Bruised Reed

In Richard Sibbes' little book The Bruised Reed he meditates on what it means to be a bruised reed in a list of eight qualities. Check it out and pray that God would help us to see how we are bruised reeds with a Savior who will not break us.

But how shall we know whether we are such as may expect mercy?

(1) By the bruised here is not meant those that are brought low only by crosses, but by such as, by them, are brought to see their sin, which bruises most of all. When conscience is under the guilt of sin, then every judgment brings a report of God's anger to the soul, and all lesser troubles run into this great trouble of conscience for sin. As all corrupt humours run to the diseased and bruised part of the body, and as every creditor falls upon the debtor when he is once arrested, so when conscience is once awaked, all former sins and present crosses join together to make the bruise more painful. Now, he that is thus bruised will be content with nothing but with mercy from him who has bruised him. He has wounded, and he must heal (Hos. 6:1). The Lord who has bruised me deservedly for my sins must bind up my heart again.

(2) Again, a man truly bruised judges sin the great evil, and the favour of God the greatest good.

(3) He would rather hear of mercy than of a kingdom.

(4) He has poor opnions of himself, and thinks that he is not worth the earth he treads on.

(5) Towards others he is not censorious, as being taken up at home, but is full of sympathy and compassion to those who are under God's hand.

(6) He thinks that those who walk in the comforts of God's Spirit are the happiest men in the world.

(7) He trembles at the Word of God (Isa. 66:2), and honours the very feet of those blessed instruments that bring peace unto him (Rom. 10:15).

(8) He is more taken up with the inward exercises of a broken heart than with formality, and is yet careful to use all sanctified means to convey comfort.

Sibbes, Richard The Bruised Reed (Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2008), 10-11. And/or Sibbes, Richard Works of Richard Sibbes Volume One The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax (Carlisle: Banner of Truth, 2001), 46-47.

The Camel Method Part 2

This is a follow-up to a post I did back in 2007, The Camel Method.

Here is a good 9Marks book review of it. Check it out if you are interested and have the time.

Book Review by Doug Coleman of The Camel

We Have No Right to Anything at All

I found this to be a helpful quote from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' book Spiritual Depression:

Do not think in terms of bargains and rights in the Kingdom of God. That is absolutely fatal. There is nothing so wrong as the spirit which argues that because I do this, or because I have done that, I have a right to expect something else in return. This is met with frequently. I know very good evangelical Christian people, who seem to be thinking like that. 'Now,' they say, 'if we pray for certain things, we are bound to have them, for instance if we pray all night for revival we must have revival.' I have sometimes described this as the 'penny in the slot' idea o f Christianity. You put in your coin and you draw out a bar of chocolate or whatever else you want. Now this is that same attitude. Because men in the past have prayed all night that revival might come and revival has come, therefore let us have an all-night prayer meeting and revival will come. But that surely is to deny the whole principle which our Lord is teaching. I do not care what it is, whether prayer or anything else, in no respect must I ever argue that because I do something I am entitled to get something-never. And of course the principle can be seen to be true in practice. Think of the many such prayer meetings that have been held. And yet the revival has not come, and I am going to venture to say that I thank God that it has not. What would the position be if we could command these things at will? But we cannot. Let us get rid of this bargaining spirit, that if I do this then that will happen. You cannot have revival whenever you want it and as a result of doing certain things. The Holy Spirit is Lord, and He is a Sovereign Lord. He sends these things in His own time and in His own way. In other words we must realize that we have no right to anything at all.

Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn Spiritual Depression Its Causes and Cure (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1965), 129.

Let us labor in faithfulness and as we trust in God's promises knowing that they find their yes and amen in Christ!

Jesus is Alive

Check out this video with music by the rapper Shai Linne.


(HT: Feeding on Christ)

Poolesville Baptist Church in Poolesville, MD

This is a picture of Poolesville Baptist Church in Poolesville, Maryland.

For those who are interested I preached on Psalm 3 "Trusting in the Lord" on the Lord's Day yesterday. Click here if you would like to hear the sermon. If you have any critical comments or encouragements I would be interested to hear them. I am always trying to learn and grow in my preaching!

