Great Books

Phrase Gleanings from “Valley of Vision”

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Another in the category of “Great Books” is a compendium of Puritan prayers gathered and organized by Arthur Bennett titled The Valley of Vision:

The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

Arthur Bennett [first published in 1975 from prayers and devotions published by various Puritan authors dating back to the 16th and 17 Centuries]

[The Valley of Vision Book] Endorsements

‘When used slowly, for meditation and prayer, these pages have often been used by God’s Spirit to kindle my dry heart.’ — MARK DEVER

‘The prayers in The Valley of Vision are steeped in Scripture, yet never succumb to mere formula. They are theologically fresh and vibrant, yet they are rooted in confessionalism. They range over a huge sweep of Christian experience and devotion, but they are never merely esoteric or cute. They brim with deep emotion and transparent passion, but they carefully avoid mere sentimentalism. This is a book that teaches readers to pray by example.’ — D. A. CARSON

‘The Valley of Vision is a wonderful collection of Puritan prayers which both help to shape and inform our own private devotions and, perhaps more importantly, aid pastors as they seek to lead their congregations in prayer and into the presence of God.’ — CARL TRUEMAN

‘I cannot commend enough The Valley of Vision, which is a compilation of over two-hundred pages of Puritan prayers (each of which are one page in length). I pray through one of these prayers every day. Sometimes the prayers are so meaningful and relevant that I will pray through the same prayer for days. This is a wonderful aid to supplement one’s own prayers. Indeed, these prayers will also teach one how to pray, and, at the same time, they teach theological truth. I cannot think of any Christian who would not benefit from these prayers.’ — GREG BEALE

‘It’s amazing how frequently the prayers from the little book The Valley of Vision show up in our worship services. The Valley of Vision is a collection of Puritan prayers, and I would put them in that category. That is, they are thoughtful, reflective, and meditative. They’re even written in a certain kind of cadence, if you’ve ever noticed, which is probably very intentional, so that they might be used in corporate settings. But they came out of a deep heart of communion with God.’ — JOHN PIPER

[Valley of Vision] Book Description

The strength of Puritan character and life lay in prayer and meditation. In this practice the spirit of prayer was regarded as of first importance and the best form of prayer, for living prayer is the characteristic of genuine spirituality. Yet prayer is also vocal and may therefore on occasions be written. Consequently in the Puritan tradition there are many written prayers and meditations which constitute an important corpus of inspiring devotional literature. Too often ex tempore prayer lacks variety, order and definiteness. The reason for this lies partly in a neglect of due preparation. It is here that the care and scriptural thoroughness which others found necessary in their approach to God may be of help. This book has been prepared not to ‘supply’ prayers but to prompt and encourage the Christian as he treads the path on which others have gone before. The author was a Canon of St. Albans Cathedral, sometime Rector of Little Munden and Sacombe, Hertfordshire, and was for seventeen years a tutor in Biblical Theology and Christian Doctrine at All Nations Christian College. He died in October 1994 aged 79.

PREMIUM GOATSKIN and GENUINE LEATHER EDITIONS

The Genuine Leather Gift Edition comes with a Genuine Leather cover, and a single ribbon marker. It has a Smyth Sewn binding, and comes in a protective case. This edition is a nice step up from the bonded leather edition.

The Premium Goatskin Gift Edition is our top-of-the-line, hand-finished edition, with a goatskin leather cover, gilded filigree edging, and two ribbon markers. It has a Smyth Sewn binding, and comes in a protective case. This edition is noticeably more supple than the Genuine Leather.

https://banneroftruth.org/us/store/devotional-books/the-valley-of-vision/
Written description by Ligon Duncan, [with certain additions I’ve added in brackets].

This book, Valley of Vision (VoV), is a treasure of meditative prayers on many dimensions of the Christian faith-walk. It is highly recommended reading either in the beautifully bound forms or as an online pdf through the Banner of Truth.

Gleanings from Special Phrases (‘Jewels of Thought / Expression’)

As discussed in a companion website–www.kaistudies.net–word groups known as phrases / clauses are expository building blocks, intermediate between individual words and sentences (whole thoughts).

