by John Calvin
For this cause, I also, having heard of the faith which you have in Jesus Christ, and of the love which you have towards all the Saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, should give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, to have knowledge of Him.
The story of Josiah is a compelling narrative of revival and reform found in the Bible, primarily in 2 Kings 22–23 and 2 Chronicles 34–35. Josiah became king of Judah at the young age of eight after his father, Amon, was assassinated. The spiritual climate of Judah during Josiah's ascension to the throne was characterized by widespread idolatry and ungodliness, largely due to the influences of his father and grandfather, Manasseh, who had introduced and encouraged pagan worship practices.
“If we have any humanity in us, seeing men going to perdition, …ought we not be moved by pity, to rescue the poor souls from hell, and teach them the way of salvation? (from sermon 196 on Deut. 33:18-19; taken from Ref 21 article)
…nothing could be more inconsistent with the nature of faith than that deadness which would lead a man to disregard his brethren, and to keep the light of knowledge choked up within his own breast. (from commentary on Is. 2:3; taken from Ref 21 article)
by Jeremiah Burroughs
The First Direction
Firstly, in order to be disengaged from earthly things, be watchful over your thoughts. Do not allow your mind to wander too far into worldly matters. Spend as much time as you can in meditation on spiritual things. Many people think it is okay to let their thoughts roam free, as the things they think about are not necessarily sinful. However, thoughts can easily lead to a wandering heart, so it is important to keep a close eye on your thoughts and make sure they align with what is written in Scripture.
by William Gouge
Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.- Ephesians 6:10
But alas, what are we, mere flesh and blood? What strength can we have within us to fight against such enemies as will attack us?
To alleviate this concern, the Apostle adds this clause, "in the Lord," etc., by which he demonstrates how we come to be strong, not by any strength within ourselves, but by seeking strength in the Lord, committing ourselves wholly and solely to Him and His power.
"Therefore, forasmuch as no man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men; neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief" - John Calvin, Commentary of the Acts of the apostles 2:21
by John Calvin
"Open mine eyes, that I may see the wondrous things of thy law." - Psalm 119:18
In Thomas Boston's work "The Necessity of Repentance", he clearly articulates that faith precedes repentance in the order of nature. Although the grace of faith and repentance are bestowed simultaneously in time, faith is described as the "spring and source of repentance." This implies that in the spiritual regeneration of an individual, the act of believing in Christ inherently comes before the act of repentance.
Perhaps the biggest weapon the Arminian attempt to use in their arsenal against Calvinists is John 3:16, especially the word "whosoever" when matched up with the word "world". But when we take a little closer look at the passage we discover they must read into it some assumptions that simply are not there. Let's take a look.
The word "whosoever" in John 3:16 translates from the Greek phrase "πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων" (pas ho pisteuōn). Let's break this down:
