Candor

I had a cup of coffee today with a man who is a Jehovah’s Witness (JW). We met at a Starbuck’s. Probably not very neutral ground since everybody who works there knows me, but neutral enough even still. He had come to my house a couple of times on a Saturday morning and I told him I would meet with him over a cup of coffee as long as it was just the two of us. He agreed, and so we met today and talked for about an hour and a half.

Normally, I would not have done this but this time my heart went out to this man. After about ten minutes of small talk and getting to know each other, we started talking about doctrine. My biggest argument with a JW is that we do not believe in this same Christ; they believe he is created by God, and I believe He is God, not a god, but The God. Therefore their gospel is a false and different gospel. Now, I could have used candor as a sword and bluntness as a beating club to tell this guy whats what and why our doctrines are not the same to say nothing of their incompatibility but that would not be very Christ-like. If I use truth and neglect to mix it with love, then I am not treating others as Christ has treated me.

This morning, before I went to work, I read a letter John Newton wrote entitled On Candour. If you are not acquainted with Newton, he was the man who wrote Amazing Grace. This is a hymn that brings me to tears every time I begin singing it or listen to it. The letter stayed with me all day and I felt as though it was a grace from God in itself to help set my mind and heart right for talking to this man today. Just before we parted, I told him, “I did not meet with you today so I could talk or debate with a Jehovah’s Witness. I met with you today because I wanted to talk to you.” I may never see or talk to him again, but I thank God for what He has taught me through this. I was able to talk to this man with candor, but the candor as Newton says, is a Christian grace.

 

“True candour is a Christian grace, and will grow in no soil but a believing heart. It is an eminent and amiable property of that love which beareth, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things. It forms the most favourable judgment of persons and characters, and puts the kindest construction upon the conduct of others that it possibly can, consistent with the love of truth. It makes due allowances for the infirmities of human nature; will not listen with pleasure to what is said to the disadvantage of any, nor repeat it without a justifiable cause. It will not be confined within the walls of a party, nor restrain the actings of benevolence to those whom it fully approves; but prompts the mind to an imitation of him who is kind to the unthankful and the evil, and has taught us to consider every person we see as our neighbour.

Were there more candour among those who profess to love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, the emotions of anger or scorn would not be so often felt or excited, by pronouncing or hearing the words Churchman, or Dissenter,or Calvinist, or even Arminian. Let us, my friend, be candid: let us remember how totally ignorant we ourselves once were; how often we have changed our sentiments in one particular or other, since we first engaged in the search of truth; how often we have been imposed upon by appearances; and to how many different persons and occurrences we have been indebted, under God, for the knowledge which we have already attained. Let us likewise consider what treatment we like to meet with from others; and do unto them as we would they should do unto us. These considerations will make the exercise of candour habitual and easy.”

-John Newton, from a letter On Candour; volume 1 of Works; Banner of Truth Trust, 1988 edition; pages 356-358

Thank Him For Afflictions

When we are under afflictions, are we to give thanks for personal grievances? Yes; there is something in them for which we may, we ought to be thankful. But how? Not for the afflictions considered in themselves, for so they are not joyous, but grievous. But if they be for righteousness’ sake, then are they blessed dispensations, then they are occasions of joy, and so of praise, Mat. 5. Then they are gifts, special favours, and so oblige us to thankfulness: Phil. 1:29, ‘Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.’

-David Clarkson, from Pray For Everything, volume 2 of Works, page 173

Make Use of Any Human Author

This exceptional Richard Sibbes quote was posted over at Miscellanies today (to contribute, I added a photo):

 

Puritan Richard Sibbes, in a short book titled A Christian’s Portion [Works, 4:2–38], fleshed out 1 Corinthians 3:21–23. At one place he makes the point that the Church possesses all truth, even that of non-Christian authors. In one passage Sibbes writes [page 18]:

Again, ‘all things are ours’ [1 Cor. 3:21]. Therefore truth, wheresoever we find it, is ours. We may read [a] heathen author. Truth comes from God, wheresoever we find it, and it is ours, it is the church’s. We may take it from them as a just possession. Those truths that they have, there may be good use of those truths; but we must not use them for ostentation. For that is to do as the Israelites; when they had gotten treasure out of Egypt, they made a calf, an idol of them. So we must not make an idol of these things. But truth, wheresoever we find it, is the church’s. Therefore with a good conscience we may make use of any human author. I thought good to touch this, because some make a scruple of it.

Yes, some do even to this day.

HT: Tony Reinke

Free Puritan Works Update

A little over a year ago, I started putting links onto the Free Puritan Works (FPW) page to make it easier to download Puritan and Puritan-like authors. I began to notice over time however, that most, if not all of the links we had posted, that link up to the internet archive, had broken down. This appears also to be the case with the links over at the comprehensive Puritan Library page.

With much time and painstaking clicking, the problem is no more. To remedy this problem, I have uploaded pdf copies of all the books we had links on before, and a few more. Basically, this means that if you download any of these books, you would be downloading them from this sight and not from a site we have linked to. To read the books, simply click on the link. To download a book, right click on the link and then select “save link as…“

I will continue, over time, to upload more Puritan books for your Puritan reading enjoyment. And if there are any Puritan authors you would like to see added, please let me know and I will see if I can get them added.

 

By the way, the newest addition to the FPW page is The Works of John Newton, six volumes.

Holy Self-Suspicion

One final quote from Thomas Manton’s Farewell Sermon. There is something in a man’s words that should cause us to pause and listen when that man is a persecuted minister of the gospel and is legally preaching his last sermon before being ejected from his pulpit. Manton’s Farewell Sermon is precious because in these final words he speaks of watching over themselves that they may safeguard against sin. His final words from his pulpit are words of exhortation, encouragement, caution…as if he were saying to them, “Be careful over yourselves dear ones, though the earthly shepherd be removed from you, be found all the more diligent in your obedience to The Good Shepherd from Heaven, and so keep yourselves from sin.” The sweetness of his concern is because it is not a self-concern. No, he has concern for these people, and that they may slip, so he says,

“Watch over thyself with a holy self-suspicion, because thou hast sin within thee that doth easily beset thee; therefore consider thy ways, Ps. 119:59; guard thy senses, Job 33:1; but, above all, keep thy heart, Prov. 4:23. Conscience must stand porter at the door, and examine what comes in and what goes out. Watch over the stratagems of Satan, and seducing motions of thy own heart.”

- Thomas Manton, from his Farewell Sermon, in volume 2 of Works, page 419

To read this sermon in its entirety, we have a page here to go to.

Bruising Unto Sanctification

“…we must not pass too harsh judgment upon ourselves or others when God doth exercise us with bruising upon bruising; there must be a conformity to our head, Christ, who ‘was bruised for us’ Isa. 53:5, that we may know how much we are bound unto him. Profane spirits, ignorant of God’s ways in bringing his children to heaven censure broken-hearted Christians for desperate persons, when as God is about a gracious good work with them. It is no easy matter to bring a man from nature to grace, and from grace to glory, so unyielding and untractable are our hearts.”

-Richard Sibbes, from The Bruised Reed; volume 1, pages 44-45

Where To Find Happiness

The happiness of a people lies in communion with God, and therefore that must be looked after; we must take heed that the cares of the world have not such a hand and power over us as either to divert us from, or unfit us for, these higher and nobler pursuits, the enjoyment of God in Christ.

-Thomas Manton, from his Farewell Sermon