William Petruzzo

I came across more words from Jonathan Edwards The Religious Affections that seem oddly poignant for the young church in our age.

“As there is no true religion where there is nothing else than affection, so there is no true religion where there is no religious affection. As, on the one hand, there must be light in the understanding as well as an affected fervent heart; where there is heat without light there can be nothing divine or heavenly in that heart: so on the other hand where there is a kind of light without heat, a head stored with notions and speculations, with a cold and unaffected heart, there can be nothing divine in that light, that knowledge is no true spiritual knowledge of divine things. If the great things of religion are rightly understood they will affect the heart.”

The familiar verse, James 1:2-3, reads:

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”

It’s hard to remember that for Christians, affliction is not God’s disfavor, but his favor. God changes, builds and refines us. One such way is through our trials and difficulties. It’s easy to see in retrospect, but difficult to embrace in the moment.

To that end I think, Thomas Watson wrote this:

“To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over.”

My reading from today’s Discipleship Journal Reading Plan placed me in Luke 17:11-19. It’s the story of the ten lepers who cry out to Jesus for mercy. He sends them to the priest for inspection. While on the way they are cured.

Nine proceed to the priest while the remaining one turns and worships at Jesus’ feet because of the miracle.

I looked up a commentary passage on the section and found Matthew Henry making an interesting point in his Complete commentary:

As they went, they were cleansed, and so became fit to be looked upon by the priest, and to have a certificate from him that they were clean. Observe, Then we may expect God to meet us with mercy when we are found in the way of duty. If we do what we can, God will not be wanting to do that for us which we cannot. Go, attend upon instituted ordinances; go and pray, and read the scriptures: Go show thyself to the priests; go and open thy case to a faithful minister, and, though the means will not heal thee of themselves, God will heal thee in the diligent use of those means.

Matthew Henry reminds us that while God could just snap his fingers and make things happen for us (and sometimes he does), but instead often times he uses our means to provide.

Personally something I ought to remember more actively.

"Without absolutes revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice and right and wrong, issuing from a multitude of self-opinionated thinkers. "

John Owen -

I have to say it again.

Doctrinal, theological, understanding of the Word must not only exist in, but come first before the multitude of other church-y stuff.

I came across an interesting segment in Religious Affections tonight. Bear with it, it’s worth reading.

[Among “the evidence that true religion lies much in the affections… is that] it appears from the nature and design of the ordinances and duties, which God hath appointed, as means and expressions of true religion.

To instance in the duty of prayer: it is manifest, we are not appointed in this duty, to declare God’s perfections, his majesty, holiness, goodness, and all-sufficiency, and our own meanness, emptiness, dependence, and unworthiness, and our wants and desires, to inform God of these things, or to incline his heart, and prevail with him to be willing to show us mercy; but suitably to affect our own hearts with the things we express, and so to prepare us to receive the blessings we ask. And such gestures and manner of external behavior in the worship of God, which custom has made to be significations of humility and reverence, can be of no further use than as they have some tendency to affect our own hearts, or the hearts of others.

And the duty of singing praises to God seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music but only, that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections.”

Indeed, these things do have a “tendency to move our affections”. In fact, so much so that I’ve argued against the risks of emotionalism. I’m sure there’s a balance to the whole lot, but it definitely makes me think. With all that scripture commands about emotional response to God, perhaps the emotional response to music and prayer is not only useful but also necessary.

Perhaps, as Edwards has suggested, it’s not so much to move and to bless God, as it is to move ourselves into a position able to receive blessing from God.

Much to ponder, indeed.

The Author of human nature has not only given affections to men, but has made them the spring of their actions. As the affections not only belong to the human nature, but are a great part of it; so holy affections do not only belong to true religion, but are a very great part of it. And as true religion is of a practical nature, and the affections are the spring of men’s actions, it must consist very much in them.

The affections we see are the springs that set men a going in all the affairs of life.

Take away these, and there would be no activity among mankind, or any earnest pursuit whatsoever. And as in worldly things, worldly affections are the spring of men’s actions; so in religious matters, the spring of their actions are religious affections. He that has doctrinal knowledge only, without affection, never is engaged in the business of religion.

Jonathan Edwards -
The Religious Affections

Gosh, Edwards, you seem to have pretty much nailed it; 250 years early.  We rarely have true “religion” without right doctrine. However, we never have true “religion” without right affections.

I’m a big fan of Puritan literature, Puritan theology, and the like. I’m pretty often asked what it is about Puritan stuff that I like so much. So, I thought tonight I’d take just a few minutes and touch on my reasons for liking Puritan writing more than contemporary writing.

