The Incomprehensibleness of Divine Love

How little can the saints concieve,
Of love that's infinite;
In part they know; in part believe,
But yet want further sight.

Our eye is weak, our object bright,
Alas! such babes are we;
That can't yet bear love's dazzling light,
Nor its full glory see.

Transporting glances now and then,
The eye of faith takes in;
But love's too bright for mortal men,
And still remains unseen.

The saints, indeed, are vessels made,
To hold eternal love;
But yet, while here, we scanty are,
not like the saints above.

They are enlarg'd, they are complete,
They see, while we believe;
But love is so immensely great,
No Finite can conceive!

They in the light of vision see,
And still in raptures praise;
But yet, unto eternity,
There will be new displays.

Because the creature finite is,
And can't at once take in,
The fullness of Jehovah's bliss,
Where heirs of glory swim.

Thy love, O Lord! Our souls adore,
Its past created skill;
We long to be enlarged more,
And then to drink our fill.

ANNE DUTTON

Upcoming Series

A while ago, my pastor did a series on Wednesday nights, in which he went through Ecclesiastes. Ever since then I've been fascinated by the book. The message of the book is a sobering and urgent reminder of the fact that, no matter what it is, if you're finding your pleasure and satisfaction somewhere other than God, you'll be let down. So, starting Monday (d.v.) I'll be devoting the next few weeks to Ecclesiastes.

Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher,
"Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
What advantage does man have in all his work
Which he does under the sun?
A generation goes and a generation comes,
But the earth remains forever.
Also, the sun rises and the sun sets;
And hastening to its place it rises there again.
Blowing toward the south,
Then turning toward the north,
The wind continues swirling along;
And on its circular courses the wind returns.
All the rivers flow into the sea,
Yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
There they flow again.
All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there anything of which one might say,
"See this, it is new"?
Already it has existed for ages
Which were before us.
There is no remembrance of earlier things;
And also of the later things which will occur,
There will be for them no remembrance
Among those who will come later still.

--------------------

So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who trusts will never be dismayed.

---------------------

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Hymn for young people

Last night I was reading in volume 4 of The Publications of the American Tract Society (which by the way is REALLY good!!!) and I came across this hymn. It didn't say who the author was, so I looked it up, and sure enough, it was written by the illustrious Isaac Watts! I think this is based on part of Psalm 119, because the first stanza brought to mind this verse:

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.

Here's the hymn:

INSTRUCTIONS FROM SCRIPTURE

How shall the young secure their hearts
And guard their lives from sin?
Thy Word the choicest rules imparts
To keep the conscience clean.

When once it enters to the mind,
It spreads such light abroad,
The meanest souls instruction find,
And raise their thoughts to God.

’Tis, like the sun, a heav’nly light
That guides us all the day,
And through the dangers of the night
A lamp to lead our way.

The men that keep Thy law with care,
And meditate Thy Word,
Grow wiser than their teachers are,
And better know the Lord.

Thy precepts make me truly wise:
I hate the sinner’s road;
I hate my own vain thoughts that rise,
But love Thy law, my God.

The starry heav’ns Thy rule obey,
The earth maintains her place;
And these Thy servants, night and day,
Thy skill and power express.

But still Thy law and Gospel, Lord,
Have lessons more divine;
Not earth stands firmer than Thy Word,
Nor stars so nobly shine.

Thy Word is everlasting truth;
How pure is every page!
That holy Book shall guide our youth
And well support our age.

Electress Elizabeth of the Palatinate - part 2

And now began her happiest days. Her "honeymoon" lasted five years. This beautiful castle, which provoked the wonder of the English visitors, had been enlarged by the English building and the thick tower at the west end, built by Frederick for his English bride. He also laid out the rough wild mountain back of the castle into a most beautiful garden - a blooming paradise where she might rest and enjoy herself. Here in summer, oranges and limes spread their fragrance. Here was an English orchard, there a mulberry grove. Beautiful beds of many tinted flowers varied the view. From the edge of the precipices fell an artificial waterfall, while silvery streams of water would flow when bidden through the garden, and as they flowed, musical symphonies, supposed to be breathed by naiads, fell on her ears. There were grottoes from which issued streams of melody. The beauties of the garden were so great that Louis XIV. of France became jealous lest it would eclipse the splendor of his gardens at Versailles. Here passed the happiest years of her life. Her happiness seemed to culminate when in 1619 she became a queen, for her husband was elected king of Bohemia. Her mother could no longer sneer at her for marrying only a prince, for she was now a queen. She gained the coveted rank, but alas, heavy hangs the head that wears a crown. But she was ready for it, for she writes to her husband, when he accepted the throne, "I shall not repine, whatever consequences may ensue, not even though I should be forced to part with my last jewel."

