Solus Christus Reformed Baptist Church

Is it nothing to us that the greatest number of those who are called Christians, and enjoy prosperity in the world, do live in open idolatry, to the unspeakable scandal of Christian religion and imminent danger unto themselves of eternal ruin? — nothing that so many do openly renounce the humble, meek spirit of Christ and the gospel, endeavoring to persecute, ruin, and destroy other Christians, perhaps better than themselves, because they cannot captivate their souls and consciences in obedience unto their impositions?

Most men are apt to suppose that the continuance of the true religion in any place depends solely on the prudence and industry of those unto whom the conduct of its outward concerns are committed. Such as these will despise our cautions.

" 'I am a sickly man, as you see; and, because death did usually once a day knock at my door, I thought I should never be well at home; so I betook myself to a pilgrim's life, and have travelled hither from the town of Uncertain, where I and my father were born. I am a man of no strength at all of body, nor yet of mind; but would, if I could, though I can but crawl, spend my life in the pilgrim's way.

Did I think my life, and all that was dear unto me, too good for thee, to save thee from the wrath to come? Have I been a wilderness unto thee, or a land of darkness? What could I have done more for thee? When I had nothing left but my life, blood, and soul, they went all for thee, that thou mightst live by my death, be washed in my blood, and be saved through my soul's being made an offering for thee! And hast thou thus requited my love, to prefer a lust before me, or by mere sloth and folly to be turned away from me? Go, unkind and unthankful soul, and see if thou canst find another Redeemer."

There needs no farther demonstration that men have never had a spiritual view of or insight into the glory of gospel truths, be their doctrinal knowledge of them what it will, than this, that their minds are not renewed thereby, nor transformed into the likeness of them. Where it is thus with men, they have no stable grounds whereon to abide in the profession of the truth against temptation, opposition, or seduction; for their steadfastness must be an effect of such an assurance in their minds of the truth of the things which they do believe, as will be prevalent against all that force and artifice wherewith they may be assaulted, and such as will not suffer their own minds to be indifferent, careless, or negligent about them.

Gospel truth is the only root whereon gospel holiness will grow. If any worm corrode, or any other corrupting accident befall it, the fruit will quickly fade and decay. It is impossible to maintain the power of godliness where the doctrine from whence it springs is unknown, corrupted, or despised. And, on the other side, where men are weary of holiness, they will not long give entertainment to the truth; for as to their desires and affections, they will find it not only useless but troublesome.

It is a spiritual work in this high sense; and therefore above all other works is peculiar to the Spirit of God. There is no work so high and excellent; for there is no work wherein God doth so much communicate himself, and wherein the mere creature hath, in so high a sense, a participation of God; so that it is expressed in Scripture by the saints being made partakers of the divine, nature, 2 Pet. i. 4. and having God dwelling in them, and they in God.

Bunyan says "they made up apace" to Christian. It had taken him a long time to get where he was, but they caught up with him in a minute or two. None seemed to grow so rapidly as those who have no roots, and who therefore are not really growing at all. A child, with a farthing's worth of soap and a pipe, soon blows some big bubbles, painted with many colours and sparkling with beauty; but they are only bubbles. They are very quickly produced, and they as speedily vanish. Beware of getting up a sham religion.

the higher gracious affections are raised, the more is a spiritual appetite and longing of soul after spiritual attainments increased: on the contrary, false affections rest satisfied in themselves. The more a true saint loves God with a gracious love, the more he desires to love him, and the more uneasy is he at his want of love to him: the more he hates sin, the more he desires to hate it, and laments that he has so much remaining love to it.

If we consider those extraordinary manifestations which God made of himself to saints of old, we shall find that he commonly first manifested himself in a way which was terrible, and then by those things that were comfortable. So it was with Abraham; first, a horror of great darkness fell upon him, and then God revealed himself to him in sweet promises.

John Bunyan, whom we shall see to be the master of Christian experience as well as of holy allegory has, in the passage at the head of this chapter, described a part of the work of these "helps" which is most valuable, and most required. "The man whose name was Help" came to Christian when he was floundering in the foul morass of despondency.

