gets into Samson's hands, what can it not do? No one knows what it cannot do now that a Samson wields it.

God understands what heavy hearts we have sometimes, when under a sense of sin. Satan says to us, "Why should you pray? How can you hope to prevail? In vain you say, I will arise and go to my Father, for you are not worthy to be one of his hired servants. How can you see the King's face after you have played the traitor against Him? How will you dare to approach unto the altar when you have yourself defiled it, and when the sacrifice which you, would bring there is a poor polluted one?" O brethren, it is well for us that we, are commanded to pray, or else in times of heaviness we might give it up.

This narration is dedicated to L M and Esther with heart felt gratitude. First published in the year 1612, five years after Arthur Dent's death, this treatise remains a nourishing guide for believers who long to grow in both the understanding and practice of prayer. Dent, a faithful preacher and minister of God's Word, draws his readers into the deep spiritual contours of the Lord's Prayer, expounding each petition with theological clarity and heartfelt exhortation.

How mad are men, who so often hear of these things and pretend to believe them; who can live but a little while (a few years); who do not even expect to live here longer than others of their species ordinarily do; and who yet are careless about what becomes of themselves in another world, where there is no change and no end! How mad are they, when they hear that if they go on in sin, they shall be eternally miserable that they are not moved by it, but hear it with as much carelessness and coldness as if they were no way concerned in the matter when they know not but that it may be their case, that they may be suffering these torments before a week is at an end!

A ministry update: The One Millionth Audio Play point. Voddie Baucham crosses The River - Survey question - Was Charlie Kirk one of the greatest evangelists in church history? Answered for reflection.

Subject: The time will come when fearfulness will surprise the sinners in Zion; because they will know that they are going to be cast into a devouring fire, which they must suffer forever and ever, and which none can endure. "If we imagine to ourselves the dreadful fear with which a lamb or kid falls into the paws of a world, which lays hold of it with open mouth; or if we imagine to ourselves the feeling of a little child, that has been pursued by a lion, when it is taken hold of, and sees the terrible creature open his devouring jaws to tear it in pieces; or the feeling of those two and forty children, who had mocked Elisha, when they fell into the paws of the bears that [tore] them in pieces; I say if we could have a perfect idea of that terror and astonishment which a little child has in such a case, yet we should have but a faint idea of what is felt in the departing soul of a sinner, when it falls into the hands of those cruel devils those roaring lions, which then seize of it!"