One of my favorite things to edit at Reformation Heritage Books is the Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series. The series is directed toward the lay reader (as opposed to academic readers), and each title introduces readers to the life and writings of a prominent person in the Reformed/Puritan tradition. An editor/compiler writes a brief biography at the beginning of the book, and the second part of the book is brief excerpts from that person's significant writings, with somewhat updated language that is easy to read and understand.
I enjoy editing these titles because I like the challenge of working with the book's editor to update the language to more contemporary language and punctuation (it's interesting to see how much more readable these old writings become when seventeenth-century punctuation is replaced with twenty-first century punctuation). And because these are introductory books, they also feature photography and art that illustrates the person and his times--a lot of fun to research and compile.
The book pictured here is the second one that I edited on John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress. My first Profiles book was on Samuel Rutherford, and the challenges included trying to "translate" Scottish from the 1600s into language that is understandable to readers today. I actually ended up corresponding with the director of a Scottish language dictionary on that one.
Right now I'm working on a Profiles book about John Flavel, an English Presbyterian minister and writer who lived from 1627-1691. Those who were Nonconformists during that era suffered greatly for their faith, and Flavel experienced much persecution, preaching the gospel and tending to his congregants at great personal risk. In the excerpt below, he writes from experience about how to cope with those who would abuse us. I particularly like his insight that if a person takes revenge against someone who has hurt him, he destroys one enemy. But those who forgive conquer three: their own lusts, the devil, and their enemy's
heart--as he puts it, "a much more glorious conquest." The Flavel Profiles book, edited and compiled by Adam Embry and titled An Honest, Well-Experienced Heart, will release later this spring.
Abuse from Others*
The seventh
season calling for more than common diligence to keep the heart is when we
receive injuries and abuses from men; such is the depravity and corruption of
man in his collapsed state. . . . Now when we are thus abused and wronged, it
is hard to keep the heart from revengeful motions to make it meek and quiet, to
commit the cause to Him who judges righteously, to exercise no other affection
but pity toward those who abuse us. Surely the spirit that is in us lusts to
revenge, but it must not be so. You have choice helps in the gospel to keep
down your hearts from such sinful motions against your enemies and to sweeten
your embittered spirits. The seventh case therefore shall be this: how a
Christian may keep his heart from revengeful motions under the greatest
injuries and abuses from men.
The
gospel allows us a liberty to vindicate our innocence and assert our rights,
but not to vent our corruptions and invade God’s right. When therefore you find
your heart begin to be inflamed by revengeful motions, presently apply the
following remedies, and the first is this.
Urge
upon your heart the severe prohibitions of revenge by the law of God. Remember
that this is forbidden fruit, however pleasing and luscious it is to our
vitiated appetites. “O,” but God says, “the effects thereof shall be bitter.”
How plainly has God interdicted this flesh-pleasing sin (Prov. 20:22; 24:29;
25:21; Rom. 12:17–19)?
Well,
then, awe your hearts with the authority of God in these Scriptures, and when
carnal reason says, “My enemy deserves to be hated,” let conscience reply, “But
does God deserve to be disobeyed?”
Set
before your eyes the most eminent patterns of meekness and forgiveness, that
your souls may fall in love with it. . . . Never did any suffer more and
greater abuses from men than Christ did, and never did any carry it more
peaceably and forgivingly (Isa. 53:7). This pattern the apostle sets before you
for your imitation (1 Peter 2:21–23). To be of a meek, forgiving spirit is
Christ-like, God-like (Matt. 5:45). How eminently also did this Spirit of Christ
rest upon His apostles. Never were there such men upon earth for true
excellency of spirit. None were ever abused more or suffered their abuses
better (1 Cor. 4:12–13). . . .
Keep
down your heart by this consideration, that by revenge you can only satisfy a
lust, but by forgiveness you shall conquer a lust. Suppose by revenge you
should destroy one enemy, I will show you how by forgiving you shall conquer
three: your own lusts, the devil’s temptation, and your enemy’s heart—and is
not this a more glorious conquest?
Seriously
propound this question to your own heart. Have I gotten any good from the wrong
and injuries received, or have I not? What, can you not find a heart to forgive
one that has been instrumental of so much good to you? That’s strange! When
though they meant it for evil, yet if God have turned it to good (Gen. 50:20),
you have no more reason to rage against the instrument. . . .
It
is of excellent use to keep the heart from revenge, to look up and eye the First
Cause by which all our troubles are ordered. . . . But though it does not fall under
His approving, yet it does under His permitting will, and there is a great
argument for quiet submission in that. He has not only the permitting but also
the ordering of all those troubles. If we were to see more of a holy God, we would
show less of a corrupt nature in such trials.
Consider
how you daily wrong God, and you will not be so easily inflamed with revenge
against others who have wronged you. . . . It is impossible we can be cruel to
others, except we forget how kind Christ has been to us. Those that have found
mercy should show mercy. If kindness cannot work, I think fear should (Matt.
6:15).
Lastly,
let the consideration of the day of the Lord, which draws nigh, withhold your
hearts from anticipating it by acts of revenge (James 5:7–9). This text affords
three arguments against revenge: the Lord’s near approach; the example of the
husbandman’s[1] patience;
the danger we draw upon ourselves by anticipating God’s judgment. “Vengeance is
Mine,” says the Lord. He will distribute justice more equally and impartially
than you can. They that believe they have a God to right them will not so much
wrong themselves as to avenge their own wrongs.
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