Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
The Banner of
Truth is a publishing ministry that reproduces various Reformed and Puritan
works from the past and present. One of their most popular series is called “Puritan
Paperbacks.” This series is a great entry way to reading the classic Puritan authors
of the past.
One of the
works in that series is titled Sermons of the Great Ejection. In
1662 many of the finest preachers in Britain were turned out of their pulpits
after the monarchy was restored. This book is a collection of some of the final or
farewell sermons preached by these men as their pulpits were denied them. Some were expelled never to preach publicly again.
Here are a few quotes I jotted down as
I read this work more than a decade ago:
“There is no way in the world to hold on together like suffering, for the gospel really gets more advantage by the holy, humble sufferings of one gracious saint, simply for the word of righteousness, than by ten thousand arguments used against heretics and false worship” (John Collins, p. 78).
“Do not turn your backs on Christ; the worst of Christ is better
than the best of the world” (Thomas Brooks, p. 48).
“Should there be a thousand devils, yet all those devils are in
one chain, and the end of that chain is in the hand of one God” (Thomas Lye, p.
116).
“The man that is most busy in censuring others is always least
employed in examining himself” (Thomas Lye, p. 117).
“The rod of God upon a saint is only God’s pencil, by which he
draws his image in more lively fashion on the soul. God never
strikes the strings of his viol but to make the music sweeter. Thus
it is well with the righteous” (Thomas Watson, p. 144).
“Be as much afraid of a painted holiness as you would be afraid
of going to a painted heaven” (Thomas Watson, p. 168).
“Christ’s doves should flock together…. Conference
sometimes may do as much good as preaching” (Thomas Watson, p. 169).
“Keep yourselves from idols and take heed of superstition; that
is the gentleman-usher to popery” (Thomas Watson, p. 173).
May we learn from these saints when
we meet hardship in our day.
Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle
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