Foundations of the Christian Religion

I found this to be a helpful quote from E. J. Young in My Servants the Prophets: An Authoritative Interpretation of the Institution of the Prophets. And it was written in 1952!

"The climate of the theological and philosophical opinion is more and more to remove the Christian Religion from its foundations in history and to place it in a supra-temporal and supra-historical realm. This procedure is based upon a philosophical position which is essentially anti-metaphysical and hence destroys once and for all true Christianity. For true Christianity is rooted and grounded upon something that God did for man in history. It is a religion that is historical throughout, and if this historical basis goes Christianity goes with it."

Young, Edward J. My Servants the Prophets: An Authoritative Interpretation of the Institution of the Prophets (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1979), 191.

Muslim Christian Dialogue: Zawadi & Anyabwile (Parts 17-22)

Part 17-20: Audience questions and panel answers








Part 21: One last question and Bassam’s closing remarks


Part 22: Thabiti’s closing remarks

Muslim Christian Dialogue: Zawadi & Anyabwile (Parts 9-16)

Part 9-10: Bassam questioning Thabiti




Part 11-12: Thabiti questioning Bassam




Part 13-16: Audience questions and panel answers

Muslim Christian Dialogue: Zawadi & Anyabwile (Parts 1-8)

The following videos are from the Muslim Christian Dialogue held on March 2, 2009 held in Dubai, UAE. Check this out.

Part 1: Welcoming Comments



Parts 2-4: Zawadi's Opening Remarks






Parts 5-8: Anyabwile’s Opening Remarks

Mortify Sin Even in Grief (John Owen)

To Mrs Polhill.

Dear Madam,

-----The trouble express in yours is a great addition to mine; the sovereignty of divine wisdom and grace is all that I have at this day to retreat unto; God direct you thereunto also, and you will find rest and peace. It adds to my trouble that I cannot possibly come down to you this week. Nothing but engaged duty could keep me from you one hour: yet I am conscious how little I can contribute to your guidance in this storm, or your satisfaction. Christ is your pilot; and however the vessel is tossed whilst he seems to sleep, he will arise and rebuke these winds and waves in his own time. I have done it, and yet shall farther wrestle with God for you, according to the strength he is pleased to communicate. Little it is which at this distance I can mind you of; yet some few things are necessary. Sorrow not too much for the dead; she is entered into rest, and is taken away from the evil to come. Take heed lest, by too much grief, you too much grieve that Holy Spirit, who is infinitely more to us than all natural relations. I blame you not that you so far attend to the call of God in this dispensation as to search yourself, to judge and condemn yourself: grace can make it an evidence to you that you shall not be judged or condemned of the Lord. I dare not say that this chastisement was not needful. We are not in heaviness unless need be; but if God be pleased to give you a discovery of the wisdom and care that is in it, and how needful it was to awaken and restore your soul in any thing, perhaps in many things, in due time you will see grace and love in it also. I verily believe God expects, in this dealing with you, that you should judge yourself, your sins and your decays; but he would not have you misjudge your condition. But we are like froward children, who, when they are rebuked and corrected, neglect other things, and only cry that their parents hate and reject them. You are apt to fear, to think and say, that you are one whom God regards not, who are none of his; and that for sundry reasons which you suppose you can plead. But, saith God, this is not the business; this is a part of your frowardness. I call you to quicken your grace, to amend your own ways; and you think you have nothing to do but to question my love. Pray, madam, my dear sister, child and care, beware you lose not the advantage of this dispensation; you will do so, if you use it only to afflictive sorrows, or questioning of the love of God, or your interest in Christ. The time will be spent in these things which should be taken up in earnest endeavours after a compliance with God’s will, quickening of grace, returns after backsliding, mortification of sin and love of the world, until the sense of it do pass away. Labour vigorously to bring your soul to this twofold resolution: ----- 1. That the will of God is the best rule for all things, and their circumstances; 2. That you will bring yourself into a fresh engagement to live more to him: and you will find the remainder of your work easy; for it is part of the yoke of Christ. I shall trouble you no farther, but only to give you the assurance that you are in my heart continually, which is nothing; but it helps to persuade me that you are in the heart of Christ, which is all.

