The Valley of Vision citation thread
I'm beginning a thread where you can post your citations for the prayers in Arthur Bennett's The Valley of Vision. The sources are listed in the Bibliography at the end, and all of them are public domain, so feel free to copy straight out of Logos and paste it here.
Here's an example.
Chapter 1, page 8: The Mover, lines 11-25
What an astonishing thought it will be to think of the unmeasurable difference between our deservings and our receivings; between the state we should have been in, and the state we are in; to look down upon hell, and see the vast difference that free grace hath made betwixt us and them; to see the inheritance there, which we were born to, so different from that which we are adopted to! O, what pangs of love will it cause within us, to think, Yonder was my native right, my deserved portion; those should have been my hideous cries, my doleful groans, my easeless pains, my endless torment; those unquenchable flames I should have lain in; that never-dying worm should have fed upon me; yonder was the place that sin would have brought me to, but this is it that Christ hath brought me to; yonder death was the wages of my sin, but this eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ my Lord. Did not I neglect grace, and make light of the offers of life, and slight my Redeemer’s blood a long time, as well as yonder suffering souls? Did I not let pass my time, and forget my God and soul, as well as they; and was not I born in sin and wrath as well as they? O, who made me to differ? Was my heart naturally any readier for Christ than theirs, or any whit better affected to the Spirit’s persuasions? Should I ever have begun to love, if God had not begun to me; or ever be willing, if he had not made me willing; or ever differed, if he had not made me to differ? Had I not now been in those flames, if I had had mine own way, and been let alone to mine own will? Did I not resist as powerful means, and lose as fair advantages, as they? And should I not have lingered in Sodom till the flames had seized on me, if God had not in mercy carried me out? O, how free was all this love; and how free is this enjoyed glory! Doubtless this will be our everlasting admiration, that so rich a crown should fit the head of so vile a sinner; that such high advancement, and such long unfruitfulness and unkindness can be the state of the same persons; and that such vile rebellions can conclude in such most precious joys: but no thanks to us, nor to any of our duties and labours, much less to our neglects and laziness: we know to whom the praise is due, and must be given for ever; and, indeed, to this very end it was, that infinite wisdom did cast the whole design of man’s salvation into the mould of purchase and freeness, that the love and joy of man might be perfected, and the honour of grace most highly advanced, that the thought of merit might neither cloud the one nor obstruct the other, and that on these two hinges the gates of heaven might turn. So then, let “Deserved” be written on the door of hell, but on the door of heaven and life, “The free gift.”
Richard Baxter and William Orme, The Practical Works of the Rev. Richard Baxter: Volume XXII (London: James Duncan, 1830), 116–117.
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Chapter 1, page 13: Man's Great End, lines 2-22
—THERE is but one thing that deserves our highest care and most ardent desires; and that is, that we may answer the great end for which we were made, viz. to glorify that God, who has given us our beings and all our comforts, and do all the good we possibly can to our fellow-men, while we live in the world: and verily life is not worth the having, if it be not improved for this noble end and purpose. Yet, alas, how little is this thought of among mankind! Most men seem to live to themselves, without much regard to the glory of God, or the good of their fellow-creatures. They earnestly desire and eagerly pursue after the riches, the honours, and the pleasures of life, as if they really supposed, that wealth, or greatness, or merriment, could make their immortal souls happy. But, alas, what false and delusive dreams are these! And how miserable will those ere long be, who are not awaked out of them, to see, that all their happiness consists in living to God, and becoming “holy, as he is holy!” Oh, may you never fall into the tempers and vanities, the sensuality and folly, of the present world!
Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 436.
Chapter 1, page 13: Man's Great End, lines 24-26
“Wednesday, Jan. 4. Was in a resigned and mortified temper of mind, much of the day. Time appeared a moment, life a vapour, and all its enjoyments as empty bubbles, and fleeting blasts of wind.Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 341.
Chapter 1, page 13: Man's Great End, lines 28-30
I solemnly renewed my dedication of myself to God, and longed for grace to enable me always to keep covenant with him. Time appeared very short, eternity near; and a great name, either in or after life, together with all earthly pleasures and profits, but an empty bubble, a deluding dream.Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume 2 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 342.
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Ted Weis said:
Here's a link from Between Two Worlds about the author of Valley of Vision and list of Puritan works of where the prayers originate
Thanks for sharing the link Ted. It is interesting to read more about Arthur Bennett, the editor.
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I know this is an old thread, but there is being work done now in piecing together the citations for Bennetts work. It can be found at the following link.
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David Jonescue said:
I know this is an old thread, but there is being work done now in piecing together the citations for Bennetts work. It can be found at the following link.
Thank you! Just in the past week I got curious (once again) about the source of the prayers and even planned to check out the first book in the bibliography (Baxter's The Saint's Rest), and then I stumbled across your post - great timing 🙂
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Ted Weis said:
Here's a link from Between Two Worlds about the author of Valley of Vision and list of Puritan works of where the prayers originate
Thanks, Ted. I have printed the interview out and put that in the book.
Those interviews that are available online and if I have the book he's referring to, I'll print the interview out and put it in that book. Over time you can get a fair amount of "extra" background that normally would not come with a book.
Thanks, again.
mm.
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Yasmin Stephen said:David Jonescue said:
I know this is an old thread, but there is being work done now in piecing together the citations for Bennetts work. It can be found at the following link.
Thank you! Just in the past week I got curious (once again) about the source of the prayers and even planned to check out the first book in the bibliography (Baxter's The Saint's Rest), and then I stumbled across your post - great timing 🙂
Good luck and His time is pretty good.
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