If there had been blogs in the Puritan era, and I could pick one of those gentlemen whose blog I’d look forward to every day, I think I’d have to go with William Gurnall. While reading through his The Christian in Complete Armour, I’ve noticed that most of Gurnall’s words can be used effectively in both collective form, or with certain passages isolated. Even these, when taken from their larger context, have wonderful, poignant, and biblically consistent messages. They are stand alone tidbits of good and practical Christian theology.

Needless to say, Gurnall would make for a much better blogger than I, or for that matter, most people. I’ve enjoyed almost everything I’ve read thus far in Complete Armour. There’s definitely more of it marked up by my pen than not. “They being dead, yet speak…” may certainly and aptly describe the works of this faithful Puritan author. Allow me to once again whet your appetites to the Puritans of old.

On true godliness:

Your morals may be impeccable, but if you do not worship God, then you are an atheist. If you worship Him and that devoutly, but not according to Scripture, you are an idolator. If according to the rule, but not according to the spirit of the gospel, then you are a hypocrite.

Concerning temptation:

If you wish to stand firm in the midst of suffering, forewarn yourself of this fact: Temptation is never stronger than when relief seems to dress itself in the very sin that Satan is suggesting.

On Satan’s devices:

If you want to be protected from your enemy as a troubler, you must take heed of him as a seducer. You can be sure he takes heed of you! The handle of the hatchet with which he chops at the root of the Christian’s comfort is commonly made of the Christian’s own wood. Satan is only a creature and cannot work without tools. He can indeed make much from a little, but he cannot make anything out of nothing. We see this in his assault on Christ, where he troubled himself to no purpose because he came and found nothing in Him (John 14:30).

And so, I think it’s safe to say that William Gurnall may turn out to be one of my favorite Puritan authors. I encourage you to bask in the wealth of the Puritans and make good on their writings which are available to you.

Verses 5-9

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,and in sin did my mother conceive me.

The truth of our utter, complete, and total depravity is shown throughout the Scriptures. I would take some time to blog about it, but it’s been written so well by so many other fine folks that for me to do so would be superfluous. Maybe another day, when I’m feeling gratuitously bored. This is only one instance to which man’s being born dead in sin is alluded. David had been taught the story of Eden and man’s fall. He knew the truth of man’s condition, as was epitomized in the state of man right before the great flood. Thus, he recognized the great depth in sin to which he’d sunken, acknowledging he was a prodigy of Adam. But he doesn’t end there.

6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

A recognition of God’s absolute divine right to define, elaborate upon, declare, and impart truth to sinful man. He says, “You teach me…” Not only did David recognize his depravity, but he affirmed and acknowledged God’s sovereignty in the impartation of saving faith! It wasn’t that David was seeking after this wisdom of his own doing. It wasn’t that David thought he was somehow able to attain this knowledge in and of himself. He prays back to God, God’s thoughts…YOU TEACH ME.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Yes, he remembered Adam’s plunging of mankind into spiritual death. Yes, he realized his utter and complete ineptitude before Holy God. But as previously noted, he doesn’t stop at the acknowledgement of “bad” news. Rather, in light of the bad news, he by faith proclaims the good news! “Father God, if YOU purge me, I will be clean. I will be whiter than snow, if it is of Your doing. For You, O GOD, are able to cleanse to the uttermost!” The story of the Fall was sad indeed, but the glory of the promise given (Gen 3:15) was much greater than the horror of the Fall! David expressed great faith in God’s Redemptive ability ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE! Abraham believed and it was credited unto him as righteousness! Amen!

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins,and blot out all my iniquities.