-----I am, dear madam, your very affectionate servant,
J. Owen

[Owen, John The Glory of Christ; The Works of John Owen Volume 1: Life of Dr. Owen by Rev. A. Thomson (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2000), 117-8.]

Every Work of God Is Good, Even in Sorrow (John Owen)

To the Lady Hartopp

Dear Madam,

-----Every work of God is good; the Holy One in the midst of us will do no iniquity; and all things shall work together for good unto them that love him, even those things which at present are not joyous, but grievous; only his time is to be waited for, and his way submitted unto, that we seem not to be displeased in our hearts that he is Lord over us. Your dear infant is in the eternal enjoyment of the fruits of all our prayers; for the covenant of God is ordered in all things, and sure. We shall go to her; she shall not return to us. Happy she was in this above us, that she had so speedy an issue of sin and misery, being born only to exercise your faith and patience, and to glorify God’s grace in her eternal blessedness. My trouble would be great on the account of my absence at this time from you both, but that this also is the Lord’s doing; and I know my own uselessness wherever I am. But this I will beg of God for you both, that you may not faint in this day of trial, ----- that you may have a clear view of those spiritual and temporal mercies wherewith you are yet intrusted (all undeserved), ----- that sorrow of the world may not so overtake your hearts as to disenable to any duties, to grieve the Spirit, to prejudice your lives; for it tends to death. God in Christ will be better to you than ten children, and will so preserve your remnant, and so said to them, as shall be for his glory and your comfort. Only consider that sorrow in this case is no duty; it is an effect of sin, whose cure by grace we should endeavour. Shall I say, Be cheerful? I know I may. God help you to honour grace and mercy in a compliance therewith.

My heart is with you, my prayers shall be for you, and I am, dear madam, your most affectionate friend and unworthy pastor,
J. Owen

[Owen, John The Glory of Christ; The Works of John Owen Volume 1: Life of Dr. Owen by Rev. A. Thomson (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2000), 116-7.]

Don't Waste Your Bereavement (Robert Murray M'Cheyne)

Another to one bereaved. Betake yourself to Him that is ever the same.

March 9, 1843

My Dear -----,

----- I did not think I would have been so long in answering you in your time of sorrow, but I have been more than occupied. I earnestly trust that this sad bereavement may be greatly blessed by God to you. Pray that you may not lose this precious opportunity to giving your hand and heart for ever away to the Lord Jesus. May Hosea 2:14 be fulfilled in you all: “Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her;” and that clear promise: “I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant” (Ezek 20:35-37). This solemn event shows you what I always used to tell you, how short your life is, ----- what a vapour, ----- how soon the joys that depend on the creatures may be dried up; that “one thin is needful,” and that Mary was wise in choosing the good part that cannot be taken away from her. You remember the first night you were in St. Peter’s I showed you this preaching from Psalm 41:6: “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage.” I am indeed more than ever anxious about you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain. It is the furnace that tries the metal, and it is affliction that tries the soul whether it be Christ’s or not. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, lest the furnace should show you to be reprobate silver. Do let me hear how your soul truly is, ----- whether you can see the hand of a Father in this bereavement, ----- and whether you are more than ever determined, through grace, to be the Lord’s. How sweet that Jesus ever liveth! He is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. You will never find Jesus so precious as when the world is one vast howling wilderness. Then He is like a rose blooming in the midst of the desolation, ----- a rock rising above the storm. The Bible, too, is more full of meaning. Have you ever prayed over that verse: “He doth not afflict willingly” ? (Lam 3:33). Oh, precious book, that conveys such a message to the mourner’s dwelling! And does not trial bring more meaning out of that verse: “We know that all things work together for the good of them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose?” (Rom 8:28). The Bible is like the leaves of the lemon-tree – the more you bruise and wring them, the sweeter the fragrance they throw around. “Is any afflicted? let him pray.” Do you not find that prayer is sweeter now? The soul finds vent for its feelings toward God. “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” When I had my fever abroad, Mr. Bonar whispered that verse into my ear. I had nearly lost all my faculties, ----- I could remember nothing except that I was far from home; but that verse kept sounding in my ears when I was nearly insensible: “I called, and He delivered me.”

