The knowledge of Christ is profound and large. All other sciences are but shadows; this is a boundless, bottomless ocean. Though something of Christ be unfolded in one age, and something in another, yet eternity itself cannot full unfold him. - John Flavel on the Puritan Hard Drive at http://www.PuritanDownloads.com/swrb-puritan-hard-drive.html
O when you go to God in any duty, take your heart aside, and say, "O my soul, I am now addressing myself to the greatest work that ever a creature was employed about -- I am going into the solemn presence of God about business of everlasting importance! - John Flavel (on the Puritan Hard Drive, http://www.PuritanDownloads.com/swrb-puritan-hard-drive.html)
Wrath to come implies both the futurity and perpetuity of this wrath.... Yea, it is not only certainly future, but when it comes it will be abiding wrath, or wrath still coming. When millions of years and ages are past and gone, this will still be wrath to come. Ever coming as a river ever flowing. - John Flavel on the Puritan Hard Drive at http://www.PuritanDownloads.com/swrb-puritan-hard-drive.html
"The Regulative Principle of Worship declares that God alone is sovereign in worship. The Regulative Principle of Worship simply applies the principles of Calvinism (i.e. God's sovereign Lordship) to worship, whereas the view that what God doesn't forbid in worship is permitted is applying the principles of Arminianism (i.e. man's sovereign lordship) to worship. Just as fallen man naturally seeks to impose his will in salvation (e.g. "I can cooperate with God in salvation", or "I have a natural freedom to choose Christ"), so fallen man naturally seeks to impose his will in worship ("I can cooperate with God in worship by adding what I desire so long as God doesn't specifically forbid it"). But just as God condemns a man-centered salvation, so God condemns a man-centered worship (Col. 2:23 specifically condemns all will-worship, i.e. all worship instituted by man)." - Greg Price, Foundation for Reformation: The Regulative Principle of Worship, p. 10, free at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualnls/REFORMATION-RPW-GP.htm or on the Puritan Hard Drive at http://www.PuritanDownloads.com/swrb-puritan-hard-drive.html
"All things considered, certainly it is no small condemnation of us to behold what an ardent zeal the holy martyrs had in the past, especially in comparison with the nonchalance we demonstrate. For as soon as a poor man of that time got so much as a little taste of the true knowledge of God, he did not hesitate to expose himself to the danger involved in confessing his faith. He would have preferred to be burned alive than to go so far as to commit some outward act of idolatry." - John Calvin (on the Puritan Hard Drive, http://www.PuritanDownloads.com/swrb-puritan-hard-drive.html).
"By all which, you see where the idolatry of worship lies. The instituting of any, though the smallest part of worship, in and by our own authority, without scripture-warrant, makes it idolatrous, as well as if we worshipped an idol" (Ex: 20:5). - John Flavel, The Works of John Flavel, Vol, 4. p. 527 (on the Puritan Hard Drive, http://www.PuritanDownloads.com/swrb-puritan-hard-drive.html).
JOHN KNOX, ON THE REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE OF WORSHIP, WRITES: "The matter is not of so small importance, as some suppose. The question is, whether God or man ought to be obeyed in matters of religion? In mouth, all do confess that only God is worthy of sovereignty. But after many - by the instigation of the devil, and by the presumptuous arrogance of carnal wisdom and worldly policy - have defaced God's holy ordinance, men fear not to follow what laws and common consent (mother of all mischief) have established and commanded. But thus continually I can do nothing but hold, and affirm all things polluted, yea, execrable and accursed, which God by his Word has not sanctified in his religion. God grant you his Holy Spirit rightly to judge." - John Knox, Works VI:14 cited in John Knox, True and False Worship, which is FREE at http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/tfwintro.htm