The time had now come when Queen Elizabeth was to set out for Prague, to ascend the throne of Bohemia. Her departure from Heidelberg was ominous of her future sorrows. The day before she left was Sunday. She attended service on that day, and her chaplain, by a curious coincidence, preached on the text: "Go to now, ye that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and buy and sell, and get gain, whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow," etc. Strange to say, "the year" in that text was fulfilled, for she remained just a year as queen in Bohemia before unexpected disasters came upon her. When she arrived at the Bohemian border with her husband, she was received with great honor. Her journey reminded her of her triumphal bridal journey up the Rhine a few years before. Her beauty and rank seemed to dazzle the Bohemians. At Waldsach the women and children gathered around her, touching the hem of her garment, or prostrating themselves before her as if she were some new divinity. Her journey was completed and crowned by a magnificent triumphal procession into Prague, October 21, 1620. "Never," says her biographer, "since the days of Queen Elizabeth has any princess inspired the sentiments of such impassioned affection in the people of Prague. The horses of her carriage were adorned with housings of gold and silver, and she sat under a canopy of gold and silver not more splended than becoming to her fair complexion." Her husband was crowned on November 3, and three days later she was also crowned in great state. Amid music she approached the chancel of the Hussite church, and knelt to recieve the crown of Bohemia. The administrator of Bohemia, who crowned her, preached a long sermon, which he closed with the wish that "the piety of the new queen might be rewarded with the longevity of Sarah, in that all her undertakings she might be as prosperous as the beautiful Rebecca, that she should prevail over her enemies like the intrepid Judith, and be meek and magnanimous like Queen Esther, and that finally she might be persevering like the Queen of Sheba in the search of truth and wisdom, and above all, be crowned with spiritual gifts like the blessed Salome, who had been chosen and solemly approved by the Savior of the world." He solemly crowned her as the walls resounded with the shouts, "Long live Queen Elizabeth."

An Important Reminder

All life is serious. We are not butterflies, to flutter a little while in the air and then drop into the dust. The words we speak and the things we do are not snow- flakes dropping into the water, "a moment white, then gone forever," but are beginnings of immortalities. We are not done with anything in life as it passes from our hands. Nothing is indifferent. There is a moral character in all that we do. Either we are blessing the world, or sowing the seed of a curse in every influence that goes out from us. It becomes us, therefore, to give conscientious thought to all our life.

(Taken from Things to Live For by J.R. Miller, pp. 14-15)

Earthly Mindedness

A man is earthly minded when he looks upon earthly things as the greatest things of all, when he has a high esteem of earthly things as the things. As if it were thus: " Oh, if I had such and such things as others have, oh, how happy I would be! How happy are such and such men that do enjoy such earthly things at their will, in their dwellings, in their furniture, their comings in; oh, these are the excellent things, these are the delightful things. These are the things in which felicity and happiness consist."

When men promise themselves felicity in any earthly things, they mind earthly things. I remember golden-mouthed Chrysostom had a speech about a covetous man who looked upon his money and saw more beauty in his money than in the very sun that shines in the firmament. Men look upon the things of the earth as the most beautiful things in their eyes. Certainly a man is in a distemper when he puts such a high esteem upon any earthly things. This esteem is not according to what God and His saints put upon earthly things. God never puts any great eminency on any earthly thing. He never made any earthly things to be any great conduit or means of conveyance of any great good of Himself unto His creature. If you would know where your heart is, you may know it by this one sign as much as any: what do you count your excellency? According to what any man or woman counts their excellency to consist in, so is their heart. Their hearts are suitable.

[A Treatise on Earthly Mindedness, by Jeremiah Burroughs, pp 7 & 8]

What do you call your excellency?