Are you preparing to go to the Lord’s table next Lord’s day? May you indeed have the wedding garment, -----righteousness without works, ----- and see the King in His beauty, ----- and give yourself away to Him, saying, “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine!” It should be a solemn sacrament to you. I can add no more. Write me soon, dear G-----, and tell me all that is in your heart, and whether the voice of the Comforter does not say, Be still! when death has left so deep a silence in your family. ----- Believe me ever your friend in Jesus, etc.

[M’Cheyne, Robert Murray Memoir & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne Ed. Andrew Bonar (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2004), 331-2.]

Robert Murray M'Cheyne on Bereavement

To one who had met with a bereavement. Sorrow of the world—Incidents

March 8, 1843

My Dear ------,

-----I know you will be wearying to hear from me; but it has scarcely been in my power till now, I have had so many things to do since my return. I trust Jesus is making known to you His power to calm the soul in the deepest trials. “Where is your faith?” He said to the disciples; and He says to you: “All things are possible to him that believeth.”

I was much afflicted for your sakes to read the solemn letter you sent me. Do you remember the words, “He must needs go through Samaria?” We are getting new light upon their meaning.

I was reading to-day about godly sorrow, and the sorrow of the world. Do you know the difference between these two?

Had this blow come upon you in your unconverted state, it would have wrought, perhaps, only the sorrow of the world, ----- carnal sorrow, ----- sorrow that drives us away from God, ----- makes us murmur and complain of His dealings. Like Pharaoh, who turned harder every blow that God struck, ----- even the loss of his first-born only hardened him. But godly sorrow, or, more literally, “sorrow towards God,” ----- grief that brings us to the feet of God, ----- worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of. It is used as an instrument to bring the humbled soul to cleave to Jesus. Oh may it be so with you! Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, and He shall exalt you in due season. Improve the season while it lasts. The farmer improves the seed-time, to cast in the seed into the furrows. Now, when God has made long the furrow by the plough of affliction in your heart, oh, see that you let the sower sow the good seed deep in your hearts. I trust H. B----- may be made a great blessing and comfort to you next Sabbath. May you all be enabled to meet with Jesus at His own table, and to tell Him all your sorrows there, and ask grace to keep you in the evil day.

I would like well to be with you; but in body this may not be. In heart I am often with you, because I can say what I was reading to-day: “Ye are in my heart to live and to die with you” (2 Cor 7:3).

I preached twenty-seven times when I was away, in twenty-four different places. I was very, very tired, and my heart has beat too much ever since, but I am wonderfully well. I have “fightings without the fears within” just now. Do pray earnestly for me, ----- as indeed I know you do. I wish you had been with me last night. When I was away, the people agreed to meet twice a week in the lower schoolroom to pray for me; and now that I have come back, we have continued the meetings. The school is quite crammed. Such sweet loud singing of praise I never heard, and many tears.

I stood by a poor socialist in the agonies of death to-day. He was quite well yesterday. He anxiously wished me to come and pray. Oh to be ready when the Bridegroom comes!

Farewell. Peace from above fill your soul, your friend and brother prays, etc.

[M’Cheyne, Robert Murray Memoir & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne Ed. Andrew Bonar (Carlisle: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2004), 329-30.]

Job 36-37: He Comes With Golden Splendor

The greatness of God is laid before us in this passage! God is mighty in strength and understanding (36:5): “Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him? Who has prescribed for him his way, or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’? (36:22-23)” Further, the author writes, “Behold, God is great, and we know him not; the number of his years is unsearchable (36:26).” God is infinite, and yet He works in time as we understand it. One of the strongest images that the Lord shows Himself through in time is outlined in the author’s illustration of God’s power over lightening. It is unfathomable that God scatters lightening around Himself (36:30), and he covers his hands with the lightening and commands it to strike the mark. Its crashing declares his presence (36:32-33). Elihu meditates further on this in chapter thirty-seven. After this Elihu then stops and poses the question, “Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror? Teach us what we shall say to him; we cannot draw up our case because of darkness (37:18-19).” We are too often blinded by our sin; we are drawn to lesser pleasures than the Lord. Our sight is in darkness and we need the Lord to draw up our eyes to Him. So that we might perceive that the Lord comes in golden splendor: “Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with awesome majesty. The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit (37:22-24).” This is a majestic God!

