Thoughts on Eternity and Life

The Prayer of Christopher Love on The Scaffold Immediately Before his Execution on 22nd August 1651

"Most Glorious and eternal Majesty, Thou art righteous and holy in all thou dost to the sons of men, though thou hast suffered men to condemn Thy servant, Thy servant will not condemn Thee. He justifies Thee though Thou cuttest him off in the midst of his days and in the midst of his ministry, blessing thy glorious name, that though he be taken away from the land of the living, yet he is not blotted out of the Book of the Living. Father, mine hour is come. This Thy poor creature can say without vanity and falsehood. He hath desired to glorify Thee on earth; glorify Thou now him in heaven. He hath desired to bing the souls of other men to heaven; let his soul be brought to heaven.

"O Thou blessed God, whom thy creature hath served, who hath made thee his hope and his confidence from his youth, forsake him not now while he is drawing near to Thee. Now he is in the valley of the shadow of death, Lord, be Thou life to him. Smile Thou upon him while men frown upon him. Lord, Thou hast settled this persuasion in his heart that as soon as ever the blow is given to divide his head from his body he shall be united to his Head in heaven. Blessed be God that Thy servant dies in these hopes. Blessed be God that Thou hast filled the soul of Thy servant with joy and peace in believing.

"O Lord, think upon that poor brother of mine, who is a companion in tribulation with me, who is this day to lose his life as well as I. O fill him full with the Holy Ghost when he is to give up the ghost! Lord, strengthen our hearts that we may give up the ghost with joy and not with grief.

"We entreat Thee, O Lord, think upon Thy poor churches. O that England might live in Thy sight! And O that London might be a faithful city to Thee! That righteousness might be among them, that peace and plenty might be within her walls and prosperity within their habitations. Lord, heal the breaches of these nations; make England and Scotland as one staff in the Lord's hand, that Ephraim may not envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim, but that both may fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines. O that men of the Protestant religion, engaged in the same cause and covenant, might not delight to spill each other's blood, but might engage against the common adversaries of our religion and liberty! God, show mercy to all that fear Thee. The Lord think upon our covenant-keeping brethren of the Kingdom of Scotland; keep them faithful to Thee, and let not them that have invaded them overspread their whole land. Prevent the shedding of more Christian blood if it seems good in Thine eyes.

"God show mercy to Thy poor servant who is now giving up the ghost. O blessed Jesus, apply Thy blood not only for my justification unto life, but also for my comfort, for the quieting of my soul so I may be in the joys of heaven before I come to the possesion of heaven! Hear the prayers of all Thy people that have been made for Thy servant, and though Thou hast denied prayer as to that particular request concerning my life, yet let herein the fruit of prayer be seen, that Thou wilt bear up my heart against the fear of death. God show mercy to all that fear Him, and show mercy to all who have engaged for the life of Thy servant. Let them have mercy at the day of their appearing before Jesus Christ. Preserve Thou a godly ministry in this nation, and restore a goodly magistracy, and cause yet good days to be the heritage of Thy people for the Lord's sake.

"Now, Lord, into Thy hands Thy servant commits his spirit; and though he may not with Stephen see the heavens open, yet let him have the heavens open. And though he may not see upon a scaffold the Son of God standing at the right hand of God, yet let him come to the glorious body of Jesus Christ and this hour have an intellectual sight of the glorious body of his Saviour. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and, Lord Jesus, stand by me, Thy dying servant who hath endeavoured in his lifetime to stand for Thee. Lord, hear, pardon all infirmities, wash away his iniquities by the blood of Christ, wipe off reproaches from his name, wipe off guilt from his person and receive him pure and spotless and blameless before Thee in love. And all this we beg for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen."



It would be a kind of Heaven to the damned!

(Richard Baxter, "The Saints Everlasting Rest")

"Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!" Matthew 25:41

Alas! what heart can now possibly conceive, or what tongue express--the pains of those souls who are under the wrath of God!

Is it an intolerable thing to burn part of your body by holding it in the fire? What, then, will it be to suffer ten thousand times more, forever in Hell!

As the joys of Heaven are beyond our conception--so are the pains of Hell. Everlasting torment--is inconceivable torment.

It would be a kind of Heaven to the damned--had they but hope of eventually escaping.

O happy souls in Hell--should they but escape after millions of ages!

But this word 'eternal', contains the perfection of their torment!

O that the sinner would study this word; methinks it would startle him out of his dead sleep!

FOREVER is an intolerable thought!
  
"And these shall go away into eternal punishment!" Matthew 25:46

May this thought be with us daily as we disciple our children.

Behold Your God!!!