His absolute throwing out of all other means as being able to console him is a testament to the fact that David knew ONLY God could bring the relief and comfort he needed. Only God could make wrongs (in an eschatological sense, as opposed to an immediate sense) right! Sins forgiven! Iniquities cleansed! He acknowledges (v.8) that his pain is due to God’s judgment of his sin. He realized that “those whom God loves, he chastens.” Oh, the vast riches of good theology Christ’s church can learn from the Book of Psalms! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Verses 1-4

The exposure of that great darkness which is in my heart moves me to a dreaded state of melancholy. In solemn brokenness, I acknowledge my absolute ineptitude before God’s holiness apart from imputed righteousness given to me upon my initial granted repentance. If not for Christ’s purchase, if not for God’s redemptive Covenant made with Him, I would be a silenced reprobate, justly cast into the depths of hell with wicked sinners. Such a sobering truth ought press me more toward true Christian piety, striving and thirsting after that perfect holiness of God. Noting my sickness over my rebellion against God’s law, I nevertheless believe His promise to keep me grounded in Him, though ever mindful of my deceitful heart. Brokenness and contrition are my heart’s present leading attributes. Let us look at the 51st Psalm, for at least the 151st thousandth time.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.

An appeal to God’s mercy David starts out with. Here we catch a glimpse of David remembering the God Who covenants with man with a gracious covenant. He provided a covering to Adam and Eve, deliverance to Noah and his family, a great promise to Abraham and all his offspring. So God, in His great perfection, has acted exceptionally merciful toward man. Thus, David appeals to His steadfast love, i.e. lovingkindness. So, God, do I humbly appeal to your great mercies shown to those Who love you, yet fail you! I plea for mercy on the basis of your promises made to man.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,and cleanse me from my sin!

David immediately acknowledges the reality of his sin, and his great need for cleansing from it. God, I affirm my wretchedness and cast it away from me; it is why I have appealed to this Psalm. Please cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

David had, in other Psalms, made mention of his bones wasting away while he was in his sin. The marks of a true believer are not that he does not sin, even sin heinously, but that he will be ever so miserable while in a state of unrepentance from that sin. Like a dark cloud hanging heavily over a tree, blocking much needed sunlight for sustenance, so is sin in the life of a believer. It hangs heavily over him, consuming his every thought, giving him neither rest, nor peace till he repents. David truly knew his transgressions, and they were certainly “ever” before him. Father, I know my sins, and I hate them…but not enough, obviously. God, help me to be undone. 

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Had David sinned only against God? Had he not sinned against Uriah by committing adultery with his wife and taking his very life?!!? Had he not sinned against Bathsheba by causing her to commit adultery? Had David, the King, not sinned against the people of Israel with lies and deception? Of course he had done all these things. But that is not the point David is raising here. David is making the greatest distinction between God and man: namely, that God is holy. Sin against man and sing against God is vastly different. Man is not holy. Man sins against man, and all, in God’s eyes, are on equal footing apart from divine grace. By saying “Against you, you only have I sinned…” Davis was confessing the absolutely heinous nature of rebelling against God’s law, not because of the pain it causes in their own and others’ lives, but because IT IS GOD’S LAW. This is also why David ended this particular section with “that you may be justified in your words.” His point: God is holy, lofty, set apart, without sin. David acknowledged his unholy disregard for God’s standard. I confess my rebellion toward your perfect law and, in light of your holiness, realize the great offense that it is. Have mercy upon me, Lord. I rest in Your promises.

While typically spending my time doing a number of constructive things like running, reading, playing guitar, and as of late, singing Psalms, I did something different. GASP!!! I situated myself in front of the piece of electronic equipment known as the television. Other than the occasional movie, I’ve gone weeks at a time without turning the thing on. The few channels I have are simply included with my internet package. Anyway…

There was a show that I’ve seen a few times in passing called “Super Nanny”. In the over abounding presence of reality shows this one is actually an attempt to be constructive, though I believe, on the wrong foundation. The show takes a family composed of a husband and wife (GASP!!!) and kids. Typically, the parents have no backbone whatsoever, habitually fail to discipline their children, and constantly cater to themselves (with certain exceptions). I am in such disbelief watching these “parents” interact with their kids. The show then sends a Nanny…a Super Nanny to teach the parents how to deal with their kids with love, discipline, etc.

On this particular episode the family is composed of a Husband, Wife, and Three Kids. I would venture to say that the ages of the kids are 8 yr old boy, 7 yr old girl, then a 2 yr old boy. The 2 yr old steals all the attention of the mother, leaving the others no time at all with her. The father is, you guessed it, a passive, uninvolved, man who interacts little with the kids or the wife. Herein lies a major foundational problem, but is not for this particular blogpost.

