The Government of Messiah is the Earth’s Principal Joy

“It is the mediatorial government of the Messiah which the Psalmist had more immediately in view; and this is the principal cause of joy to the earth and its guilty in-habitants. This is a kind of government peculiar to the human race; the upright angels do not need it, and the fallen angels are not favoured with it. This is invested in the person of Immanuel, ” who is made head over all things to his church,” Eph. i. 22; “to whom all power in heaven and earth is given,” Matt. xi. 27, and xxviii. 18. This is the kingdom described in such august language in Dan. ji. ver. 44, 45, and vii. 14. Luke i. 32, 33. Hence that Jesus who was mocked with a crown of thorns, and condemned as a criminal at Pilate’s bar, wears on his vesture and on his thigh this majestic inscription, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev. xix. 16. And behold I bring you glad tidings; this kingdom of God is come unto you, and you are called to become its subjects, and share in its blessings. Wherever the gospel is preached, there Jehovah sits upon a mercy-seat in majesty tempered with condescending grace. From thence he invites rebels that had rejected his government to return to their allegiance, and passes an act of grace upon all that comply with the invitation. To his throne of grace he invites all to come, and offers them the richest blessings. From thence he publishes peace on earth, and good will towards men. From thence he offers pardon to all that will submit to his government, and renounce their sins, those weapons of re-bellion. From thence he distributes the influences of his Spirit to subdue obstinate hearts into cheerful submission, to support his subjects under every burden, and furnish them with strength for the spiritual warfare. He subdues their rebellious corruptions, animates their languishing graces, and protects them from their spiritual enemies. He enacts laws for the regulation of his church, appoints ordinances for her edification, and qualifies ministers to dispense them. He hath ascended up on high; he hath received gifts for men; and these he hath distributed, and given “some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” Eph. iv. 8, 11, 12. And it is by virtue of authority derived from him, that his ministers now officiate, and you receive his ordinances at their hands. Now how happy are we, that we live under the mediatorial administration! under the empire of grace!

—Let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad upon this account. And let us pray that all nations may become the willing subjects of our gracious Sovereign.

If this administration of grace had not yet been erected, in what a miserable situation should we have been! guilty, miserable, and hopeless! Let us rejoice that the King of heaven, from whom we had revolted, has not suffered us to perish without remedy in our unnatural rebellion, but holds out the sceptre of his grace to us, that we may touch it and live.” Samuel Davies, sermon: “The Divine Government the Joy of Our World”

The Vanity of the Human Mind

In our own lifetimes, we have seen the vanity of human life, in sin, here on earth, transgress, traverse, and greatly exceeded all imagination of what could be invented next. It may be an exponential increase, but it’s rising on the same curve that 17. cent. Theologian John Owen describes in his day, predicting an ever expanding increase in vanity. (And how accurately does this explain the modern world?):

“The mind of man by nature is wholly vain, under the power of vanity, and is an endless, fruitful womb of all monstrous births. The world is now growing towards six thousand years old, and yet is no nearer the bottom of the springs of its vanity, or the drawing out of its supplies, than it was the first day that sin entered into it. New sins, new vices, new vanities, break forth continually; and all is from hence, that the mind of man by nature is altogether vain. Nor is there any way or means for putting a stop hereunto in persons, families, cities, nations, but so far as the minds of men are cured and renewed by the Holy Ghost. The world may alter its shape and the outward appearances of things, it may change its scenes, and act its part in new habits and dresses, but it will still be altogether vain so long as natural uncured vanity is predominant in the minds of men; and this will sufficiently secure them from attaining any saving acquaintance with spiritual things.” Pneumatologia, chap. iii

Scientist Says Humans Could Have Lived Much Longer Before There Were Predatory Animals

A scientist postulates that humans could have lived much longer in theory, but they adapted to an environment where they were being eaten by carnivorous dinosaurs.  

I find it fascinating when secular science resonates with the biblical narrative in some way. It never lines up 100% due to the limitations on the fallen mind, the assumptions, and limited data they are working with, but there is some resonance at times. In this case, the early narratives in Genesis include humans being many centuries old. 

