Without “absolutes” revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice, and right and wrong, issuing from a multitude of self-opinionated thinkers. We could never know who God is, how He is to be worshiped, or wherein true happiness lies…

Intellects which are willing to drift backwards and forwards on the ebb and flow of the tides of changing theories will, at the end, be driven by the winds of uncertainty into the quicksands of atheism.

- John Owen, Biblical Theology: The History of Theology from Adam to Christ (p. xl)

John Owen, in the book I’m reading right now, says this:

The very title page of this book will demonstrate, without further explanation from me, the intention of the work I have undertaken.

Gee, can you really tell that much from the title page of a book?

Yes. Yes you can.

It’s no secret to those who know me, but I love to read. As a Christian, I enjoy reading “Christian living” and theology, and I was challenged by a question on the humor site Stuff Christians Like, in one of Jon’s more serious posts.

At the end of that post, he asked the questions:

• What are you reading?
• And what is God showing you through it?

Answering the first question is easy, but admittedly, I often neglect thinking through the second question enough. Not that God is not showing me plenty through my reading, but I often don’t bother to think through it thoroughly and reflect up on it.

So, with that in mind, right now I’m reading…

• The Sinfulness of Sin, by Ralph Venning. Through this Puritan Paperback from Banner of Truth, I’m getting a very deep serious sense of God’s absolute and total hatred of sin. While “God hates sin” is a basic foundational idea of Christianity, I think we don’t reflect enough on just how repulsive our sin is to Him. This is important not just as an idea, but because it makes the cross of Jesus Christ that much more powerful – that God poured out His holy wrath upon His Son for our sake, that Christ took on that repulsive sin, and that for that, those who believe shall never suffer for it.
• Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, by Donald S. Whitney. Here God is showing me how to be closer to Him through His Word, through prayer, and through other spiritual disciplines and attitudes.
• Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by J. I. Packer. I’ve been very convicted of my failure to evangelize lost friends, relatives, and strangers. God continues to convict and through Packer’s classic, I’m getting a very solid, biblical view of evangelism, and what is important (and what’s not) when sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m also gaining confidence to proclaim Christ.

He stumbles, and does not know why (John 11.9,10; Proverbs 4.19).

Sinners are ever and anon stumbling at Christ Jesus; they are offended at him, but cannot tell for what. They would complain of something, and find fault with it, if they knew what; but they seek faults where none are to be found. Yet rather than not be offended with Christ, this shall be his crime, that he is guilty of none. The reason why they find so much fault with God is because he finds out their faults, and finds fault with them. Man’s waspishness and touchiness, his being so captious and ready to take offence at God and godliness, are clear manifestations of his darkness. Did they know him, they would never crucify, nor be offended with the Lord of life, light and glory. Blessed is he that is not offended with Christ.

Ralph Venning, The Sinfulness of Sin. (Amazon)

How far from godliness are those who are unspiritual in their worship, who do not do duties from a renewed principle and with the utmost intention of soul, but merely to stop the mouth of conscience! Many people look no further than the bare doing of duties, but neve rheed how they are done. God does not judge our duties by length, but by love.

Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture

If God is an exceedingly great reward, let such as have hope in Him, long for the full possession of Him. Though it should not be irksome to us to stay here to do service—yet we should have a holy longing until our eternal portion comes into our hand. This is a temper befitting a Christian—content to live, and desirous to die! Philippians 1:23-25. Does not the bride desire her wedding day? Revelation 22:17. If we seriously considered our condition here on earth—that we are compassed with a body of sin; that we cannot pray without wandering; that we cannot believe without doubting—would not this make us desire to depart, to be gone to heaven? Let us think how happy those saints above are, who are solacing themselves in God. While we live far from court—they are always beholding the smiling face of God! While we drink wormwood—they swim in honey! While we are perplexed and troubled—they know their names are enrolled in the book of life. While we are tossed upon the unquiet waves—they have gotten to the eternal haven. If we but knew what a reward God is, and what the joy of our Lord means—we would need patience to be content to stay here on earth any longer!

Thomas Watson. God is His Peoples Great Reward.

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is considered the most famous sermon ever preached in American history. Jonathan Edwards delivered this message on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. Many who heard it trembled and cried out for mercy. Others fainted. Five hundred people were converted that day.

And now, you can download a free copy of this classic Jonathan Edwards sermon, recited by Max McLean,
here.

You can also read the text of the sermon, at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

In The Christian in Complete Armour, William Gurnall talks about trusting God not only when you think he is absent (withdrawing), but even when he seems to be against you, as in the case of Job or the Canaanite woman:

The Christian must trust in a withdrawing God, Isa. 50:10. Let him that walks in darkness, and sees no light, trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. This requires a holy boldness of faith indeed, to venture into God’s presence, as Esther into Ahasuerus’, when no smile is to be seen on his face, no golden sceptre of the promise perceived by the soul, as held forth to embolden it to come near, then to press in with this noble resolution, “If I perish, I perish,” Est. 4:16. Nay, more, to trust not only in a withdrawing but a “killing God,” Job 13:15; not when his love is hid, but when his wrath breaks forth. Now for a soul to make its approaches to God by a recumbency of faith, while God seems to fire upon it, and shoot his frowns like envenomed arrows into it, is hard work, and will try the Christian’s mettle to purpose. Yet such a masculine spirit we find in the poor woman of Canaan, who takes up the bullets of Christ shot at her, and with a humble boldness of faith sends them back again in her prayer.

Tony Reinke is renaming his blog, and in the process shares an interesting tidbit about Jonathan Edwards’ study habits:

If you’ve ever seen Jonathan Edwards’s octagonal desk, you know he used a number of notebooks and resources in his personal study. But each of his notebooks were strategic. He used his blank bible, his collection of miscellanies, and his other notebooks as places to collect his thoughts. Later, he developed these thoughts into sermons and books.

Read more, and see a diagram of Edwards’ workspace at the newly named Miscellanies.

Free Audiobook: Edwards’ Religious Affections
In conjunction with a web-based group study hosted by Tim Challies, Christian Audio is offering a free copy of Edwards’ Religious Affections. See Tim’s site for info on the audio, and CCEL for a text copy of the book.

Free Course: Martyn Lloyd-Jones Spiritual Affections
The Founders Study Center is offering a free course this fall, “Spiritual Depression,” with the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. See this blog post for more info.