The Bible itself is filled with many thousands of such phrases. We often skip over them because they are not whole sentences. Whole sentences are typically known to us by a chapter:verse identification, though there is not always a one-to-one correspondence between verses and sentences (sometimes a verse has multiple sentences and other times a sentence runs over multiple verse numbers). In fact, we typically advertise ‘Biblical preaching’ as “verse-by-verse.”

Beneath phrases are of course individual words, such as “Faith,” or word pairs, such as “The Faith.” These, like verses, often receive deserved expository treatment.

Phrases, however, can be easily overlooked as our reading or a proclamation slides from consideration of certain key words in a sentence to consideration of the sentence as a whole. It the companion website focused on the Koine Greek language of the NT and Septuagint, we are giving by example how proper consideration of various Biblical phrases is a worthy object of study as its own thing, but also because phrases bridge the individual words into the whole thought of a sentence.

This can be most important because the nature of individual words is that they have a semantic range of meaning. Consider for example the English word “run.” As the word is found in a sentence we must map the grouping of letters “r-u-n” into an image in our mind as to its meaning. The possible semantic range for this word “run” is extensive. Is it the sense of “run” as one would do in a track meet, or in training, or simply hurrying along? And if so, how fast is “run?” A marathon run is very different from a 100 yard or quarter-mile “run.” Consider the word “run” as used: “I have to run” (where it means something like “to go”). Then there is a “run” in reference to a garment’s losing fabric integrity. And in baseball season there are “home runs” and “runs scored.” Then some folks “run” on in their speech (or, alas, their writing). Then there are questions regarding old, beat-up cars: “is this thing going to run?” where we are asking whether its engine will start and usefully propel the car.

Our minds in milliseconds process the word “run” to a mapped meaning within such broad semantic range. If the context is a track meet, or the training for a meet, we understand there is some ambiguity as to the intensity / speed at which we should envision such “run” but we’ve narrowed it’s possible meaning down considerably. Then we might conclude, again from the context, that the particulars of speed / intensity are not relevant to the whole thought of the sentence so we do not attempt to process it further. But in another context, such tryouts for a football team a small relative difference in speed can make or break a candidate’s acceptance.

Phrases can play a key role in such semantic range consideration and they do so in multiple ways. One of the ways is that a key word–such as “run” in our present example–can be embedded in one or more phrases that flow into the sentence as a whole that provides us the nuance of its relative meaning and even importance.

Not all phrases are of equal importance. In the context of Scripture, or course every phrase, like every word, and even “jot and tittle,” has meaning. But there are whole thoughts, and likewise phrases and words, that carry greater gravitas than others: “Thou are The Christ, The Son of The Living God,” Matthew 16:16, is an explosively significant declaration at (1) the level of each individual word–“Christ,” “Son,” “Living,” “God”–and (2) at the view of a phrase–“The Son of the Living God”–and (3) at the level of the sentence / verse as the whole thought, and even (4) beyond the sentence to the paragraph / pericope (Matthew 16:13-20), and (5) the closing of the entire drama of the Incarnation to the Cross and Resurrection (Matthew Ch 16 though Ch 28, beginning from the rejection of Jesus as Messiah, as even sent from God, by the authorities of The Religion Industry (TRI) of that time).

So, phrases are worth scrutiny as a matter of grasping the Word of God. And some phrases–herein “Jewel Phrases”–are particularly worthy.

The Valley of Vision (VoV) is an example source of Jewel Phrases, though of course they do not carry the weight of Scripture. But let us hear example such Phrases from one of the prayer-meditations assembled by Mr. Bennett.

Jewel Phrases from “Things Needful” in VoV

One of the meditations in Arthur Bennett’s compilation is entitled “Things Needful.” It is a prayer to God for help in understanding that which is necessary (“needful”) contrasted with all that can distract our thoughts and clutter our walk. You are invited to go to the Banner of Truth website, search for VoV and then search for this chapter. It, along with all the other chapters, are worthy texts encouraging prayer to God and self-reflection at the same time.

Given below are most of the phrases in this “Things Needful” chapter that I nominate as Jewel Phrases. As you reach each one, though they are extractions from various sentences, so are not whole thoughts, they are memorable and rich. (In some cases I have slight modified the word form to make it clearer as a stand-alone phrase).

