Evangelist leads Christian back to the right path

Be Killing Sin or It Will Be Killing You: Puritan Quotes on Mortification

by Jessica, posted in Christian Living

I love the Puritans, lists (of all kinds), and pithy quotations.  So it was only natural to combine these three favorite things together from my reading.

This list is a great encouragement to mortify sin daily, yet at the same time reminds me of how I’ve fallen woefully short of God’s standard in my daily battle against sin.  But thanks be to God for His mercy and Christ’s imputed righteousness, that I (who is inherently unrighteous) may approach His throne of grace by faith and be declared positionally “righteous” on the basis of Christ’s perfect merits.

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Jonathan Edwards’ 70 Resolutions: Timeless Guidance for a Godly Life

by Jessica, posted in Christian Living

resolveAs the new year approaches, I’ve been hearing the phrase “New Year Resolutions” uttered in recent days.   The best list of Resolutions I’ve ever read was written almost 300 years ago by the great preacher, author, and theologian Jonathan Edwards when he was about 20 years old.  His 70 Resolutions guided the rest of his life.  While Edwards’ resolutions are specific, the best new year devotion written in more general terms that I’ve read is Matthew Henry’s New Year reflections, written on January 1, 1713, where he solemnly devoted his ‘time, strength, and service’ to the honor of Christ.  There is a timeless wisdom in these old principles that our modern “resolutions” often lack.

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Rooted in First Love: The Story of Christopher and Mary Love

by Jessica, posted in Biographical, Christian Womanhood, Portraits of Piety

Throughout history, countless godly women have shone as beacons of inspiration.  One who particularly stands out in my reading—both for her Christian intelligence and piety—is Mary Love, the wife of the 17th-century Puritan preacher Christopher Love.

Christopher Love’s life ended at the age of 33 when he was executed by beheading in 1651, accused of conspiring against Oliver Cromwell, then Lord Protector of England.  At the time of his death, Mary was eight months pregnant with their fifth child—their third surviving child.

On the day of his execution, Christopher Love used the scaffold as his final pulpit, delivering his last sermon and praying for his accusers.  Among his last words were these:

“There are but two steps between me and glory.  It is but lying down upon the block that I shall ascend upon a throne. … I am changing a pulpit for a scaffold and a scaffold for a throne. … I am changing a guard of soldiers for a guard of angels which will receive and carry me into Abraham’s bosom.”

Mary’s Farewell Letter

In the weeks leading up to his execution, Mary’s steadfast faith in God shone through, especially in a farewell letter she wrote to her husband while he was in prison on July 14, 1651.  It is a stunning display of selflessness.  Her letter tugs at my heartstrings:

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Jonathan Edwards on the Depth of Sin and the Height of God’s Grace

by Jessica, posted in Biographical

This evening, I came across Jonathan Edwards’ account of his early years and testimony of his faith in Christ.   He reminds me of the infinite riches and beauty of God’s grace and mercy with such eloquence, that I wanted to take notes for future reminder:

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