And we do agree that predatory animals, and death resulted from the fall. And interestingly would’ve increased exponentially from the time of the flood when the Earth began to be repopulated with animal life, including predators. And according to the biblical narrative, the human lifespan begins to drop very quickly after the flood.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a46029387/human-longevity-bottleneck-dinosaurs/

You Might As Well Burn Your Bible — John Owen

He that would utterly separate the Spirit from the word had as good burn his Bible. The bare letter of the New Testament will no more ingenerate faith and obedience in the souls of men, no more constitute a church-state among them who enjoy it, than the letter of the Old Testament doth so at this day among the Jews, 2 Cor. in. 6, 8. But blessed be God, who hath knit these things together towards his elect, in the bond of an everlasting covenant! Isa. lix. 21. Let men, therefore, cast themselves into what order they please, institute what forms of government and religious worship they think good; let them do it either by an attendance according unto the best of their understandings unto the letter of the Scripture, or else in an exercise of their own wills, wisdom, and invention, if the work of the Spirit of God be disowned or disclaimed by them, if there be not in them and upon them such a work of his as he is promised [for] by our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no church-state amongst them, nor as such is it to be owned or esteemed. And on the ministry and the church do all ordinary communications of grace from God depend.

On the Holy Spirit

Legal vs. Evangelical Humiliation

VI. Gracious affections are attended with evangelical humiliation.

Evangelical humiliation is a sense that a Christian has of his own utter insufficiency, despicableness, and odiousness, with an answerable frame of heart.

There is a distinction to be made between a legal and evangelical humiliation. The former is what men may be the subjects of, while they are yet in a state of nature, and have no gracious affections; the latter is peculiar to true saints. The former is from the common influence of the Spirit of God, assisting natural principles, and especially natural conscience; the latter is from the special influences of the Spirit of God, implanting and exercising supernatural and divine principles: the former is from the mind’s being assisted to a greater sense of the things of religion as to their natural properties and qualities, and particularly of the natural perfections of God, such as His greatness, and terrible majesty, which were manifested to the congregation of Israel in giving the law at mount Sinai; the latter is from a sense of the transcendent beauty of divine things in their moral qualities. In the former, a sense of the awful greatness and natural perfections of God, and of the strictness of His law, convinces men that they are exceeding sinful and guilty and exposed to the wrath of God, as it will convince wicked men and devils at the day of judgment; but they do not see their own odiousness on account of sin; they do not see the hateful nature of sin; a sense of this is given in evangelical humiliation by a discovery of the beauty of God’s holiness and moral perfection. In a legal humiliation, men are made sensible that they are little and nothing before the great and terrible God, and that they are undone, and wholly insuffi cient to help themselves; as wicked men will be at the day of judgment: but they have not an answerable frame of heart, consisting in a disposition to abase themselves, and exalt God alone.

This disposition is given only in evangelical humiliation, by overcoming the heart and changing its inclination, by a discovery of God’s holy beauty. In a legal humiliation, the conscience is convinced, as the consciences of all will be most perfectly at the day of judgment; but because there is no spiritual understand-ing, the will is not bowed nor the inclination altered: this is done only in evangelical humiliation. In legal humiliation, men are brought to despair of helping themselves; in evangelical, they are brought voluntarily to deny and renounce themselves; in the former, they are subdued and forced to the ground; in the latter, they are brought sweetly to yield, and freely and with delight to prostrate themselves at the feet of God.

Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, iii.vi

The Seal of the Spirit

That which is called the witness of the Spirit, Rom. vi., is elsewhere in the New Testament called the seal of the Spirit, 2 Cor. i. 22, Eph. i. 13, and iv. 30, alluding to the seal of princes, annexed to the instrument by which they advanced any of their subjects to some high honour and dignity or peculiar privilege in the kingdom, as a token of their special favour. Which is an evidence that the influence of the Spirit of the Prince of princes, in sealing His favourites, is far from being of a common kind; and that there is no effect of God’s Spirit whatsoever which is in its nature more divine; nothing more holy, peculiar, inimitable, and distinguishing of divinity. Nothing is more royal than the royal seal; nothing more sacred, that belongs to a prince, and more peculiarly denoting what belongs to him; it being the very end and design of it to be the most peculiar stamp and confirmation of the royal authority. It is the great note of distinction, whereby that which proceeds from the king, or belongs to him, may be known from every thing else.

Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, iii.i

The Way of Obtaining Assurance

It is not God’s design that men should obtain assurance in any other way than by mortifying corruption, and increasing in grace, and obtaining the lively exercises of it. And although self-examination be a duty of great use and importance, and by no means to be neglected, it is not the principal means by which the saints do get satisfaction of their good estate. Assurance is not to be obtained so much by self-examination as by action. The Apostle Paul sought assurance chiefly this way, even by “for-getting the things that were behind, and reaching forth unto those things that were before, pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus; if by any means he might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”
And it was by this means chiefly that he obtained assurance: 1 Cor. ix. 26, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly.” He obtained assurance of winning the prize, more by running than by considering. The swiftness of his pace did more towards his assurance of a conquest than the strictness of his examination. Giving all diligence to grow in grace, by adding to faith, virtue, &c., is the direction that the Apostle Peter gives us for ” making our calling and election sure, and having an entrance ministered to us abundantly into Christ’s everlasting kingdom,” signifying to us, that without this, our eyes will be dim, and we shall be as men in the dark, that cannot plainly see things past or to come, either the forgiveness of our sins past, or our heavenly inheritance that is future and far off, 2 Pet. i. 5-11.*

Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, iii.a

Zeal In Religion is No Proof of Grace (or Against it)

When someone truly has the Holy Spirit, he loves to exercise devotion in prayer by attending church, reading, etc. But there is a counterfeit conversion from Satan that he gives in order to bring discredit to the people of God and lead souls astray. This is a type of false religion, and also leads people to have a great zeal in religious things. So that seeing someone spending a lot of time in church, in prayer, and another religious duties is *not* proof for *or* against a genuine work of the Spirit of God. However, if someone is not interested in services and devotions to the Lord, that indicates a lack of influence of the Holy Spirit.

Edwards, The Religious Affections pp 91-93:

It is no certain sign that the religious affections which persons have are such as have in them the nature of true religion, or that they have not, that they dispose persons to stere much time in religion, and to be zealously engaged in the external duties of worship.

This has, very unreasonably, of late been looked upon as an argument against the religious affections which some have had, that they spend so much time in reading, praying, singing, hear. ing sermons, and the like. It is plain from the Scripture that it the tendency of true grace to cause persons to delight in such religious exercises. True grace had this effect on Anna the pro. phetess: Luke ii. 37,

” She departed not from the temple, but

served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” And grace had this effect upon the primitive Christians in Jerusalem: Acts ii. 46. 47,

« And the continuing daily with one accord in the

temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God.” Grace made Daniel delight in the duty of prayer, and solemnly to attend it three times a day, as it also did David: Psal. Iv. 17,

“Evening, morning, and at noon will I pray.” Grace makes the saints delight in singing praises to God: Psal. cxxxv. 3,

“Sing

praises unto his name, for it is pleasant.” And exlvii. 1, ” Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.” It also causes them to delight to hear the word of God preached: it makes the gospel a joyful sound to them, Psal. Ixxxix. 15, and makes the feet of those who publish these good tidings to be beautiful: Isa. li. 7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth ровите ” рос і во то посе ста сво. сол в ува

and the ingrave l destredof the Lord al tre day cod a 0, One dial in the house Lot, and to inqude. try is.

I masa dine beauty of die Kord. bid aro inguino in is tag.

Perloser My soul longeth, yea, vound are tho for the course. ot pord- Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the sna the Lores for herself, where she may lay her young. even think low a, O Lord of hosts, my King and my Grads Blessed are ting alar divel in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Blessey thale man in whose heart are the ways of them, who passing Through the valley of Baca- go from strength to strength, every throufthem in Zion appeareth before God.* Vor. 10, A day my thy courts is better than a thousand.”