Electress Elizabeth of the Palatinate - part 1

Not so well known as the famous Queen Bess of England, but far more beautiful was her namesake and relative, Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of King James I of England, yet her lot became a sad as she was beautiful. The sad fate of her family, the Stuarts, seemed to hang over her. She became the unfortunate Queen of Bohemia, the "paschal lamb" of the Thirty Year's War.

She was born August 19, 1596, at the palace at Falkland, Scotland. Her early life was made happy by an idolized brother, Henry, who instilled into her young mind an antipathy to Rome, which was only intensified as she afterwards suffered so much from Romish powers. She was sent to school at Combe Abbey. When there she was hurried away when the gunpowder plot (1605) was discovered, because the conspirators hoped to capture her and force her to become queen. When the danger was over, she wrote to her brother a little note which concluded with this expression: "If God be for us, who can be against us?" At that time a lad of nine years sent her from the continent a note of congratulation on her safety. He was the little Count Frederick of the Palatinate, who afterwards became her husband. He declared in this note that he believed that the wicked conspiracy proceded from the direct agency of the Antichrist. Later she wrote to her guardian a poem in which she seems to have caught the devotional spirit of Lady Jane Grey. When she was sixteen years old, Frederick sued for her hand. It was deemed wise to unite two such prominent and Reformed powers as England and the Palatinate in marriage. So on October 16, 1612, Prince Frederick embarked for England to recieve his bride. The Protestants in England were very glad for the marriage of their beautiful princess to Frederick; although the Catholics opposed it, and Elizabeth's mother never lost an opportunity to remind her that she was marrying beneath her station by calling the Palatinate Prince Frederick "Goody Palsgrave." Elizabeth promptly replied, "I would rather espouse a Protestant count than a Catholic emperor." It happened that just as Frederick arrived in England, Prince Henry, the heir to the throne and idol of the people, died. So most fortunately Frederick came to England to take her brother's place with Elizabeth. And the nation seemed to transfer its interest from the dead prince to Frederick.

They were married on Valentine's Day, 1613, with great pomp. Dressed in a gorgeous robe of white and silver, studded with diamonds, a crown of gold on her head, her long hair woven with pearls and diamonds, her train carried by thirteen young ladies dressed in white, she was married to the prince. The archbishop of Cantebury married them, and a sermon was preached by the Bishop of Bath and Wells on the wedding at Cana. After the wedding Frederick visited Cambridge and Oxford, where he was recieved with great honor, and then prepared to take his bride back to his own land. Their journey through Holland and up the Rhine seemed a triumphal entry. Reception followed reception. At Amsterdam from her barge to the carriage she passed over a bridge richly carpeted, while on the front of the exchange was a beautiful arch, on which she was represented as Thetis, the goddess mother of Achilles. Every day there were military displays, so that her bridal journey seemed a victorious march. At Dusseldorf her husband had provided a yacht on which she was to sail up the beautiful Rhine to Heidelberg. When she arrived at the Palatinate, she was recieved by the towns of Oppenheim and Frankenthal with great rejoicing and honor. She arrived at Heidelberg on a beautiful day in June. Almost all the Protestant nobility of Germany was there to welcome her; and as they came with large retinues of followers, Heidelberg was full of gaiety and splendor. The Princess arrived before the city, having 374 in her company, among them English nobles, as the Earl of Arundel and Lord Lenox. As she proceeded to the castle in a carriage with eight horses, the streets were strewn with green-sward and the roofs crowned with boughs of May. Along the walls were hung festoons of flowers. The next day the court preacher, Scultetus, preached a sermon, and for twelve days the festivities continued. They were closed June 18, 1613, by a sermon by Scultetus on the subject of thanksgiving, based on the 119th Psalm. Nearly 300,000 pounds were spent, and 5,500 persons dined at the table every day at the castle.

Bunyan's version of what I believe is the Apostle's Creed

I Do believe in God;
And in his only Son;
Born of a Woman, yet begot
Before the World began.

I also do believe
That he was crucifi'd,
Was dead and buried ; and yet
Believe he never dy'd.

The Third day I believe,
He did rise from the dead;
Went up to Heav'n, and is of God
Of all things made the Head.

Also I do believe,
That he from thence shall come,
To judge the quick, the dead,and to
Give unto all just Doom.

Moreover I believe
In God the Holy Ghost;
And that there is an Holy Church,
An universal Host.

