Author Archives: Matt Jury

Greater Sufferings Than Man Could Inflict

Posted on by under Jonathan Edwards

So great is his grace, that nothing is too much as the means of this good. It is sufficient not only to do great things, but also to suffer in order to do it, and not only to suffer, but to suffer most extremely even unto death, the most terrible of natural evils; and not only death, but the most ignominious and tormenting, and every way the most terrible that men could inflict; yea, and greater sufferings than men could inflict, who could only torment the body. He had sufferings in his soul, that were the more immediate fruits of the wrath of God against the sins of those he undertakes for.

Jonathan Edwards, The Excellency of Christ

It Is Not the Doing of This Thing or That Thing

Posted on by under John Owen

It is not the doing of this or that thing, but the doing of all things by Christ commanded; not a loving of friends only, but of enemies; not a denial of the ways of ungodly men only, but a denial of self and the world ; not a doing hurt to none only, but a doing good to all ; not a hatred to evil men’s ways only, but a love to their persons; not praying and hearing only,—but giving alms, communicating, showing mercy, exercising loving-kindness in the earth ; not a mortification of pride and vanity only, especially if as to others in any outward appearance,—but of envy, wrath, discontent. In a word, it is “perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord” that is required. If men professing religion, who are almost devoured by world, or flesh, or envy, or faction, or idleness, or uselessness in their generation, would but lay their hearts to the rules we have considered, they would find they had but little cause to hug themselves in their ways and walking.

John Owen (1616 – 1683)

HT: The Essential Owen