The Heart of Stonewall

Stonewall Jackson

I have been called to pass through the deep waters of affliction, but all has been satisfied...the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord. It is his will that my Dearest wife and child should not longer abide with me, and as it is His holy will I am perfectly reconciled to the sad bereavement, though I deeply mourn my loss. My dearest Ellie breathed her last on Sunday evening, the same day on which the child was born dead. Oh! the consolation of religion! I can willingly submit to anything if God strengthens me. Oh! my Sister would that you could have Him for your God. (From a letter from Stonewall Jackson to his sister on the occasion of the death of his wife and child. Quoted in All Things for Good by Steve Wilkins.)

Though he suffered and labored under this hard affliction of losing both his wife and stillborn son, Jackson never lost his faith. Indeed, it appears over time it may have bolstered it. How will we endure should such a tragedy infect our lives today?

Augustine on Assurance

I have no hope at all but in thy great mercy. Grant what thou commandest and command what thou wilt. Thou dost enjoin on us continence...Truly by continence are we bound together and brought back into that unity from which we were dissipated into a plurality. For he loves thee too little who loves anything together with thee, which he loves not for thy sake. O Love that ever burnest and art never quenched! O Charity, my God, enkindle me! Thou commandest continence. Grant what thou commandest and command what thou wilt. (From Confessions by St. Augustine.)

Psalm 122

Are we all looking forward to worshiping our Lord and King tomorrow? Let us seek Him while we can and praise Him with all that is in us.

Psalm 122

1I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!" 2Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, 4to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD,as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. 5There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! "May they be secure who love you! 7Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!" 8For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, "Peace be within you!" 9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good. - ESV

Brooks on the Means of Grace

Take heed of resting upon closet duties, take heed of trusting in closet duties. Noah’s dove made use of her wings, but she did not trust in her wings, but in the ark. . . . There are many that go a round of duties. . . . and rest upon them when they have done, using the means as mediators, and so fall short of Christ and heaven at once. Closet duties rested in will as eternally undo a man as the greatest and foulest enormities; open wickedness slays her thousands, but a secret resting upon duties slays her ten thousands... Open profaneness is the broad dirty road that leads to hell, but closet duties rested in is a sure way though cleaner way, to hell. - Thomas Brooks

On Holiness

I do not mean by holiness the mere performance of outward duties of religion, coldly acted over, as a task; not our habitual prayings, hearings, fastings, multiplied one upon another (though these be all good, as subservient to a higher end); but I mean an inward soul and principle of divine life (Romans 8:1-5), that spiriteth all these. - Ralph Cudworth

Guidance

The manner of God’s revealing His will to men is (also) very different. Some have had special, personal, and peculiar discoveries of it made to them. So had Samuel about the choice of the person whom he should anoint king. . . . But now, all are tied up to the ordinary standing rule of the written Word, and must not expect any such extraordinary revelations from God. The way we now have to know the will of God concerning us in difficult cases, is to search and study the Scriptures, and where we find no particular rule to guide us in this or that particular case, there we are to apply general rules. - John Flavel

Beware of giving up too soon

I know I've posted a plethora of "Piper posts" lately but this man never ceases to teach and encourage me. These posts have helped me as much as others and so I share another.

Before you give up, remember you are not alone. In Piper's latest post he relates a time when he was quite down. He graciously shares an entry from his journal some years ago which concludes:

O Lord, have mercy on me. I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand, even when I know that most of my people are for me. I am so blind to the future of the church. O Father, am I blind because it is not my future? Perhaps I shall not even live out the year, and you are sparing the church the added burden of a future I had made and could not complete? I do not doubt for a moment your goodness of power or omnipotence in my life or in the life of the church. I confess that the problem is mine. The weakness is in me. The blindness is in my eyes. The sin—O reveal to me my hidden faults!—is mine and mine the blame. Have mercy, Father. Have mercy on me. I must preach on Sunday, and I can scarcely lift my head.

Read the entire blog post here.

Press on in the Lord my friends, press on.

Psalm 13

Psalm 13 is a great Psalm of meditation for the downhearted.

Psalm 13
How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

Trusting in the Midst of Enemies

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

The moment you belong to the flock of God, you will have enemies. If you are a Christian, the devil is your enemy. The world itself can be your enemy; its godlessness, secularism, self-interest and pleasure-seeking lifestyle are all enemies of the flock of Jesus Christ. Our own sinful natures are our greatest enemy. ...God so overrules the events of our lives that the table of his providence has good things for us to enjoy. They may not always be easy or pleasant things, but they are good. (Taken from In the care of the Good Shepherd by Iain Campbell, Day One Publications, page 85.)

Confidence

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Being Christians means that we can have confidence even for the things we have not experienced but that nonetheless cause us anxiety and dread. If God is our Shepherd in Christ, we too can say, 'I will fear no evil.' (From In the care of the Good Shepherd by Iain Campbell, Day One publications, page 68.)

Surprised by Suffering

I'm looking forward to receiving my copy of Surprised by Suffering. Sproul never ceases to teach and encourage and I believe this will be no different. From the Ligonier webpage:

Dr. Sproul offers solid biblical counsel and comfort for those undergoing suffering and for those who minister to the suffering, counsel that helps believers stand in times of trial with faith in a God who is both loving and good.

You can order your copy here.

Excellent Advice

I will conclude with that excellent saying of Bernard: “Lord, I will never come away from Thee without Thee.” Let this be a Christian’s resolution, not to leave off his meditations of God till he find something of God in him. -Thomas Watson

Consider this...

Consider the following quote from Joseph Hall the next time you are enduring a trial, physical pain or some type of affliction:

Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness; for, therefore God imposeth no more on me, because He sees I can bear no more. -Joseph Hall

May we all bear up under the trials God puts before us so that we may endure more for His glory and our good.