This is the nature of true grace. But yet, on the other hand, that persons are disposed to abound and to be zealously engaged in the external exercises of religion, and to spend much time in them, is no sure evidence of grace; because such a disposition is found in many that have no grace. So it was with the Israelites of old, whose services were abominable to God; they attended the “new moons, and Sabbaths, and calling of assemblies, and spread forth their hands, and made many prayers,” Isa. i. 12-15.

So it was with the Pharisees; they ” made long prayers, and fasted (wice a weck.” False religion may cause persons to be loud and earnest in prayer: Isa. Ivili. 4,

“Ye shall not fast as ye do this

day, to cause your voice to be heard on high.” That religion which is not spiritual and saving may cause men to delight in regious duties and ordinances: Isa. Ivili. 2, ” Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righte ousnes, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask in re he ordinances of justice; they take delight in approach ing a God” It may cause them to take delight in hearing the word of God preached, as it was with Ezekiels hearers: Ezek. mith ay, at And they come unto thee as the people comei. but hiy win before thee as my people, and they hear thy word, love surilmordothem: for ith their a obey they show much are thur heir heatt goeth after their coveroushes. And la, thou at uno them as a very lovely song of etousnes hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.” So it was with Herod; he heard John the Baptist gladly, Mark vi, 20. So it was with others of his hearers; “for a season they rejoiced in his light,” John v. 35.

So the stony ground hearers heard the word with joy.

Experience shows that persons from false religion may be inclined to be exceeding abundant in the external exercises of re-ligion; yea, to give themselves up to them, and devote almost their whole time to them. Formerly a sort of people were very numerous in the Romish church, called recluses, who forsook the world, and utterly abandoned the society of mankind, and shut themselves up close in a narrow cell, with a vow never to stir out of it, nor to see the face of any of mankind any more (unless that they might be visited in case of sickness), to spend all their days in the exercise of devotion and converse with God. There were also in old time great multitudes called Hermits and An-chorites, that left the world to spend all their days in lonesome deserts, to give themselves up to religious contemplations and exercises of devotion; some sorts of them having no dwellings but the caves and vaults of the mountains, and no food but the spontaneous productions of the earth. I once lived for many months next door to a Jew (the houses adjoining one to another), and had much opportunity daily to observe him; who appeared to me the devoutest person that ever I saw in my life; a great part of his time being spent in acts of devotion, at his eastern window, which opened next to mine, seeming to be most earnestly engaged, not only in the daytime, but sometimes whole nights.

True Religion Consists of both Heat and Light

For although to true religion there must indeed be something else besides affection, yet true religion consists so much in the affections that there can be no true religion without them.
He who has no religious affection is in a state of spiritual death, and is wholly destitute of the powerful, quickening, saving influences of the Spirit of God upon his heart. As there is no true religion where there is nothing else but affection, so there is no true religion where there is no religious affection. As, on the one hand, there must be light in the understanding as well as an affected fervent heart; where there is heat without light, there can be nothing divine or heavenly in that heart; so, on the other hand, where there is a kind of light without heat, a head stored with notions and speculations, with a cold and unaffected heart, there can be nothing divine in that light; that knowledge is no true spiritual knowledge of divine things. If the great things of religion are rightly understood, they will affect the heart. The reason why men are not affected by such infinitely great, important, glorious, and wonderful things, as they often hear and read of in the Word of God, is undoubtedly because they are blind; if they were not so, it would be impossible, and utterly inconsistent with human nature, that their hearts should be otherwise than strongly impressed, and greatly moved by such things.

Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, chap 1 pp 49-50

True revival is always accompanied by the counterfeit

It is no new thing, that much false religion should prevail, at a time of great reviving of true religion; and that at such a time multitudes of hypocrites of spring up among true Saints. It was so in the great reformation, and revival of religion, that was in Josiah’s time… so it was in the great outpouring of the Spirit that was in the apostles’ days… and so it was in the great reformation from Popery. It is by the mixture of counterfeit religion with true, not discerned and distinguished, that the devil has had his greatest advantage against the cause and Kingdom of Christ all along hitherto.

Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections, preface