Also I do believe,
That sin shall be forgiven;
And that the dead shall rise; and that
The Saints shall dwell in Heaven.

Update on the sidebar and cups

Since I added some new ones to the sidebar, I thought I'd tell you about the books I'm reading right now.


Calvin's Institutes

First off, there's Calvin's Institutes. Right now I'm reading about the Trinity, and Calvin's defense for the deity of each person of it. I read it during my morning devotions, so that I don't forget to read it during the rest of the day. :-) A weird part of me is amused by how Calvin, when describing heretics and their heresies, often uses the word "stupid." You don't really think of a reformer as somebody who'd use that particular term!

Emotional Purity

This is a book that my mom and I had been wanting to read, and to our surprise, she found it at the public library! While reading this book, I keep finding myself wishing that I could have read it years ago! You always hear about purity in the sense of modesty, etc., but the topic of your emotions often gets forgotten. I don't know if its just me, but for the first few chapters at least, it seems like the author keeps repeating the same thing. But hey, repetitio mater studiorum - repetition is the mother of learning. So I wont complain too much.



The History of the Ancient World

Man, this author is impressive. Read her biography, and you'll see why I admire her. Anyways, she's writing a 4 volume history of the world, and this is the one on Ancient History. I really like how she tells history as a story, and not a bunch of dry facts. One thing I wish she covered more would be the culture of the civilizations she writes about - there's a lot of stuff about wars and politics (military history), but not as much about what daily life was like. But aside from that, I love this book! I've learned a lot from it.




In Christ Alone

This is a compilation of 50 articles Sinclair Ferguson wrote for several magazines, with the purpose being to show what, as the subtitle says- Living the Cross-centered Life - is like. Each chapter is only 4 pages long, so you could read several at a time, and feel like you made an accomplishment. :-) This is a very thought-provoking book.






The Last Days of Socrates

This is a series of the last discussions Socrates had in his lifetime, written down later on by his student Plato. I've only gotten a little bit into it, but so far this is a really fascinating book. There are places though, where you have to re-read what he's saying at least 3 times. But overall, I think it's worth the time it takes to read it, because in doing so, you're getting to know one of the greatest minds in western philosophy.




The Mysteries of Udolpho

Being the Jane Austen enthusiast that I am, when I saw this book at the library, visions of Northanger Abbey came to mind, and I was determined to see what the big deal was about this book back in the 1700's. I started reading the first 10 or 15 pages, and to tell you the truth, I'm a little disapointed. I'm hoping it gets better as the story goes on. So far there was somewhere around 6 pages spent describing a house and its grounds, which then reminded me of Les Miserables. Ick. Anyways, the people of the 18th century must have had a reason for liking this, so I'm going to see why.



Young People's Problems

I've quoted here a lot from this book. Every teenager should read it. You'll be convicted, inspired, and encouraged. I can't think of anything else to say other than IT'S REALLY GOOD!!! Books for teens today tend to be so shallow; this book, being over a hundred years old, could be read by adults and teens alike, and both of them would benefit greatly from it. It's definitely worth your time!




UPDATE ON THE CUPS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS POST

Alas, while I was doing my devotions yesterday morning, I heard the sound of shattering glass. Yes, one of the glasses sacrificed itself for the other one. My mom was the executioner.

Um, wow....I didn't know I could do this

I've done a lot of stupid things in my lifetime, but this most recent one probably makes the top ten.

Like a good, dutiful daughter, (cough) I was doing the dishes tonight, and being the brilliant genius that I am, decided to save space by stacking up the cups. Bad idea.

So I went on my merry way, congratulating myself on how efficient I am while I was doing the aforesaid dishes, when I came to the two last cups in the stack. Here I realized something was wrong. The cups were stuck together. And not your ordinary, sorta-stuck, which can be easily made un-stuck, these were more adhered to each other than if there were glue and/or nails involved.

I tried pulling them apart as hard as I could, but had to stop because I was afraid something would break - either the glass or my wrist. I tried puting them through cold water. Nope. The thought occurred to me that I could try butter, but the only way I could get the butter in between the cups would be to pull them apart, and if I did that, I wouldn't need the butter, now would I?