Paul labors to charm their unruly passions with a very quieting and calming argument: I am ready. I am prepared and fitted for the greatest sufferings that will befall me in the pursuit of my duty. Be it a prison or be it death, I am prepared for either. Liberty is dear and life much dearer, but Christ is dearer than either.

The first principle is that no man can suffer for Christ until he is able to deny himself (Matthew 16:24). Self-denial naturally comes before sufferings. Beloved, in a time of suffering, the interests of Christ and of self meet like two men on a narrow bridge; one must of necessity go back or the other cannot pass on. If you cannot now deny self, you must deny Christ. The yoke and dominion of self must be cast off or else Christ's yoke and burden cannot be taken on.

When Your grace had really made us to know You, Your justice, terrible as it was, had our submissive reverence. We felt that, if our souls were sent to Hell, righteousness and justice would approve it well. O God, we remember how we lay at Your feet. Our thoughts were as a case of knives cutting our hearts; and then did You come to us, and You did make known Your love. O blessed day in which You did reveal Yourself dressed in the silken robes of love! When we saw, that Jesus died that we might live, that the cross was the best proof of divine affection, then we looked to Jesus suffering in our stead. We trusted in the great atonement, and we found a peace. Oh, what shall we say of it? Our very soul does sing at the remembrance of the peace which has never been taken from us.

Think it not possible to pray too frequently; but at morning, at noon, and at eventide lift up your soul unto God. Let not despondency stop the voice of your supplication, for He who hears the young ravens when they cry, will in due time listen to the trembling words of your desire. Give Him no rest until He hear you

Our Father, will You be pleased today to fill us with delight because of Your love. Are we heavy of heart—let Your sweet love lighten the burden; for what after all can there be to trouble the man whom God loves? Shall we not find even in Your rod a sweetness, as Jonathan did, when he dipped his rod in the honey? Have You not said, "as many as I love I rebuke and chasten," shall we not therefore take Your rebukes and chastenings, and even rejoice in them, because therein the love of God is manifested toward us. Are Your dear children poor, or are they sick in body, or are they losing those they love, or is there yet a newly dug grave over which they could shed floods of tears? Oh, sweet love of God, comfort them. Cover all the rocks, O mighty tide of everlasting love, until not a rock is seen; and on that glassy sea may our spirits float above the rocks, which else had wrecked our lives. We do pray You give us comfort, but also give us strength as well as consolation.

First, In a sin-perplexed soul's addresses unto God, the first thing that presents itself unto him is God's marking sin according to the tenor of the law. The case is the same in this matter with all sorts of sinners, whether before conversion or in relapses and entanglements after conversion. There is a proportion between conversion and recoveries. They are both wrought by the same means and ways, and have both the same effects upon the souls of sinners, although in sundry things they differ, not now to be spoken to.

Oh, let us never mistrust You, You blessed Son of God. May we have no doubt about Your Father's love—no suspicion as to the love of the Spirit; but may we joy in God by Jesus Christ, through whom also we have received the atonement. May we come to anchor, and, casting anchor in the port of peace, may we never be troubled again about that question, but be able to say "My Father," with an unfaltering lip. The Lord grant, that we may all of us have not only faith in Christ, but full assurance of faith, whereby we shall trust, for the present and for the future, everything in those dear hands that were nailed to the cross for us. Help Your children to perform an act of faith tonight, by leaving all their troubles apart and coming close to their Lord. He has sweat great drops for us, and now You bid Your own children to cease therefrom, even as of old You bade the priests to wear no garment that caused sweat, because they were to find rest in Your service, and peace in the performance of their holy duties. Even so, may Your people do.

Lord, will You deal with us according to Your wisdom and prudence. Take out of us every evil and false way: anything wherein we have deceived ourselves, do You remove. Anything which looks like growth in grace, which is mere puffing up, do You take away; anything which we prize, which is but counterfeit, do You utterly destroy: and oh, bring us of Your great love to know Christ in truth, that what we know we may know, and not think we know. And oh, that there might be a deep reality about our Christian experience, and knowledge; that the truth of God may be incarnate in the truth which lives in us.

