Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Paradise Lost

I just finished Paradise Lost. It is well worth the read to a mature christian, the theology but being great but the imagery being wonderful. you can read the whole book by clicking the link above or download it from Librivox as an audio book. In particular I was impressed by the last 2 books which displayed a understand of the whole story of scripture I find most modern Christians unable to give. Here is an excerpt.

"To whom thus Michael. Doubt not but that sin
Will reign among them, as of thee begot;
And therefore was Law given them to evince
Thir natural pravitie, by stirring up
Sin against Law to fight; that when they see
Law can discover sin, but not remove,
Save by those shadowie expiations weak,
The bloud of Bulls and Goats, they may conclude
Some bloud more precious must be paid for Man,
Just for unjust, that in such righteousness
To them by Faith imputed, they may finde
Justification towards God, and peace
Of Conscience, which the Law by Ceremonies
Cannot appease, nor Man the moral part
Perform, and not performing cannot live.
So Law appears imperfet, and but giv'n
With purpose to resign them in full time
Up to a better Cov'nant, disciplin'd
From shadowie Types to Truth, from Flesh to Spirit,
From imposition of strict Laws, to free
Acceptance of large Grace, from servil fear
To filial, works of Law to works of Faith."

1 comments:

Lisa said...

"Joy in Christ is not the opposite of suffering. The fight for faith or the fight for the joy of faith is not a fight for the prosperity gospel. It is not a fight for health, wealth and prosperity. What I would in fact argue is that it’s a fight for that alone which can enable you to suffer. It’s a fight for a relationship with Jesus that enables you to say “I count everything as loss bcause of the surpassing worth fo knowing Christ Jesus my lord.” That’s what I want more than anything. I want to be so related to Jesus that if my wife dies and I get a phone call tonight and my little girls dies…. if that happened and my wife and child were gone I would say "Christ is all." And He will be there. And I will not ever abandon Him. I will not ever fault Him for anything. I will always embrace Him. I will always fly to Him. That’s the way I want to relate to Jesus. That’s saving faith." -John Piper