I never thought my home-making abilities, as pitiful as they are, were quite this bad. Does this happen to anybody else, or am I just a sorry excuse for a girl? Only boys do this kind of thing! So I am now humbly entreating my 3 readers to tell me what they think I should do. My mom thinks the cups should be thrown out. I however, want to wait overnight to see what happens. Isn't there one of Newton's laws saying that for every motion there is an equal and opposite motion too? Or something like that? Or am I just crazy, like I've already demonstrated with the cups?

Well, I guess I'll see whether there are any new developements when I get up tomorrow.

Boy oh boy. My poor mom. She's a pretty nice lady. How'd she end up with a daughter like me?

This is pretty convicting

J.R. Miller is really good at making me want more sanctification!

The motto - always do your best - should be applied to everything we do. A man who had risen from a very humble beginning to distinction, even to great eminence, when asked the secret of his successful life, said he had always sought to do his best in everything he undertook, summoning the best thought, the finest skill, the greatest energy, of which he was capable, to every piece of work he was doing. He demanded of himself too, that today's best should always be better than yesterday's.

It were well for us if we would all make and follow inflexibly such a rule as this. No most trivial thing should we ever do carelessly. All work is for God, and it is sacrilege to do anything for Him in a slovenly, negligent manner. It is a desecration to put marred or careless work on any block we carve for God's temple. The workmen on the old cathedrals wrought as conscientiously and as perfectly on the parts of the building which would be high up, far out of human sight, as on the altar-rail or the carvings of the great doors which every eye should see and admire.

When a heathen artist was asked why he took so much pains with the back of the figures he was chiseling, since they would be against the walls and no one would ever see them, his noble answer was, "The gods will see them." Always we are working for God's eye, and should ever do our best.

(Young People's Problems, pp. 160-161)

Olympia Morata - Part 4

On the way a pleasant little incident occurred. One evening they came to an inn, where the schoolmaster and his pupils had come to give a concert. His pupils did not do very well - in fact, broke down. Olympia at once rose with her charming grace, and went to them, encouraging them and helping them. The schoolmaster was greatly surprised that she should know the pieces of the children. He talked with the visitors long afterward. And when he found out that it was Professor Grunthler and his famous wife Olympia, he ran to his house to bring some pieces set to music by Grunthler, which he often sang in his family. He was greatly pleased to meet their author.

Two days later they arrived at Heidelberg, August, 1554, and found there a very agreeable home, as Heidelberg was not only beautiful for situation, but it had become a great seat of learning. There, too, they found old friends in Sinapius, he former teacher of Greek, and Curione, who gave them a cordial welcome. She and her husband were, however, very poor indeed, and had to borrow twenty florins of gold to meet the expenses of the first month. While her husband lectured on medicine, she was compelled to attend to household duties. Leodius had spread a report that Olympia was called to Heidelberg as professor and became a female lecturer there. There is no question but she would have graced such a position with her genius. But she makes no reference to lecturing in any of her letters, neither do the acts of the university speak of any conection of her with the university. Her name is only once mentioned in its acts, and then her poems are referred to.

She kept up a large correspondence. The destruction of the little Reformed church of Ferarra by the Pope caused her great sorrow. Some of its members were put into chains, some sent into exile, and others found safety in flight. The temporary apostasy of her dear friend, Duchess Renee, caused her pain. Her companion, Anna of Este, had become the head of the house of Guise in France, who so terribly persecuted the Reformed there. She wrote thus to Anna, pleading for them:

Since the Lord has honored you with so great a blessing as knowledge of the truth, you cannot be ignorant of the innocence of these men who are every day dragged to the scaffold, and are exposed to cruel torments for the cause of Christ. It is your duty to intercede for them. If you remain silent, and allow them to suffer and die without defense, you are becoming the accomplice of their persecutors. I know that in pleading their cause you may provoke the anger of the king and the fury of your enemies. I answer, it is better to be exposed to the hatred of men than that of God. "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

The result of her plea was, that for years after, the only one in the French court who dared lift up her voice against the persecutions was Anna of Este.

Olympia was also busy with the education of her brother Emilio. She taught him the classics. But it was especially the Bible that she delighted to open to him. That was her consolation in those days of poverty and weakness. She had, however, little time for the study of literature, as her time was taken up with household duties. She was, however, not permited to live long in this delightful home. Her sufferings durring the seige at Schweinfurth and her flight had so weakened her that she did not seem able to rally. The danger increased when the plague broke out in June, 1555, at Heidelberg. By July she had become so weak that her life was despaired of. She felt that she would not get well. Writing to Curione, she says: "As for me, I grow weaker day by day. The fever never leaves me for an hour."

