“Calvin preached from the New Testament on Lord’s Day mornings, the Psalms on Lord’s Day afternoons, and the Old Testament at 6 a.m. on one or two weekdays.”
Beeke, Reformed Preaching, p. 113
On a Special Mission
“This disclaimer even includes the true system of doctrine that, as we all know, the archangel Gabriel delivered in 1619 to the Synod of Dort.”
The Light From Behind the Sun, p. 96
Counseling and Preaching
“We would have less need for personal counseling if we provided more application in the pulpit.”
Beeke, Reformed Preaching, p. 92
Because Proofs Bring Moral Obligation
“Evidential apologists for the Christian faith want arguments for Christianity; they do not want proofs. Like the Israelites outside Canaan, they don’t want to launch a campaign of total conquest.”
The Light From Behind the Sun, p. 81
A Terrible Weapon
“A minister’s life is the life of his ministry . . . In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”
Robert Murray M’Cheyne, as quoted in Beeke, Reformed Preaching, p. 82
And Why the Last Judgment Is Just
“Evidentialism, in contrast, is concerned to present the Christian faith as probably true, as a reasonable option for reasonable men. In contrast, the presuppositional apologist says that Christianity is inescapably true.”
The Light From Behind the Sun, p. 80
A Lot More
“Therefore, the glory of God and the needs of our listeners compel us to preach with sincerity and holy energy. This more than raising our voices and waving our arms.”
Beeke, Reformed Preaching, p. 79
Two Ways
“The evidential apologist believes that there is a neutral place where a Christian may encounter an unbeliever, agree on some common ground rules, and reason from that neutral place to a faith in the God of the Bible. The presuppositional apologist, on the other hand, argues that there is no such neutral place, and that all reasoning presupposes, of necessity, the triune God of Scripture.”
The Light From Behind the Sun, p. 78
Absolute Reason
“Unless reason is an absolute, all is in ruins. Moreover, we cannot say that reason is absolute without acknowledging that such a claim has preconditions. If reason is not absolute, we can know nothing, which would include the fact that we know nothing. But if reason is absolute, how is that possible? If reason is absolute, what is it resting on? What do we mean by it? None of this is possible unless the Word was with God and the Word was God. This is the light from behind the sun. He is the light from behind the sun.”
The Light From Behind the Sun, p. 74
Than In All the Dwellings of Jacob
“David Clarkson (1622-1686) says that God is present in public worship ‘more effectually, constantly, intimately’ than in private devotions.”
Beeke, Reformed Preaching, p. 75