  • (The Giver..) songs in the night
  • the spread of degeneracy over our human race
  • (Thy Power…) recall wandering children
  • the diffusing of piety and happiness
  • my soul’s secret principles
  • bounties to the indigent
  • comfort to the mentally ill
  • restoration to the sin-diseased
  • hope to the despairing
  • joy to the sorrowing
  • love to the prodigals
  • the ashes of unbelief
  • spiritual comforts
  • melt me into conscious lowliness
  • the garden of my soul
  • the scents of the Christian life (…wafted to others)
  • the great end of my being

Your reading of “Things Needful” in VoV may lead you to weigh fewer of these phrases as worthy of ‘jewel’ status (again recognizing that none of them, except “songs in the night” which is itself a Biblical phrase, carries the authority of Scripture). Further, because none of such phases are whole sentences, none of them are whole thoughts.

But doesn’t, for instance, “the diffusing of piety and happiness” and “bounties to the indigent” and “the ashes of unbelief” carry a particular ‘Aha!’ recognition in you?

  • The Christian walk by its nature does “diffuse” piety into such walker and with it, perhaps surprisingly, “joy” is joined to “piety,” contrary to the world’s way of thinking.
  • “Bounties” (i.e. large overflowing, bounteous, blessings) that inure not to the worthy, deserving, self-savers, but they come to the “indigent,” again a completely contrary idea to the world’s way of thinking.
  • Unbelief has nothing of purchase value, nothing of heat or warmth, available from it, only “ashes,” captures the scorched end of a lost Faith.

You are invited to visit www.kaistudies.net to see Biblical examples of Jewel Phrases, many of which on such site, involve the important Koine Greek word “kai” (hence: kaiStudies), often translated by the English word “and,” but capable of a far richer semantic range of meaning.

Sibbes Study Session #1:

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Chapter 1: The Reed and the Bruising

The reference text for Sibbes’s book, and this introductory chapter is Matt 12:18-20, which cites Isaiah 42:1-3. These text are given below:

Matt 12:18-20

Text Comparison for Matt 12:18-21

Isaiah 42:1-3

Selections from Sibbes’s Text (Bruised Reed)

There are four Sections in Sibbes Ch 1 as given below.

1.1 Christ’s Calling

God calls him here his servant. Christ was God’s servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was, a chosen and a choice servant who did and suffered all by commission from the Father. In this we may see the sweet love of God toward us, in that he counts the work of our salvation by Christ his greatest service, and in that he will put his only beloved Son to that service. He might well prefix it with “Behold” to raise up our thoughts to the highest pitch of attention and admiration. In time of temptation, apprehensive consciences look so much to the present trouble they are in, that they need to be roused up to behold the one in whom they may find rest for their distressed souls. In temptations it is safest to behold nothing but Christ, the true brazen serpent, the true “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”, (John 1:29). This saving object has a special influence of comfort to the soul, especially if we look not only on Christ, but upon the Father’s authority and love in him. For in all that Christ did and suffered as Mediator, we must see God in him reconciling the world to himself (2Cor. 5:19).

What a support to our faith this is, that God the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of redemption! And what a comfort this is, that seeing God’s love rests on Christ as well pleased in him, we may conclude that he is as well-pleased with us if we are in Christ! For his love rests in a whole Christ, in the mystical Christ, as well as in the natural Christ, because he loves him and us with one love. Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in him embrace God’s love, and build our faith safely on a Savior who is furnished with so high a commission.

See here, for our comfort, a sweet agreement of all three persons: the Father gives a commission to Christ; the Spirit furnishes and sanctifies it, and Christ himself executes the office of a Mediator. Our redemption is founded upon the joint agreement of all three persons of the Trinity.

Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes, Ch 1, “Christ’s Calling”

Christ’s Calling: To Save Sinners by Becoming The Substitute

Sibbes cites 2 Cor 5:18-19. Below is a text comparison of the context of 2 Cor 5:18-21 showing the ESV, NKJV, NASB95, and YLT (Young’s Literal Translation) translations.

ESV
NKJV
NASB95
YLT
2 Co 5:18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
2 Co 5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
2 Co 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
2 Co 5:18 And the all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and did give to us the ministration of the reconciliation,
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
19 how that God was in Christ—a world reconciling to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses; and having put in us the word of the reconciliation,
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
20 in behalf of Christ, then, we are ambassadors, as if God were calling through us, we beseech, in behalf of Christ, ‘Be ye reconciled to God;’
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
21 for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:10 AM February 21, 2022.