Her death was radient with hope. It was a mount of transfiguration. She felt not the pains of death, but its joy and bliss. To her the Lord had taken away the sting from death and left only the honey. She saw heaven before she got there. A few hours before her death she awoke from a sleep and smiled most beautifully. When asked the cause of so sweet a smile, she said, "I, in a dream, saw a place illuminated by the purest, most beautiful, brilliant light." Her husband answered, "Courage, my well beloved; you will soon dwell in the midst of that pure light." She smiled and nodded assent. Soon after her sight failed. "I can see no longer," she said to her husband, "but all that surrounds me seems decked with beautiful flowers." These were her last words. She immediately fell into a sleep and passed away. She died October 25, 1555, at the early age of 29 years. But though she died so young, she had gained the frame, and passed through the sorrows, of a lifetime. Great was the sorrow of Protestants everywhere - in France, Switzerland, and Germany - at her death. The plague continued its terrible ravages. Her husband, dazed with grief at the loss of his wife, now went everywhere, recklessly exposing himself as a physician to the awful plague. He did not care to live, as she did not. He seemed to be courting death. And death came to him within a month after her death. Emilio also fell a victim. All three of this interesting family are buried in the historic St. Peter's church at Heidelberg, where today the traveler can read this inscription:

In the name of the eternal God and to the memory of Olympia Fulvia Morata, the beloved wife of Andreas Grunthler. Her remarkable attainments in several languages, the marvelous purity of her life and her piety elevate her above her sex. The witness of her life was even surpassed by that of her death. Peaceful, happy, and holy she died in the year of our Lord MDLV., aged xxix years, in a strange land. Here she lies with her husbad and her brother Emilio.

THE END

Lord's Day Eve

GOD OF THE PASSING HOUR, 

Another week has gone and I have been 

preserved

in my going out,

in my coming in.

Thine has been the vigilance that has turned 

threatened evils aside;

Thine the supplies that have nourished me;

Thine the comforts that have indulged me;

Thine the relations and friends that have 

delighted me;

Thine the means of grace which have edified me;

Thine the Book, which, amidst all my enjoyments,

has told me that this is not my rest,

that in all successes one thing alone is needful,

to love my Saviour.

Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies

but my imperfections and sins.

These, O God, I will neither conceal nor palliate,

but confess with a broken heart.

In what condition would secret reviews 

of my life leave me

were it not for the assurance that with thee

there is plenteous redemption,

that thou art a forgiving God,

that thou mayest be feared!

While I hope for pardon through the blood 

of the cross,

I pray to be clothed with humility,

to be quickened in thy way,

to be more devoted to thee,

to keep the end of my life in view,

to be cured of the folly of delay and indecision,

to know how frail I am,

to number my days and apply my heart 

unto wisdom.

(The Valley of Vision, pp. 352-353)

How Bunyan Says the Lord's Prayer

Our Father which in heaven art,

Thy name be always hallowed ;

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done ;

Thy heavenly path be followed

By us on earth as 'tis with thee,

We humbly pray ;

And let our bread us given be,

From day to day.

Forgive our debts as we forgive

Those that to us indebted are :

Into temptation lead us not,

But save us from the wicked snare.

The kingdom's thine, the power too,

We thee adore ;

The glory also shall be thine

For evermore.

(taken from A Book for Boys and Girls)

An interesting concept

Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

The Christian's concern is to view life in this world in the light of the gospel; and, according to the gospel, the trouble with mankind is not any one particular manifestation of sin, but rather sin itself. If you are anxious about the state of this world and the threat of possible wars, then I assure you that the most direct way of avoiding such calamities is to observe words such as these which we are now considering, "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness: For they shall be filled." If every man and woman in this world knew what it was to "hunger and thirst for righteousness" there would be no danger of war. Here is the only way to real peace. All other considerations eventually do not touch the problem, and all the denunciations that are so constantly made of various countries and peoples and persons will not have the slightest effect upon the international situation. Thus we often waste our time, and God's time, in expressing our human thoughts and sentiments instead of studying His Word. If every human being knew what it was to "hunger and thirst for righteousness." the problem would be solved. The greatest need in the world now is for a greater number of Christians, individual Christians. If all nations consisted of individual Christians there would be no need to fear atomic power or anything else. So the gospel, which seems to be the most remote and indirect in its approach, is actually the most direct way to solving the problem.

(Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, page 61)

One of my favorite hymns

Wondrous King, all glorious,
Sovereign Lord victorious,
O, receive our praise with favor!
From thee welled God's kindness
Though we in our blindness
Strayed from thee, our blessed Saviour.
Strengthen thou,
Help us now;
Let our tongues be singing,
Thee our praises bringing.

Heavens, spread the story
Of our Maker's glory,
All the pomp of earth obscuring.
Sun, thy rays be sending,
Thy bright beams expending,
Light to all the earth assuring.
Moon and star,
Praise afar
Him who glorious made you;
The vast heavens aid you.

O my soul, rejoicing,
Sing, thy praises voicing,
Sing, with hymns of faith adore him!
All who here have being,
Shout, your voices freeing,
Bow down in the dust before him.
He is God
Sabaoth;
Praise alone the Saviour,
Here and there for ever.

Hallelujahs render
To the Lord most tender,
Ye who know and love the Saviour.
Hallelujahs sing ye,
Ye redeemed, O, bring ye
Hearts that yield him glad behavior.
Blest are ye
Endlessly;
Sinless there for ever,
Ye shall laud him ever.

New books

Lately I got some cool new books, so I thought I'd tell whoever reads this about them.

First off, there's The Young Lady's Counselor. The subtitle is "The Sphere, Duty, and Dangers of Young Women," which pretty much sells itself. It kind of reminds me of one of my favorite books for girls, The Young Lady's Guide, but I like reading about the same topic from a different perspective.

Theological Guide to Calvin's Institutes

This is one of the books I mentioned last month that I had my eye on. I've been reading parts of it and it looks really good! The one thing that threw me off is that it only covers books 1-3 of the Institutes, and I can't find anything talking about the 4th. I guess I'll find out as I read. Anyways, this is a really interesting and informative work that I'm looking forward to reading more of.

John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology

This book seems to take on an all-encompassing approach to Calvin, as its subtitle suggests. There's parts on his life, his work, and his theology. I haven't been able to read much in here, but it looks very promising. It seems like it would be a good introduction to Calvin.

Advice to a Young Christian

This book seems to be an awesome find! Its a series of letters addressing various aspects of a young Christian's walk. Each chapter is only like 4 or 5 pages long, which makes it perfect for those times when you have 10 or 15 minutes with nothing to do. (And for those who, like me, have a rather short attention span, {grin} it's easier to keep up.) This would also make a good book to read during your devotions each morning - short enough where you dont spend the morning reading, but deep enough to give you something to think about for the rest of the day.

Lectures to Young People

This seems to be following the same lines that the book above is on, but each chapter is longer. I have another book by the same author, which I've blogged on before, called Letters to a Daughter on Practical Subjects. I think these were originally sermons - each one has a text from Scripture - which is nice because not only are you learning a lesson from what you read, you're also gaining a better understanding of what that particular Scripture is saying.

Well, that's it. As I read these, I'll try to blog about what I learn.

Food for Thought

Consider the following point: is the holy approved by the gods because its holy, or is it holy because its approved?

(Plato's Euthyphro, page 20)

Today I was reading about a discussion Socrates had with a man who was taking his father to court for homicide. They disagreed over whether or not it was holy for the man to do so. During the discussion, Socrates asked him what he believed the standard of holiness was. Euthyphro (the man) answered that whatever the gods approved of, he believed to be righteous. Here Socrates took his position apart with the following argument:

The way something is determined to be holy is whether the gods approve of it.
The gods are always disagreeing, so each god has a different standard of holiness.
Therefore, Euthyphro's standard of holiness is a subjective one.

This is a very effective way to take apart a polytheistic, pagan religion's holiness standard, but it's no good when used against Christianity. We as Christians believe in only one God. Granted, our God is the Trinity, but as the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it -

There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory

and therefore cannot disagree! So, if we were to restate Socrates argument through the lens of Christianity, it might look something like this:

The way something is determined to be holy is whether God approves of it.
The Trinity is in perfect agreement with each other
Therefore, Euthyphro's standard of holiness is an objective one.