Just a litte summary of the problems in this family. The youngest demands all the time of the mother. He is constantly attached to her. He owns her. He masters her. She lets him. She is attached to him. She didn’t go to bed until he went to bed. Neither of the parents were in control. The husband would immediately recline on his “throne” as soon as he got home. Meanwhile, the wife would be tending to the kids (as best as she could), cooking dinner, and taking care of household duties (with no help from the husband who “just didn’t feel like it”). When the youngest was told he’d have to do something, but he didn’t want to do it, he would latch on to one of the parents and commence to pinch them! And they did nothing. They would simply put him down. This kid was physically hurting them and they just took it! How incredulous this makes me!

While the Nanny introduces many somewhate effective methods, if you will, to train the children on a surface level, there’s a major problem from the biblical parent’s perspective. She does not employ physical discipline as the Bible commands. Instead, things like a naughty circle are used to replace this. If the child acts out they will be placed in this naughty circle, unable to play, or do anything of any redeeming value. While I do not have a problem with this, in and of itself, I disagree with replacement of physical discipline by anything. Now, mind you, I wasn’t surprised at the fact that she didn’t suggest spanking; however, I make mention of it because physical discipline seems to be rare even WITHIN the walls of the church, too.

 

 

 

 

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.    

Proverbs 22:15
Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. 14 If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Proverbs 29:15
The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

 

 

 

 

Now obviously, these few passages are not the sum toto of the biblical teaching on discipline, but they do lay out the importance of physical discipline and the spiritual, practical advantages it yields. There is so much to be said about this, but one thing that is vital to the conversation is this fact. We are born depraved. Thus, our children are not innocent as we so often like to say. That being said, though, NO ONE is innocent. This means that our children’s depravity necessitates the reality of discipline in the training of children, especially for the children of believers. To withhold physical discipline from our children, the Bible says, is to hate them. That is clear. At the same time, notice the wording is not “punishment”, but “discipline”. I think that’s important to note. Anyway…just some practical food for thought.    

And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. - Genesis 22:7-8

Abraham, at this point, has already been counted righteous by his faith (Gen 15:6), so we know he had strong faith. It is again exemplified here in this foreshadowing of Christ’s precious sacrifice. Abraham, his “only son” Isaac, and some servants have been travelling for a few days and the Scripture recounts Abraham telling his servants this (Gen 22:5): Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.

Now, keep in mind, the Lord has already commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, the one through which Abraham’s offspring would be named. So, you may be wondering, “What’s going through Abraham’s mind right now? How could he, without doubt, without questioning, and without hesitation just up and go and do this?” By faith! By trust! By belief in the inherent goodness of God and His devotion to His own glory.

You see, Abraham could tell the servants with confidence that both he and Isaac would be back (v5), though God had commanded Abraham to kill Isaac. So, one of two things was going to happen in the mind of Abraham. Either, 1) Isaac was going to be sacrificed, burned, but then somehow restored by the Lord, or 2) God would provide a substitute. Either way, God would fulfill His covenant obligation to Abraham, and Abraham believed it! That’s great faith, folks!

You know, when I used to read this account I pictured a somber, grieving Abraham, moping along with Isaac, on their way to Mt. Moriah. But now, more and more, I don’t know if such was the case. I think Abraham knew, by faith, that God is a covenant keeping God, and that, somehow, Isaac would be spared. He’d have to be spared in order for what was told him in Gensis 15:6 to be true. Somehow, Abraham knew God would come through and be Faithful.

O, that we would have the faith of an Abraham! We have God’s promises in Scripture, yet we doubt so much! We must, despite all outward circumstances, or inner feelings, or “uncontestable evidences”, we must believe God’s promises and that He will accomplish them regardless of what we think, see, or “know”. You see, no one, no thing, can thwart His plan, stay His hand, catch Him by surprise, sneak up on Him, or even begin to be familiar with Him. He is the everlasting God Who is forever to be praised. He is the Lord. That is His Name. His glory He gives to no other, and He shares not His praise with idols (Is 42:8). Blessed be the Lord God Almighty, for Almighty He truly is! HE WILL PROVIDE.