Quarles: Eternal God! O thou that only art

Saturday, October 22, 2011
Meditation:
    I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me.
    —Song of Solomon 7:10 (NIV)
Quotation:
Eternal God! O thou that only art
    The sacred fountain of eternal light,
And blessed loadstone of my better part,
    O thou, my heart’s desire, my soul’s delight!
Reflect upon my soul, and touch my heart,
    And then my heart shall prize no good above thee;
And then my soul shall know thee; knowing, love thee;
    And then my trembling thoughts shall never start
    From thy commands, or swerve the least degree,
Or once presume to move, but as they move in thee.
    ... Francis Quarles (1592-1644), Quarles’ Emblems, London: James Nisbet and Co., 1861, p. 272 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, You outshine all treasures. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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M'Cheyne: the offence of the Cross

Friday, October 21, 2011
Meditation:
    Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
    —Galatians 5:11 (NIV)
Quotation:
    A natural heart is offended every day at the preaching of the Cross... The preaching of another’s righteousness—that you must have it or perish—many, I have no doubt, are often enraged at this in their hearts. Many, I doubt not, have left this church on account of it, and many more, I doubt not, will follow. All the offence of the Cross is not ceased. But a broken heart cannot be offended. Ministers cannot speak too plainly for a broken heart. A broken heart would sit for ever to hear of the righteousness without works.
    ... Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813-1843), Memoir and Remains of the Rev. Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Dundee: W. Middleton, 1845, p. 395 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, Your gospel is for the lost. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Ryle: clothed with humility

Thursday, October 20, 2011
Meditation:
    A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
    —1 Corinthians 11:28-29 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Right reception of the Lord’s Supper has a humbling effect on the soul. The sight of the emblems of Christ’s body and blood, reminds us how sinful sin must be, if nothing less than the death of God’s own Son could make satisfaction for it, or redeem us from its guilt. Never, surely, ought we to be so “clothed with humility,” as when we kneel at the Communion rail.
    ... J. C. Ryle (1816-1900), Principles for Churchmen, London: William Hunt, 1884, p. 269 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, send away my pride and haughtiness by Your body and blood. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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de Sales: where our troubles come from

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
    Feast of Henry Martyn, Translator of the Scriptures, Missionary in India & Persia, 1812
Meditation:
It was good for me to be afflicted
    so that I might learn your decrees.
The law from your mouth is more precious to me
    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
    —Psalm 119:71-72 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Look well whence the trial comes, for we are often ourselves the cause of our own dryness and barrenness. A mother refuses sugar to her sickly child, and so God deprives us of consolations when they do but feed self-complacency or presumption.
    ... François de Sales (1567-1622), Introduction to the Devout Life [1609], London: Rivingtons, 1876, p. 333 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, help me to persevere in the trials ahead. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Wilberforce: his calling

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
    Feast of Luke the Evangelist
Meditation:
    [The LORD:] “You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.”
    —Amos 5:11 (NIV)
Quotation:
    God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners [i.e. morals].
    ... William Wilberforce (1759-1833), diary entry for Sunday, October 28, 1787, William Wilberforce: Greatest Works, Bridge Logos Foundation, 2007, p. 10 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, Your are establising righteousness in the world. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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Tillotson: no conscience about divisions

Monday, October 17, 2011
    Feast of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c.107
Meditation:
    What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
    —1 Corinthians 1:12-13 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Many men’s scruples lie almost wholly about obedience to authority and compliance with indifferent customs, but very seldom about the dangers of disobedience and unpeaceableness, and rending in pieces the Church of Christ, by needless separations and endless divisions.
    ... John Tillotson (1630-1694), Works of Dr. John Tillotson, v. VIII, London: J. F. Dove, for R. Priestley, 1820, Sermon CLXXXVIII, p. 247 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, may I never be the cause of division in Your Body. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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St. Ambrose: impossible for God?

Sunday, October 16, 2011
Meditation:
    Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.
    —Hebrews 6:17-18 (NIV)
Quotation:
    What then is impossible to Him? Not that which is difficult to His Power, but what is contrary to His Nature. It is impossible, it is said, for Him to lie. This impossibility comes not of infirmity, but of Power and Majesty, for truth admits not of falsehood, nor God’s Power of the weakness of error.
    ... St. Ambrose of Milan (Aurelius Ambrosius) (339-397), The Letters of S. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Oxford, J. Parker, 1881, p. 319 (see the book)
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, I rely on Your truth. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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