Isn't it interesting how a theory can be disproved when applied to a certain belief, but becomes valid when applied to another?

Aren't you glad that every person in the Godhead is in perfect agreement with each other? The world would be a complicated place if it weren't so. Instead of a god that is always changing, you'd have a god who couldn't make any decisions, always changing whatever is started.

I suppose some would say that studying philosophy is rather pointless - it deals with a bunch of hypothetical concepts and situations which never have, and never will, exist. But for me, understanding what these great (but mistaken) men believed, and then comparing it to Christianity, I find myself appreciating all the things about what I believe that I took for granted. I never really contemplated the importance of unity in the Trinity, or God's immutability until now. So although these men were very wrong in a lot of what they believed, their theories which are still around today accomplish the opposite effect of what one would expect them to - Instead of making me doubt Christianity, philosophy convinces me of it.

Olympia Morata - Part 3

But the terrors of war became worse and worse. The enemy outside were angered by the bravery of the defenders. A rain of fire seemed to descend on the town at night. The houses afforded no safety for the inmates. They were compelled to seek refuge in the bowels of the earth. Olympia, with her husband and brother, spent several weeks in the depth of an obscure cave, afraid to go out. Finally, the Margrave, seeing defeat before him, suddenly evacuated the town in the middle of the night. The enemy came in, but the citizens found that they brought no relief, only worse oppressions. For they pillaged the town and set it on fire. Fearful were the scenes in the town. The people pressed to the gates to escape, only to be driven back and condemned to perish. Some made their own funeral preparations in their homes. Some fell on their knees, trying to soften the hard, cruel hearts of the enemy, but in vain. Others ran toward the church as the asylum of safety, only to perish in the building, as it fell in the conflagration. Olympia and her family were drawn into the crowd that was surging toward the church, where they would have perished, when a soldier bade them flee or they would be burried under the ashes of the town. They followed this mysterious guide sent from heaven to save them, and he led them by a circuitous route beyond the walls. As they looked back, they saw the flames mounting up to heaven and the houses crackling under the heat. They hurried on and began to think themselves safe, when they were attacked by a band of soldiers, plundered of all they had, and her husband was taken away a prisoner. In her great distress she cried unto the Lord, "Help me, help me, for the love of Thy name." Exceedingly sad was her condition when she escaped from this danger. She had lost her shoes, her hair was dishevelled, and her clothes in tatters, with hardly a garment to cover her. During that aweful night she traveled more than ten miles. She arrived at the village of Hamelburg, comparing herself to the "queen of beggars," for she entered it with a borrowed dress, pale, emaciated and sick with the fever. The citizens of Hamelburg did not dare keep them long, for fear of the enemy. So, although she was so ill that she was hardly able to walk, she was compelled to leave. As they followed the banks of the river, the gravel and stones cut her bare feet, until she cried out in agony, "I can go no further. I am dying. Lord, if Thou wilt, save me; command Thine angels to bear me on their wings." At the next town she came to, the leutenant had been ordered to put all the refugees to death. But as the bishop happened to be absent, he gave them a little respite, till he returned, meanwhile keeping them in suspense between life and death. He finally let them go.

Then the favor of heaven began again to shine on them. An unknown nobleman, touched with their sufferings, gave them fifteen gulden of gold. With it they were able to work their way to Erbach in the Palatinate, whose count was so pious that a minister in the neighboring town declared that he learned more in a few days than in six years at Wittenburg University. When at last she found a safe asylum, Olympia broke down completely. She was crushed. At one blow she had lost her husband's fortune, and also the books, which had been brought at great expense from Italy, all of which fell prey to the flames at Schweinfurth. The fever which had been in her, now burst forth at its height. She was, however, very tenderly cared for by one of the noble families of the Palatinate, the Count of Erbach. The countess gave to her the care of a sister, and when she again became convalescent, she was greatly pleased to find that her brother was now opening his heart to the Reformed faith. She found a religious atmosphere in that noble family, as the Count had family worship in his home, and daily visited his people, exhorting them to piety. The Count used his influence to have her husband, who had arrived there safely, too, appointed as a professor at Heidelberg. He succeded in having him appointed by the Elector of the Palatinate, and they left Erbach for Heidelberg.