• Posted by Brett

(James Smith, "The Attributes of God" 1863)

The more we have to do with man--the more his littleness, fickleness, and emptiness appear.
But the more we read, think, or have to do with God--the more His greatness, majesty, and infinite sufficiency is discovered! He proclaims Himself, "the Great and Mighty God, the Lord Almighty is His name--great in counsel and mighty in work!" Infinity, omnipotence, and eternity--find a home and a center only in Him.

"His Greatness is unsearchable!" There is more in the works of His hands--than even the angels have ever discovered! There is more in the words of His mouth--than mortals ever conceived. His glory is great unto and above the heavens. "Behold your God!" Isaiah 40:9

Look at His goodness--it runs an endless circuit supplying millions, and supporting all created existences. O how great is His goodness!

Look at His grace--
saving innumerable multitudes from Hell;
saving them at the greatest expense--in the freest possible way;
saving them to the highest honor and greatest glory!
O the exceeding riches of His grace!....(James Smith)

  May you take time to behold God today! May you be blessed by His goodness and grace~ 

James Smith

"Do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

The desire for and love to children, are implanted in our nature by our good and great Creator; and children are given to us to be brought up for the Lord. They are His property; He only lends them to us to enjoy, to train, and prepare for future life. Children involve a great responsibility. They areimmortal. They are depraved. They are ignorant. They need the most tender, wise, and constant training. Every parent is accountable to God for the manner in which he educates and brings up his children; and that account must be rendered under the most solemn circumstances.

It is the parent's duty to instruct the child, not only in things natural — but in things spiritual. The great facts of Scripture should be very early placed before the child's mind, by the parents. The child should learn from a mother's lips, that it is immortal; that it is a sinner; that as such it is exposed to the wrath of God; that there is no way to God but by Jesus; that nothing can be accepted by God, but through Him. The person, the work, the character, the offices, and love of Jesus, should especially be pressed on the child's attention. The true character of God, as just and yet merciful, as holy and yet love, as true to his word and yet ready to forgive — should be clearly unfolded to the child's understanding. In a word, the Bible, in its facts, doctrines, promises, prophecies, precepts; and especially the glorious glad tidings of a free salvation for sinners as sinners — should be instilled into the youthful mind. Our children should be made familiar with the Bible, and be impressed with a sense of its value, veracity, and excellence.

It is the parent's duty to pray for and with the child; especially should mothers do this. There is something in the tone of a mother's voice, in the tenderness of a mother's expressions, in the fervency of a mother's pleading — which cannot be imitated. A father has it not, nor can he acquire it. When a mother takes her child aside into a private room, and having spoken to it of God, of Jesus, of sin, of the need of a new heart — she bids it kneel down by her, she takes its little hands into one of hers, she lays the other on its head, and offers up a mother's prayer — full of pathos, of glowing desire, of holy reverence — she does that which the child cannot forget. The tones of her voice, the earnestness of her pleading, the gentle pressure of the hand, will never be forgotten while memory holds her place.

It is the parent's duty to set a proper example before children; knowing that what is seen — makes more impression than what is merely heard. Parents should never tell, or act a lie before their children. They should never trifle with Divine things, or expose the faults of God's people, or speak slightly of the Lord's ministers before their children: but should set the Lord always before their face, and be always aiming at the immediate conversion of every one of their offspring.

They should not only avoid setting a wrong example before them — but also endeavor to keep them as much as they prudently can from others who would do so; remembering the words of the wise man, "He who walks with wise men — shall be wise; but the companion of fools — shall be destroyed."

Once more: parents should early lead their children to the house of God, pointing out to them that God requires the worship of the heart, the service of the entire person; and that God is present in an especial manner when His people meet.

How important it must be then for parents to be real Christians, not only for their own account — but for their children's sake. Parents, your situation is most solemn and responsible; remember, very much of your own conduct depends upon how you bring up your children! Remember also, that others will be benefitted or injured by your children. And above all, remember that you must meet every one of your children at the judgment-seat of Christ; and how dreadful it would be, if your child should there witness that you were accessory to its damnation!

From the English Puritan, Thomas Watson:

Question: “How do we know when we have forgiven another?”

Answer: “When we resist all thoughts of revenge; when we will not do our enemy’s mischief, but wish well to them, grieve at their calamities, pray for them, seek reconciliation with them, and show ourselves ready on all occasions to come to their aid in distress.” Also… “We are not bound to trust an enemy; but we are bound to forgive him.” (Thomas Watson, Body of Divinity, Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, p. 581)  

Another great post found on Covenant Family Church webpage.

The Following Is An Excerpt From The Diary Of James Smith:

August 28, 1857.

