Quote #40…Richard Baxter 1615-1691 (7)

March 16, 2026

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 6

“Bring not a carnal mind, which savoreth only fleshly things and is enslaved to those sins which the Scripture doth condemn.
For the carnal mind is enmity against God, and neither is, nor can be subject to His Law (Rom 8:7-8). And the things of God are not discerned by the mere natural man, for they are foolishness to him, and they must be spiritually discerned (2Co 2:14); and enmity is an ill expositor. It will be quarrelling with all and making faults in the Word which findeth so many faults in you. It will hate that Word which cometh to deprive you of your most sweet and dearly beloved sin. Or, if you have such a carnal mind and enmity, believe it not, any more than a partial and wicked enemy should be believed against God Himself, Who better understandeth what He hath written, than any of His foolish enemies.“

(…to be continued)

(e) Rom. 8: 7, 8.
(f) 2 Cor. 2:14

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3

Richard Baxter (Click on this link for a short Biography)
Richard Baxter (Click on this link for a longer Biography)

22 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #35…Richard Baxter 1615-1691 (6)

February 6, 2026

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 5

‘Remember that it is a universal law and doctrine, written for the most ignorant as well as for the curious; and therefore must be suited in plainness to the capacity of the simple, and yet have matter to exercise the most subtle wits; and that God would have the style, to savour more of the innocent weakness of the instruments, than the matter.’ Therefore be not offended or troubled when the style doth seem less polite than you might think beseemed the Holy Ghost; nor at the plainness of some parts, or the mysteriousness of others : but adore the wisdom and tender condescension of God to his poor creatures.
(…to be continued)

Richard Baxter (Click on Mr. Baxter’s name to learn more about him.)

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

“As a writer, few men have written more, or to better purpose. His books, for number and variety of matter, might form a library. They contain a treasure of controversial, casuistical, positive, and practical divinity. Such at least was the opinion of the judicious Dr. Bates; nor was he alone of this sentiment. The excellent bishop Wilkins did not hesitate to assert, ‘That he had cultivated every subject he had handled.'”

7 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #30…Richard Baxter 1615-1691 (5)

January 12, 2026

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 4

Remember that it is a doctrine of unseen things, and of the greatest mysteries; and therefore come not to it with arrogance as a judge, but with humility as a learner or disciple: and if any thing seem difficult or improbable to you, suspect your own unfurnished understanding, and not the sacred Word of God. If a learner in any art or science, will suspect his teacher and his books, whenever he is stalled, or meeteth with that which seemeth unlikely to him, his pride would keep possession for his ignorance, and his folly were like to be uncurable.

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

Richard Baxter (Click on Mr. Baxter’s name to learn more about him.)

“As a writer, few men have written more, or to better purpose. His books, for number and variety of matter, might form a library. They contain a treasure of controversial, casuistical, positive, and practical divinity. Such at least was the opinion of the judicious Dr. Bates; nor was he alone of this sentiment. The excellent bishop Wilkins did not hesitate to assert, ‘That he had cultivated every subject he had handled;’ and the learned and ingenious Dr. Barrow gives this as his judgment concerning them, ‘That his practical works were never mended, and his controversial ones seldom confuted.’ Mr. Calamy tells us, ‘That the books he wrote amounted to more than one hundred and twenty,’ and an Editor, who published a Life of Mr. Baxter says, ‘He has seen one hundred and forty-five distinct Treatises, whereof four were folios, seventy-three quartos, forty-nine octavos, and nineteen twelves and twenty fours, besides single sheets, separate Sermons, and at least twenty-five Prefaces to other men’s works.'”

6 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #27…Martyn Lloyd-Jones 1899-1981

December 20, 2025

“I sometimes think that the very essence of the whole Christian position and the secret of a successful spiritual life is just to realize two things…I must have complete, absolute confidence in God and no confidence in myself.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Click on Martyn’s name to find out a bit about him.)

10 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #26…Jeremiah Burroughs 1599-1646

December 16, 2025

“Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”

Jeremiah Burroughs (Click on Jeremiah’s name at left to learn a bit about him.)

13 Comments | Commentary, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #25…Richard Baxter 1615-1691 (4)

December 11, 2025

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 3

Remember that it is the will and testament of your Lord, and the covenant of most full and gracious promises; which all your comforts, and all your hopes of pardon and everlasting life are built upon. Read it therefore with love and great delight. Value it a thousand fold more than you would do the letters of your dearest friend, or the deeds by which you hold your lands; or any thing else of low concernment. If the law was sweeter to David than honey, and better than thousands of gold and silver, and was his delight and meditation all the day, O what should the sweet and precious Gospel be to us!

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.
(…to be continued)

Richard Baxter

10 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

The Person of Jesus Christ

December 4, 2025

Recently, Bruce Cooper posted the following article. I found it provided clarity in a world that speaks so much of Jesus but seems to hardly know the Jesus described in the Bible. To know who Jesus is, one must turn to the Bible. It is where we get our knowledge. Here Bruce takes the words of scripture and provides a good glimpse into who our Savior is. The best way to build on this knowledge is to read and study the Bible for yourself.

The Person of Jesus Christ

7 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology, Words that Uplift | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Latest on the Origin of Life Research 2025

November 20, 2025

“A pair of Cambridge lectures examining the deepest challenges in origin-of-life research—from the chemistry of early Earth to the information systems inside every cell—and exploring why current prebiotic models fall short. Featuring Dr. James Tour and Dr. Stephen Meyer, this session highlights the scientific roadblocks, the role of information, and the implications for how life began.”

The cases of these two men continue to get stronger with time. I enjoyed these lectures and I hope you do as well.

CR

18 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, LIFE, Origin of Life, Science | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #20…Richard Baxter 1615-1691 (3)

November 14, 2025

Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures. Direct. 2

Remember that it is the very law of God which you must live by, and be judged by at last. And therefore read with a full resolution to obey whatever it commandeth, though flesh, and men, and devils contradict it. Let there be no secret exceptions in your heart, to baulk any of its precepts, and shift off that part of obedience, which the flesh accounteth difficult or dear.
(…to be continued…Direct 1 and 3 give balance to this seemingly legalistic Direct)

From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Vol. 3.

8 Comments | Commentary, Education, Helps, Love of God, theology | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Chris

Quotes #18…Timothy Cruso 1657-1697

November 6, 2025

“My flesh shall rest in hope.” (Psalm 16:9) That hope which is grounded on the word, gives rest to the soul; ’tis an anchor to keep it steady. Hebrews 6:13. Which shows the unmoveableness of that which our anchor is fastened to. The promise sustains our faith, and our faith is that which supports us. He that hopes in the Word as David did (Psalms 119:81), lays a mighty stress upon it; as Samson did when he leaned upon the pillars of the house, so as to pull it down upon the Philistines. A believer throws the whole weight of all of his affairs and concernments, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, upon the promises of God, like a man resolved to stand or fall with them. He ventures himself, and all that belongs to him, entirely upon this bottom, which is in effect to say, if they will not bear me up, I am content to sink: I know that there shall be a performance of those things which have been told me from the Lord, and therefore I will incessantly look for it.

Found in The Treasury of David, an original Exposition of the Psalms by C.H.S.

Cruso had as a fellow-student Daniel Defoe, who immortalized his name in Robinson Crusoe.

9 Comments | Commentary, Helps, Love of God, theology, Words that Uplift | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Chris

« Previous Entries