Posted on 05/15/2006 11:45:57 AM PDT by Gamecock
My Master God,
I am desired to preach today,
but go weak and needy to my task;
Yet I long that people might be edified
with divine truth,
that an honest testimony might be borne
for thee;
Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
with heart uplifted for grace and unction.
Present to my view things pertinent to
my subject,
with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
proper expressions, fluency, fervency,
a feeling sense of the things I preach,
and grace to apply them to men's consciences.
Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,
and let me not gloat in pride over
my performance.
Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,
and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting
thy mercy.
Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,
and to set before them comforting considerations.
Attend with power the truth preached,
and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.
May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted,
comforted,
and help me to use the strongest arguments
drawn from Christ's incarnation and sufferings,
that men might be made holy.
I myself need thy support, comfort, strength,
holiness,
that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,
and be able to do something for thee;
Give me then refreshment among thy people,
and help me not to treat excellent matter
in a defective way,
or bear a broken testimony to so worthy
a Redeemer,
or be harsh in treating of Christ's death,
its design and end,
from lack of warmth and fervency.
And keep me in tune with thee
as I do this work.
I plan to post one each day and hope that each of you will benefit from a brief glimpse into the mind of the Puritans. If you would like on or off of this ping list please let me know.
Per The Guidelines of the New Religion Moderator:
So please, no flaming, cussin' or wagering.
For Luther, the sola of "Sola Scriptura" was inseparably related to the Scriptures' unique inerrancy. It was because popes could and did err and because councils could and did err that Luther came to realize the supremacy of Scripture. Luther did not despise church authority, nor did he repudiate church councils as having no value. His praise of the Council of Nicaea is noteworthy. Luther and the Reformers did not mean by "Sola Scriptura" that the Bible is the only authority in the church; rather, they meant that the Bible is the only infallible authority in the church.
Robert Charles "RC" Sproul
ROFL - Great Sproul pic!!!
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