Psalm 45: A Fitting Song for a Glorious Love Story

Psalm 45 is humbling knowing that the church is not worthy of the love of Christ. It is astounding that this handsome King with grace on His lips rides in victory for the cause of truth, meekness, and righteousness. Further, that His arrows are sharp in the hearts of His enemies. We deserve to be the recipients of the King’s wrath against falsehood, pride, and wickedness. His sharp arrows are designed for hearts like ours. This psalm also describes the King’s throne as eternal; that He has loved what is right and hated what is wicked. This again marks our hearts as the target of His eternal righteous wrathful vengeance. We comprehend a sense of what we lack in the description of His abundance as He is anointed with the oil of gladness, and that His robes are fragrant with the scent of myrrh, aloe, and cassia. We are given a vision of the true and lasting enjoyment we lack in the image depicted of His ivory palaces with stringed instruments. Despite the wickedness of our hearts Jesus Christ has chosen to save His church.

He bore the wrath of God in the place of His church. In this way He has made the church, His bride, beautiful. Christ has made the bride glorious in her chamber, desires her beauty, has clothed her with robes interwoven with gold, and has established that she be led in robes of many colors to Himself, the King. When the bride is led to the King she has joy and gladness as she enters His palace. The church can rejoice in the manner of Isaiah, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Isa 61:10).”

If we are found in God’s church we may walk with joy and gladness as we are led to enter the palace of the King, even if it entails sleepless nights, toil, and hardship. We as the church must bow to Him because He is Lord, and He alone has completely and perfectly accomplished the salvation of His bride. If we repent of our sins and believe in the gospel we are found in the church, and we look forward to participating in the marriage supper of our King, Jesus Christ (Rev 19:6-10). Oh, how we should love the King! Oh, how we should love Christ’s church! Let us extend the invitation of the King to those who will repent and believe. Let the Spirit and the Bride say, “‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price (Rev 22:17).” This is truly a glorious salvation for the church accomplished through Christ’s substitution.

John Peter Mahnenschmidt

In doing some genealogical research I have found that my great, great, great, great, great (that’s 5) grandpa on my mom’s side, John Mannasmith (c.1770-1826) had a cousin who was a pastor. He was the first known German Reformed Pastor to minister in Ohio. Anyhow here are a few passages about his conversion, life, and death from The Fathers of the German Reformed Church in Europe and America by Rev. H. Harbaugh, D.D.:

“As early as his sixteenth year, he was instructed in the doctrines of God’s word, according to the Heidelberg Catechism, by a colleague of Mr. Otterbein. This proved the means of great and decided blessing to him, moving him earnestly to turn to God in heart and life. He sought and found the Lord to the comfort and satisfaction of his spirit; and the grace which he experienced in his own heart powerfully moved him to exhort others to seek reconciliation with God. Repentance and conversion were the themes on which he dwelt in all his exhortations, and his honest efforts were owned of the Lord to the good of many.” (pg. 207-8)

“The following notice of his demise we take from a religious paper, without knowing the name of the writer. Coming from a stranger, a member of another Church, it is the more valuable. He says: ‘The Rev. John Peter Mahnenschmidt has gone to his blessed reward. He died July 11th, 1857, in Canfield, Mahoning Co., Ohio, aged 74 years. He entered the ministry of the German Reformed Church when but eighteen years of age, and labored until within a few months of his death. He was very successful in winning souls to Christ – was evangelic in his views and preaching. He was a pioneer of the German Reformed Church in the West, having established the first church of his denomination this side of the Alleghanies, and the first in this region of Ohio. He died as he lived – firm in the faith, and with an assurance of a glorious immortality.’ So dies the faithful servant of Christ, falling asleep in jesus, with the sweet and certain hope of a glorious resurrection. ‘They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.’” (Pg. 219)

Harbaugh, Rev. H. The Fathers of the German Reformed Church in Europe and America, Vol. III (Lancaster: J. M. Westhaeffer, 1872)

Review: Boomtown by Nowen N. Particular

BOOMTOWN by Nowen N. Particular

Quick synopsis:

A pastor and his family move to a new town and become acclimated with the community. Boomtown is filled with lots of diverse people who all seem to get along in spite of their differences - and they love fireworks. The pastor is pushed out of his comfort zone as he gets to know his new community.

