Therefore, let us not cease so to act that we may make some unceasing progress in the way of the Lord. And let us not despair at the slightness of our success; for even though attainment may not correspond to desire, when today outstrips yesterday the effort is not lost.
– John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.6.5.
Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin
How to Roll Up Your Shirt Sleeves — Helpful tips from the folks at The Art of Manliness.
Is it Anti-Gospel to Teach Kids Self-control Before Conversion? — Owen Strachan provides wise and balanced counsel.
The Craft of Life-Changing Preaching (Paul Tripp) — “Preaching is not just a craft of content; it is also a craft of communication. You must meditate, pray, labor, and wrestle with how to communicate the truths you now understand to the particular people in your care.”
Kevin DeYoung’s latest book, The Hole In Our Holiness: Filling The Gap Between Gospel Passion And The Pursuit Of Holiness, just arrived in the mail. DeYoung poses the question, “Shouldn’t those most passionate about the gospel and God’s glory also be those most dedicated to the pursuit of godliness?” I’m looking forward to reading his answer.
Links worth checking out: using Ephesians in counseling, x-ray questions, learn to counsel, psychotherapy as substitute friendship.
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Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was an American theologian and preacher. He is probably best known for his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. He was educated at Yale University and pastored Congregational churches in both Northampton and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Shortly before his death he served as president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He is widely regarded as the greatest theologian America has ever produced. Edwards’ works are still in print—twenty-six volumes in the Yale University Press edition—and continue to influence the Christian church.
The Jonathan Edwards Collection at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (Yale University) contains sermon manuscripts, theological notebooks, letters, and other material from Edwards’ library. A number of the items from the collection are available to view online. This is fascinating stuff!
I’ve included some of the images below. Make sure to click through to see the high-resolution versions.
Letter from George Washington
Efficacious grace notebook
“Blank Bible”
Hebrew Idioms
Miscellanies, Book 3, Entries 761-880, p. 30-31
Farewell Sermon to the People of Northampton
You can view the rest of the items in the online collection here.
Links worth checking out: a beautiful Bible, classical education, and an interesting take on Genesis 1-3.
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In Preaching and Preachers, Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that preaching isn’t merely about imparting information to the hearers. It’s a living transaction.
Any true definition of preaching must say that [the preacher] is there to deliver the message of God, a message from God to those people…He has been sent, he is a commissioned person, and he is standing there as the mouthpiece of God and of Christ to address these people. In other words he is not here merely to talk to them, he is not there to entertain them. He is there–and I want to emphasise this–to do something to those people; he is there to produce results of various kinds, he is there to influence people. He is not merely to influence a part of them; he is not only to influence their minds, or only their emotions, or merely to bring pressure to bear upon their wills and to induce them to some kind of activity. He is there to deal with the whole person; and his preaching is meant to affect the whole person at the very centre of life. Preaching should make such a difference to a man who is listening that he is never the same again…
[Preaching] should always be a transaction between preacher and listener with something vital and living taking place. It is not the mere imparting of knowledge, there is something much bigger involved. The total person is engaged on both sides; and if we fail to realise this our preaching will be a failure…
[The preacher] is dealing with living persons, people who are in need and in trouble, sometimes not consciously; and he is to make them aware of that, and to deal with it. It is this living transaction…
If people can listen to us without becoming anxious about themselves or reflecting on themselves we have not been preaching…
[Preaching] addresses us in such a manner as to bring us under judgment; and it deals with us in such a way that we feel our whole life is involved, and we go out saying, ‘I can never go back and live just as I did before. This has done something to me, it has made a difference to me. I am a different person as the result of listening to this’…
Preaching is that which deals with the total person, the hearer becomes involved and knows that he has been dealt with and addressed by God through this preacher. Something has taken place in him and in his experience, and it is going to affect the whole of his life.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1971) 53-56, emphasis added.
Links worth checking out: Syrian Christians, Germany and Lutheranism, and the presidential campaign.
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