Stranger and Pilgrim

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.
2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new invention and contrivance to promote the aforementioned things.
3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.
4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.
5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.
10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell. Continue reading

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Pride is idolatry of self. Spurgeon called it the “worst malformation of all the monstrous things in creation; it hath nothing lovely in it, nothing in proportion, but everything in disorder. It is altogether the very reverse of the creatures which God hath made, which are pure and holy. Pride, the first-born son of hell, is indeed like its parent, all unclean and vile, and in it there is neither form, fashion, nor comeliness.”

Humility, on the other hand, is of all graces most to be treasured and embraced. It ought to be lived in our communication, our dress, our thoughts, our doctrine, and in our prayer.

A child of God would never assert that he could do ought to merit righteousness, perhaps never think it; but the ongoing inability every Christian has in being continually and entirely heart-broken by God’s glorious grace to him or her is evidence enough of the pride still remaining within the heart.

Pride is a brainlessly ignorant thing, an entirely dishonest thing, a malignantly selfish thing, but above all, it is a most deceitfully adaptive thing.

Pride sometimes takes its shape in doctrine; it teaches the religion of man’s-sufficiency; it tells us what man can do, and will not submit itself to the scriptural teaching that we are by nature utterly lost, fallen, debased, and ruined creatures, as we are.

Other times, pride takes the form of prayer, petition, praise, even repentance, but all tainted with the stigma of self-righteousness. Men will “thank God” that they are not like other men, thinking themselves humble, never knowing that the deceitfulness of pride prompts them to pray. Continue reading

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Over the last week I have been quick slack in blogging. However I have greatly appreciated the refreshment afforded by a God-Glorifying Lord’s-Day Rest. As part of my resting, I’m taking a little time to bring you another blog-post. To the end that Christ may be honored, through us, as we embrace the beauty of  humility by grace.

Earlier this week I found myself at the library, waiting upon the rest of my family to finish some homeschooling projects. While the rest of them occupied a study room, I was entrusted with my youngest sister in the main room and using one of the public computers. She patiently sat in my lap as I skimmed through a few sermons by Jonathan Edwards, when I finished, I decided to spend the rest of my time teaching her a lesson on the Virtue of Humility; a valuable lesson to learn young!

Explaining humility in a way that a young child can understand requires some thought and patience. Out of curiosity, I actually turned to a regular dictionary to see how it might define the term “humble”. Continue reading

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A.W. Pink – Matthew 5:3-11

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall he comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake” Matthew 5:3-11

At the close of our Introduction it was pointed Out that Christ’s public ministry had first a special application to the afflicted people of God; second, a peculiar reference to His immediate disciples, considered as His apostles or ministers; third, to the people at large. Such is clearly the case with His Sermon on the Mount, as will be made evident (D. V.) in the course of our exposition of it. Herein Christ is seen discharging His prophetic office, speaking as never (uninspired) man ever spoke. A careful study of the Sermon reveals that it has twelve divisions—the number of Divine government— varying considerably in length. It is the first of them which is now to engage our attention. In it our Lord makes known wherein true happiness or blessedness consists, disclosing to us a secret which is hidden from the unregenerate, who suppose that outward comforts and luxuries are absolutely indispensable to contentment of mind and felicity of life. Herein too He strikes at the root of the carnal conceit of the Jews, who vainly imagined that external peace and prosperity were to result from a receiving of the Gospel. Continue reading

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