There are three essential concepts in the above passage from 2 Cor 5:

  • Reconciliation: Strong’s G2644 καταλλάσσω katallássō “Used of the divine work of redemption denoting that act of redemption insofar as God Himself is concerned by taking upon Himself our sin and becoming an atonement. Thus a relationship of peace with mankind is established which was hitherto prevented by the demands of His justice.”  Zodhiates, S. (2000)
  • Ministry / Word / Message / Ambassadors of Reconciliation: (5:18 MINISTER) G1248 διακονία diakonía; diákonos (1249), deacon, servant. Service, attendance, ministry. Verb, diakonéō (1247), to minister, serve. (5:19 WORD / MESSAGE) G3056 λόγος lógos; from légō (3004), to speak intelligently. Intelligence, word as the expression of that intelligence, discourse, saying, thing. Word, both the act of speaking and the thing spoken. (5:20 AMBASSADOR) G4243 πρεσβεύω presbeúō; an aged person, elder, also an ambassador. To be aged, elderly. In the NT, to be or act as an ambassador. Intrans. (2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20)
  • Imputation: “He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus Christ) to be sin…that in Him (Christ) we might become the righteousness of God” (5:21 MADE) G4160 ποιέω poiéō. To make, do, expressing action either as completed or continued. To make, form, produce, bring about, cause, spoken of any external act as manifested in the production of something tangible, corporeal, obvious to the senses, completed action. BECOME G1096 γίνομαι gínomai; primarily meaning to begin to be, that is, to come into existence or into any state; To begin to be, to come into existence as implying origin (either from natural causes or through special agencies), result, change of state, place.

1.2 How Christ Pursues His Calling

We see, therefore, that the condition of those with whom he was to deal was that they were bruised reeds and smoking flax; not trees, but reeds; and not whole, but bruised reeds. The church is compared to weak things: to a dove among the fowls; to a vine among the plants; to sheep among the beasts; to a woman, which is the weaker vessel.

God’s children are bruised reeds before their conversion and oftentimes after. Before conversion all (except those who, being brought up in the church, God has delighted to show himself gracious to from their childhood) are bruised reeds, yet in different degrees, as God sees fit. And as there are differences with regard to temperament, gifts and manner of life, so there are in God’s intention to use men in the time to come; for usually he empties them of themselves, and makes them nothing, before he will use them in any great services.

Bruised Reed, Richard Sibbes, Ch 1, “How Christ Pursues His Calling”

Thoughts for Discussion

What Biblical examples are there of “weak things” (including people) that God “makes them nothing, before He will use them in any great services” (purposes)?

  • Moses
  • David (shepherd and sinner)
  • The Apostles (as a group of ‘learners,’ disciples)
  • Those calling for Barabbas instead of Jesus to be released
  • Apostle Paul and his persecution of Believers in Christ

1.3 What It Is To Be Bruised

The bruised reed is a man who for the most part is in some misery, just as those were who came to Christ for help, and by misery he is brought to see sin as its cause, for, whatever pretences sin makes, they come to an end when we are bruised and broken….seeing no help in himself, he is carried with restless desire to have supplies from another, with some hope…This spark of hope being opposed by doubts and fears rising from his corruption makes him like smoking flax; so that both these together, a bruised reed and smoking flax, make up the state of a poor distressed man. This is such a person as our Savior Christ terms “poor in spirit”,,,This spark of hope being opposed by doubts and fears rising from his corruption makes him like smoking flax; so that both these together, a bruised reed and smoking flax, make up the state of a poor distressed man. This is such a person as our Savior Christ terms “poor in spirit”…He has no means of supply from himself or the creature, and thereupon he mourns…

Ibid.