For the right performance of any duty, it is not enough that the thing required be itself performed, but that it be universally squared and fitted to the rule72 of the duty. Herein lies the great duty of the mind: namely, to attend to the rule of duties, and to take care that all the interests of such duties be ordered by such care. Our progress in obedience is our edification, or building up.

It is no certain sign that affections are gracious, that they arise on occasion of scriptures brought suddenly and wonderfully to the mind; whether those affections be fear or hope, joy or sorrow, or any other. Some seem to look upon this as a good evidence that their affections are saving, especially if the affections excited are hope or joy, or any other which are pleasing and delightful.

This sermon edition was recorded for Monergism for the new app.

There is a twofold sense of sin. The one is general and notional; whereby a man knows what sin is, that himself is a sinner, —that he is guilty of this or that, these or those sins; only his heart is not affected proportionably to that discovery and knowledge which he hath of these things. The other u active and efficacious. The soul being acquainted with the nature of sin, with its own guilt in reference unto sin in general, as also to this or that sin, is universally influenced by that apprehension unto suitable affections and operations.

Our chief desire this morning before You is to be right with You. Oh make us right with You, great Father. There are some in Your presence who are not right with You at all; Your countenance they cannot behold, and You can not accept their offering; for it is true of them, as of Cain, "sin lies at the door." Oh God roll every sin away; but we know they must first feel the burden of it, they must come to You and confess it, they must accept the great Substitute and rest in Jesus.

It is no evidence that affections are gracious, that they are not purposely produced by those who are the subjects of them, or that they arise in their minds in a manner which they cannot account for. There are some who make this an argument in their own favour, when speaking of what they have experienced: "I am sure I did not make it myself: it was a fruit of no contrivance or endeavour of mine; it came when I thought nothing of it; if I might have the world for it, I cannot make it again when I please." And hence they determine, that what they have experienced, must be from the mighty influence of the Spirit of God,

Indwelling sin opposes God by force and by deceit. We began consideration of its working by deceit in chapter 8, and this in its general workings to keep the soul from considering both the mind's vileness, and God and His grace. How sin, by its deceit, endeavors to draw off the mind from attending to the holy frame for walking with God in which the soul ought to be preserved, therefore has been declared. We proceed now to show how sin by its deceit does the same work in reference to those special duties by which the designs, workings, and prevalence of it may in a special manner be opposed and prevented. Treatise on Indwelling Sin Chapter 9

Oh, this morning let Your people feel that there is now no condemnation to them. Let them feel the completeness of the washing Christ has given, the blessed fullness of the righteousness which Christ has imputed, the eternal vitality of that life with which Christ has endowed us, the indissoluble character of that union by which we are knit to Christ by ties that never can be broken; and may we today rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; and do You write upon our hearts these blessed words, "Filled with all the fullness of God," and may we know it is so; that we have all that we can hold; and may we be praying to be enlarged, that we may take in even more of Christ than we have as yet received; for He is all ours, altogether ours, and ours world without end.

Treatise on the Religious Affections - Part One Negative Sign 2 Great effects on the body certainly are no sure evidences that affections are spiritual; for we see them oftentimes arise from great affections about temporal things, and when religion is no way concerned in them. And if great affections about things purely natural may have these effects, I know not by what rule we should determine, that high affections about religious things, which arise in like manner from nature, cannot have the like effect.

Treatise on the Religious Affections - Part One Negative Sign 3

We would confess our many sins, with great self abhorrence and detestation of them. The Lord be pleased to forgive his servants in this thing, and let us each this morning feel the application of the precious "blood which speaks better things than that of Abel." May every child of God know now, that he is clean through the washing of the blood. Oh, that we might be certain that no guilt is recorded against us now, for it is blotted out forever and the record is destroyed. Being justified by faith may we have peace, deep, lasting peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We would, each one of us, ask this morning that we may be washed as to our feet: we trust You have bathed us once for all in the sin-removing fountain. You have also washed us in the waters of regeneration, and given us the renewing of our minds through Jesus Christ. But oh, for daily cleansing! Do You see any fault in us?—oh, we know that You dost—wash us that we may be clean. Are we deficient in any virtue? Oh, supply it, that we may exhibit a perfect character, to the glory of Him who have made us anew in Christ Jesus. Or, is there something that would be good, carried to excess? Be pleased to modify it, lest one virtue should slaughter another, and we should not be the image of Christ completely. Oh Lord and Master, You who did wash Your disciples' feet of old, still be very patient toward us, very condescending towards our provoking faults, and go on with us, we pray You, until Your great work shall be completed, and we shall be brethren of the First-born, like unto Him.