Here are three basic reasons why I like the old works of the Puritans more than most new works today:

1. They never seem to divorce what is emotional and what is practical from what is true.

I mean to say that they don’t have this dividing wall between their theology and their lives. The profound and deep theology explored in much Puritan literature is never just left as information, bouncing around in people’s heads. It’s always treated with respect. It’s nearly always treated as God’s truth that ought to profoundly affect the various facets of people’s lives.

That isn’t something you’re used to finding in modern writing. In modern writing you tend to find people saying, “theology doesn’t matter”, then putting great emphasis on people’s lives being transformed. Or, you find them going through great treaties on the Word with little or no attention paid to how or where exactly these beautiful truths flesh out.

Most of the Puritan theology I’ve read from gracefully combines these two camps, making for some very challenging writings.

2. They’re constantly quoting scripture.

Any work of Christian literature is only good in as much as it says what the bible says. I mean in a sense to say, there is nothing profoundly, eternally important to be said, that isn’t implicit in the Word of God. So, if you’re going to write about God, but not write what God has written, you may as well not write at all.

It seems to me that the Puritans knew this. Almost every piece of Puritan literature I’ve read is nearly half quoting and have commentating.

3. They never seem to dance around their topic.

In the Word are themes that are both comforting, as well as challenging and uncomfortable for us. The tendency of many writers, as well as pastors and preachers, today is to tip-toe around difficult subjects. Either not to address them at all, or perhaps to address them only very briefly, or in some cases to address them all together incorrectly.

The trouble is that the whole council of God is important. If God felt in necessary to share such and such a subject, then we ought not shrink away from it. But, that’s just what many authors do today. We end up with a half portion of teaching and a seriously mal-nourished church.

This is also something mostly foreign to the earlier church writers. I have yet to see a difficult or offensive subject appear before one of my Puritan writers, in which they’ve shrunk from their duty. I believe this is telling and it gives me a certain confidence in their writings.

My Conclusion:

I think more folks, especially the Spiritually thirsty, should give some time and thought to the saints who have gone before us. They have shared their thoughts and feelings and we have a great deal to learn from them. So, get online, purchase some books, and give it a shot.

Here’s a great place to start reading: The Sinfulness of Sin by Ralph Venning
Here’s a great place to look for resources: www.banneroftruth.org

Reading in All Loves Excelling, John Bunyan illustrated the comforting effects of sin beautifully.

“In the sin of his people there is a breadth; a breadth that spreadeth over au, wheresoever a man shall look. The sin of the saints is a spreading leprosy (Leviticus 13:12). Sin is a scab that spreadeth; it is a spreading plague; it knows no bounds (Leviticus 13:8,57). Or as David saith, ‘I have seen the wicked spreading himself.’ (Psalm 37:35). Hence it is compared to a cloud, to a thick cloud, that covereth or spreadeth over the face of all the sky. Wherefore here is a breadth called for, a breadth that can cover all, or else what is done is to no purpose. Therefore to answer this, here we have a breadth, a spreading breadth; ‘I spread my skirt over thee’ But how far? Even so far as to cover all. ‘I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness.’ (Ezekiel 16:8). Here now is a breadth according to the spreading nature of the sin of this wretched one; yea, a super-abounding spreading; a spreading beyond; a spreading to cover. ‘Blessed is he whose sin is covered,’ (Psalm 32:1) whose spreading sin is covered by the mercy of God through Christ (Romans 4:4-7).”

Bunyan reminds us of the encouragement that Christ’s work is deeper and more profound than any and all sin that could ever be committed. If his people’s sin spreads, so will his grace. If our failures increase, so will his mercies. Profoundly beautiful. There is little else that makes me desire to flee from sin more than that!

I thought tonight I would post a simple reminder from Jonathan Edwards, one of the great fathers of the Christian faith. He says, quite frankly:

“The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.”

I ought to remind myself regularly that this life as a follower of Jesus, and all that it contains, is an upward motion. Like climbing a mountain, it is not easy. But also, like recreational climbing, this ascent is to be deeply enjoyed.

Let me not forget the sober truth that sin is a murderer and let’s all remember together the sentiments of Richard Baxter:

“Use sin as it will use you; spare it not, for it will not spare you; it is your murderer, and the murderer of the whole world. Use it, therefore, as a murderer should be used; kill it before it kills you; and though it brings you to the grave, as it did your head, it shall not be able to keep you there. You love not death; love not the cause of death.”

What a chilling reminder to receive whenever we quietly court so dangerous a mistress.