This clearly calls to mind the important beginning of The Sermon on the Mount:

ESV
NKJV
NASB95
YLT
Mt 5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Mt 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
Mt 5:1 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
Mt 5:1 And having seen the multitudes, he went up to the mount, and he having sat down, his disciples came to him,
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
2 and having opened his mouth, he was teaching them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
3 ‘Happy the poor in spirit—because theirs is the reign of the heavens.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
4 ‘Happy the mourning—because they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
5 ‘Happy the meek—because they shall inherit the land.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
6 ‘Happy those hungering and thirsting for righteousness—because they shall be filled.
Text Comparison, Logos S/W

The opening of the four “beatitudes” (Gr makarios, commonly translated “blessed“) are our innate response to grasping the reality of a Holy, Righteous God in the face of our own natural condition, e.g: poor, mourn, meek, hunger / thirst. All of these responses are the opposite of the pride of delusion regarding one’s law-keeping (as was the case with the Pharisees, et. al) and for that reason are “markarios,” great blessings in the context of opposites.

1.4 The Effects of Bruising

This bruising is required before conversion so that the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and so that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature.

Ibid.

This bruising is required before conversion so that the Spirit may make way for himself into the heart by levelling all proud, high thoughts, and so that we may understand ourselves to be what indeed we are by nature.

Ibid.

After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, because of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. Such bruising may help weaker Christians not to be too discouraged when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised…Hence we learn that we must not pass too harsh judgment upon ourselves or others when God exercises us with bruising upon bruising.

Ibid.

The Connection of Bruising to Humility

As we see in the Sermon on the Mount, the one hearing Christ is poor, who mourns, etc., which inner spirit mirrors the root idea of “bruised reed.” And, so, all the Scriptural texts relating to humility, which includes, for instance, the phrase “Fear of the Lord,” are relevant to our subject of “bruised reed” and “smoking flax.”

In a parallel sense, other Christian authors who address the subject of Biblical humility are echoing in some way these twin texts in Isaiah and Matthew that we are here considering and as expounded by Sibbes.

Jerry Bridges and The Practice of Godliness

One such writing that addresses the subject of humility is a book by the late Jerry Bridges entitled The Practice of Godliness. His first chapter of multiple chapters on “God-like character” (Chapter 6) is “Humility.”

Supporting scripture that he cites includes: Is 57:15ff, Is 66:1-2, Phil. 2:8, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:6, Lu 18:15. And examples of individuals who in the Biblical record encountered in some deeper way the very presence of God fell down in humility were: Moses, Ezekiel, John (the Apostle in Revelation), and the four living creatures and 24 elders in heaven (in Revelation).

Several quotes from Bridges’s book are below:

Humility opens the way to all other godly traits. It is the soil in which other traits of the fruit of the spirit grow. 

Bridges, The Practice of Godliness, p. 69.

Humility in every area of life, and every relationship with other people, begins with the right concept of God as the One who is infinite and eternal in His majesty and holiness.

Ibid., p.69.

As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, decision judgment upon our character and conduct. We must treat the Scriptures not only as a source of knowledge about God but also as the expression of His will for a daily lives. As someone has said, “the Bible was not given just to increase our knowledge, but the guide our conduct.“ 

Ibid., p. 71

The contrast appointed by the Savior is not that between “educated“ and “non-educated” but between those who imagine themselves to be wise and sensible–and those who live under the profound impression that by their own insight in their own reasonings they are utterly powerless to understand the truth of God and to accept them.

Ibid., p.72, quoting Norvel Geldenhuys

Humility with regard to ourselves, then, consists of ascribing all that we are, although we have, and all that we have accomplished to the God who gives us grace.

Ibid., p. 75

Sibbes Ch 2 is here:

Calvin’s “Little Book” on the Christian Life

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One of the most long-published Christian books is an extraction from John Calvin’s large systematic theology: Institutes of the Christian Religion.

Early in the publication history of the Institutes, a five chapter segment was recognized as being particularly insightful on practical aspects of a mature Christian’s walk. Beginning in about 1540, those five chapters have been continually published in many languages under many different titles as they were never separately titled by Calvin except as individual chapters. The five chapter “little book” has had various names such as “The Golden Book” or “The Little Book” with appended phrases such as “of the Life of the Christian Man.”

I have been convening a small group weekly Zoom Conference using Calvin’s Little Book. As part of our conferences, I have published weekly web pages on resources that can foster a deeper study into Calvin’s exposition of Scripture and stimulate discussion amongst fellow ‘zoomers.’

Such web pages are all openly published on this website. The ‘master’ webpage is here: From there one can scroll down and see the links to each week’s respective content. Alternatively, one can use the menu bar for this website, look for “Great Books” and then “Calvin’s Little Book.”

You are welcome to follow along.