If some of my congregation knew me better--they would love me less! Yet my heavenly Father . . .
  knows me well,
  favors me much,
  and loves me wonderfully!
O how strange--that God should love a worm, a dung-hill worm--one who was bred in sin, loved sin, felt at home in sin, and at times felt regret that he was debarred from some sins! O if God had left me to myself--what would I have been, and what would I have done! "But by the grace of God--I am what I am!" 1 Corinthians 15:10

Surely, surely, I must say, that divine love and wisdom have planned my path--from first to last. I am . . .
  out of Hell,
  in the way to Heaven,
  employed by God,
  useful to saints, and
  a blessing to sinners! O how wonderful, how wonderful is this!

 

 

The Design of Repentance-AW Pink

  Thus genuine and saving repentance is a taking sides with God against myself. It is not that our repentance extirpates our sins, for there is nothing meritorious about it. It makes no amends for our past vile conduct, nor does it move God to mercy. Yet is repentance required, yea demanded of us, and Divine mercy is not shown where no repentance is. Repentance is designed to make the heart loathe sin, and that through a deep sense of its infinite enormity and dreadful pollution; it is to make us dread sin through a heart-realization of its awful guilt. Only thus is the stubborn will broken and the heart made contrite and prepared to turn unto the Lord Jesus and seek salvation through Him by grace alone.

The Eternality of God

Oh the immensity of the gift!(John Eadie, "The Love of God--its Objects, Gift, and Design" 1865)

"For God so loved the world--that He gave His one and only Son!" John 3:16

"For surely it is not angels He helps" Hebrews 2:16

"God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to Hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment!" 2 Peter 2:4

If God loved this world--this world of fallen men, and not the world of fallen angels--then His love must be sovereign in its essence. For man was not the only sinful being in His dominions! Beings of higher nature, and having their position in Heaven itself, were mysteriously involved in the guilt and doom of apostasy, and expelled from their bright domain! And yet, though they dwelt in Heaven--they are not summoned back to it!
No pardon is offered to them;
no means of redemption are provided for them;
no mediator has taken on him the 'nature of angels,' in order to make atonement for them.
They are left to the endurance of eternal death and damnation--ever sinning, ever suffering; while pardon and restoration have been proclaimed to the human family--
  our weak and erring race,
  so nearly allied to the ground on which they tread,
  so proud in their debility, and
  so impious in their thraldom!
Would it not have been a more reasonable plan, so to speak--for God to have saved these lofty angelic exiles, and called them back to the Heaven in which they once lived, and for which they were created--than to select this distant and miserable world of ours; and, by an abnormal and mighty process, to purify and refine its wretched and earthy outcasts for a realm of existence to which they are strangers, and to which they would never have been able to penetrate?
The reasons inducing the Infinite Wisdom to make this sovereign choice to redeem man, and not the fallen angels--we may neither search nor discover. This preference of fallen man to fallen angels, as the recipients of divine love--can only be resolved into a mysterious exercise of divine sovereignty.
He has loved fallen men on earth--and not fallen angels in Hell.
Both might have been punished with eternal penalty, and neither the one nor the other could have complained of the justice of its doom.

On the other hand, both might have been forgiven and redeemed--and both would have equally felt its salvation due to Jehovah's tender pity.

Nay, though fallen angels in Hell had been redeemed--and all the fallen men on earth had been left in their sin; though only the demons, the first transgressors, had been saved, and brought again to the solemn Presence before which they once bowed, the bright myriads with which they once mixed, and the hallelujahs which they once choired--while this sinful world of ours was left to pine and groan hopeless and helpless--(one shudders to contemplate this dreadful alternative!)--who would have dared to impeach the God of grace, who has the right to give as He pleases--where none have any claim on His bounty!





In the Beginning God (Elohim) El, ie: high, elevated, im ending is plural in Hebrew, so in the very beginning of the revealed and written Word of God we already see the introduction of the Godhead. In the beginning was the WORD (Logos), He was in the beginning with God, and all things were made by Him, A declaration that Jesus is the Creator, An old familiar creed states, Very God of Very God, and when He came, in space and time and history, the virgin born son of God said I and the Father are one, thereby declaring again to be the One to whom all beings owe their existence, Worship at His feet, Brett
But, O let His name be extolled---earth has not been passed over; it has been selected in His sovereign regard. Ay, God so loved the WORLD!
But the fervor and mightiness of this love arrests our attention! "God SO loved the world"--loved it with such ardor and indescribable generosity--loved it SO--that He gave His only-begotten Son! Oh the immensity of the gift! A divine gift from a divine Giver! The grandeur of His love may be seen in its results. If you can measure the gift--you may gauge the depth of the love which bestowed it!
Thus have we considered the amazing fact, that God has loved this guilty, rebellious and insignificant world--and selected it to be the object of His tender mercy. Nay, that He has SO loved it, as to make provision for its deliverance, in the gift of His Son--that bright and matchless display of His loving-kindness!