As poor creatures love their peace, as they love their souls, as they tender the glory of God, they are not to be wanting in this duty. What is the reason that controversies hang so long between God and your souls, that it may be you scarce see a good day all your lives? Is it not, for the most part, from your sloth and despondency of spirit? You will not gird up the loins of your minds, in dealing with God, to put them to a speedy issue in the blood of Christ.

There are sins which, though they do not rise up in the conscience with such a bloody guilt as those mentioned, yet, by reason of some circumstances and aggravations, God takes them so unkindly as to make them a root of disquietness and trouble to the soul all its days. He says of some sins of ungodly men, "As I live, this iniquity shall not be purged from you until you die.

The ground of this efficacy of sin by deceit is taken from the faculty of the soul affected with it. Deceit properly affects the mind; it is the mind that is deceived. When sin attempts any other way of entrance into the soul, as for example by the affections, the mind—retaining its right and sovereignty—is able to give check and control to it. But where the mind is tainted, the prevalence of sin must be great, for the mind or understanding is the leading faculty of the soul.

Lord, will You listen to us while we confess before You how unworthy we have been of all Your goodness; for we are a sinful generation, even as our fathers were? We have sinned, times without number.

Grant that our speech, our thoughts, our actions, may all be holiness, and "holiness unto the Lord." We know that there be some that seek after moral virtue apart from God. Let us not be of their kind; but may our desire be that everything should be done as unto the Lord, for You have said, "Walk before Me, and be you perfect." Help us so to do, to have no master but our God, no law but His will, no delight but Himself. Oh, take these hearts, most glorious Lord, and keep them, for "out of them are the issues of life;" and let us be the instruments in Your hand, by daily vigilance, of keeping our hearts, lest in heart we go astray from the Lord our God. Until life's latest hour may we keep the sacred pledges of our early youth. We do remember when we were baptized into the sacred Name

We trusted in You with regard to our innumerable sins, and You have cast them behind Your back. We trusted in You, yes, we trusted in You when many evils compassed us about, and we were sore beset with temptation, and You brought us out into a wealthy place: You did set our feet upon a rock and establish our goings.

There is provision in the covenant of grace against peace-ruining, soul-perplexing sins, is not, as to the administration of it, absolute. There are covenant commands and exhortations, on the attendance whereunto the administration of much covenant grace doth depend. To watch, pray, improve faith, to stand on our guard continually, to mortify sin, to fight against temptations, with steadfastness, diligence, constancy, are everywhere prescribed unto us; and that in order unto the insurance of the grace mentioned.

Religious Affections - Part 2 - Negative Sign 1

Under the Old Testament none loved God more than David; none was loved of God more than he. The paths of faith and love wherein he walked are unto the most of us like the way of an eagle in the air, —too high and hard for us. Yet to this very day do the cries of this man after God's own heart sound in our ears. Sometimes he complains of broken bones, sometimes of drowning depths, sometimes of waves and water-spouts, sometimes of wounds and diseases, sometimes of wrath and the sorrows of hell; everywhere of his sins, the burden and trouble of them.

It is said that indwelling sin leads the soul captive "to the law of sin"—not to this or that sin, particular sin, or actual sin, but to the "law of sin." God, for the most part, orders things and gives out such supplies of grace to believers so that they shall not be made a prey to this or that particular sin. He ensures that sin should not prevail in them and compel them to serve it in its lusts. He ensures that sin should not have dominion over them, so that they should be captives and slaves to it.

It will thus be evident that far from fallen man being an object of pity because of his moral impotence, he is justly to be blamed for the course which he pursues. We do not condemn a legless man because he is unable to walk, but rightly commiserate with him. We do not censure a sightless man for not admiring the beauties of nature; rather our compassion goes out to him. But how different is the case of the natural man in connection with his firm obligations to serve and glorify his rightful Lord!