Things I liked about this book:

- It had a really fun and engaging story line with lots of interesting characters and entertaining events

- It had a good emphasis on getting along with people who are not like you and learning to appreciate one another's differences

Things I didn't like about this book:

- The father was consistently a poor leader of his family. His children were disobedient and disrespectful throughout the entire book without consequence. He frequently "caved" into doing what his kids wanted to do and was portrayed as being very out of touch.

- While unity was a big theme, there was no genuine Christian unity displayed. What people thought about God seemed to be pretty irrelevant.

- The teaching about the church was really unclear at best. The church wasn't distinct at all - it functioned similarly to a school or a library, as just another institution to serve the community at large.

- There was a real lack of any sort of justice - or even pursuing worthy goals. If people did something wrong, or failed in some way, it was overlooked, and usually even celebrated.

My overall thoughts:

I would not recommend this book. While it's a fun story, you'd get more edifying teaching from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in my opinion. I think that at best, this book shows that disobeying parents is okay. Even worse, it paints a false picture of Christian unity and confuses the importance of the church. In a town where it doesn't really matter what you think or do, there isn't a basis for truth, justice, forgiveness, or reconciliation - and hence, while it seeks to paint a beautiful picture of unity, it really leaves out the gospel.

Review: Tim McGraw's "My Little Girl"

Just an fyi. You may see some reviews of children's books on the old blog, because I signed up to do some book reviewing for Thomas Nelson books. I don't have time to read long books at the moment, but kid's books I can do!

So, that being said, this (My Little Girl) was a really very sweet book that draws out how to delight in the good days and the relationships God gives us. Most of the weight in this book is given to the relationship between a father and daughter. The father tells his little girl on the eve of a day they will spend together that, “Tomorrow they would have a spectacular day.” This sprang the little girl’s mind out of the blocks dreaming up what might be coming the next day. As she is all excited he comes to the foot of the stairs and says they will be doing, “nothing in particular.” This bummed Katie out. She soon learns that the day is a one full of time spent enjoying the relationship she has with her dad. It may be a bit optimistic in the fact that there are no temper tantrums throughout the day, but it is a really a cute little book that hopefully won’t give little girls a false hope that their daddies might give them this kind of attention. Hopefully as fathers read this with their little girls it will encourage them to take a day here and there to spend time with their little girls. One theological thing to note, the way this little girl loves her daddy is an example of how we too often love our God. He plans good things for those that love Him, despite their expectations. Too many times when things go differently than we plan or expect we are disappointed. We should trust that if we are in Christ (that is, if we repent of our sins and believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead for our justification and to vindicate His claims) God's plan to dwell with us now and for all eternity in the future is the source of true joy, even now. Even though the book is a bit utopian, if you are looking for a children’s book to give you the motivation to model God's fatherly love to your little girl, you may find this book to be a good encouragement.

God's Happiness

I'm sure this has been quoted a million times all over the internet, but this is the first time I've read it. This is the first paragraph in Jonathan Edwards' "Discourse on the Trinity":

When we speak of God's happiness, the account that we are wont to give of it is that God is infinitely happy in the enjoyment of himself, in perfectly beholding and infinitely loving, and rejoicing in, his own essence and perfections. And accordingly it must be supposed that God perpetually and eternally has a most perfect idea of himself, as it were an exact image and representation of himself ever before him and in actual view. And from hence arises a most pure and perfect energy in the God-head, which is the divine love, complacence and joy.

Edwards, Jonathan The Works of Jonathan Edwards Vol. 21: Writings on the Trinity, Grace, and Faith ed. Sang Hyun Lee (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003), 113.

Abortion: To Deny What They Knew To Be True

Check out this video from South Dakota's Vote Yes For Life Campaign for Initiative 11. Pretty powerful stuff...



Also notice who else endorses initiative 11. Roe from Roe v. Wade.

And Doe from Doe v. Bolton