The Tulip Driven Life

 "For from the beginning it was the will of God that, as soon as more families arose, the man would leave his father and mother and would choose a wife as his helpmeet not from within but from outside the parental family, from another family. The wonderful expansion of the human race, the infinite variety among people, and the inexhaustible richness of relationships between households and families, generations and peoples, are all due to this divine will. Every marriage blends various psychological gifts and distinct physical strengths, becoming thereby a new source of a particular fullness of life....After the flood the descendants of Noah, who at that point still constituted one people and were still bound together by one language and by the same vocabulary, settled in the land of Shinar, which lay in southern Babylonia. But then later, as punishment for building the tower, their language was confused, and the small human race was split up into groups, tribes, or nations and dis...

  Matthew Henry on Genesis 9: "God often visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, especially when the children inherit the fathers’ wicked dispositions, and imitate the fathers’ wicked practices, and do nothing to cut off the entail of the curse. (2.) Disgrace is justly put upon those that put disgrace upon others, especially that dishonour and grieve their own parents. An undutiful child that mocks at his parents is no more worthy to be called a son, but deserves to be made as a hired servant, nay, as a servant of servants, among his brethren. (3.) Though divine curses operate slowly, yet, first or last, they will take effect. The Canaanites were under a curse of slavery, and yet, for a great while, had the dominion; for a family, a people, a person, may lie under the curse of God, and yet may long prosper in the world, till the measure of their iniquity, like that of the Canaanites, be full. Many are marked for ruin that are not yet ripe for ruin. Therefore, Let not...

  our liberty is abused by an immoderate use of the gifts of God. The use of them is immoderate three ways. First, in respect of time, as when Dives fared deliciously and was arrayed in rich attire every day. Thus many gentlemen and others offend when they turn recreation into an occupation. Secondly, the gifts of God are immoderately used in respect of themselves, as when men exceed in eating and drinking, as the prophet says, "Adding drunkenness to thirst" (Deut. 29:19). Thirdly, in respect of the callings and conditions of men. For every man is to use the gifts of God according to his place and condition. They then offend that being but mean persons and living by trades, yet for their diet and apparel are as great gentlemen and gentlewomen. Thirdly, liberty is abused when the blessings of God are made instruments and (as it were) flags and banner to display our riot, vanity, ostentation, pride. For this cause sundry things, whereof some are indifferent in themselves, are c...

  William Perkins on the issue of Polygamy among the Patriarchs of the Old Testament: "In the history of Abraham I consider three things: the fact of Abraham in taking two wives; the event upon this fact, he had two sons by them; the condition of these sons. Touching the fact of Abraham, it may be demanded, what is to be judged thereof? The ground to the answer shall be this: that marriage is the indivisible conjunction of one man and one woman only. This Christ of purpose teaches (Matt. 19) where He says that "God created them at the first man and woman," and not women (v. 4), "that a man must forsake father and mother, and cleave to his wife," not to his wives (v. 5), that "they twain shall be one flesh" (v. 6). And in all this Christ makes no new law, but only revives the first institution of marriage made in paradise. And Moses having set down this divine institution, adds withal that Lamech was the first that broke it by taking many wives. Now th...

 By: Thomas F. Booher Prominent PCA officers have declared a female to possibly be the most prominent layperson in the PCA, with some folks comparing her to John Knox, Jenny Geddes, Jael, and Deborah. They think they are defeating feminism and female officers in their denomination by doing this. It was wild over the last few weeks to watch PCA Pastors and Elders glory in having Deborah's in their midst. Do they not realize this means they are being judged as weak Barak's? But pointing this out and sharply opposing it of course gets you attacked by these PCA officers as being unhinged, mentally unstable, unqualified for pastoral office, etc. The absurdity of what is being done in many of our Reformed/Presbyterian denominations, and what has been done in them for decades now, deserves to be pointed out sharply, sarcastically even. It would be comical but for the fact that the "conservative and confessional officers" actually believe promoting women as writers and teache...

 You have NAPARC ministers sounding little different than Democrat Corey Booker, excommunicating faithful ministers and demanding everyone denounce a "racial hierarchy". Here is the reality -- hierarchy is real, whether you like it or not. Egalitarianism is a lie, an illusion.  Right now, in our own country, whites are at the BOTTOM of the racial hierarchy. We have largely done this to ourselves, believing the lie of Egalitarianism, caving to the pressure of minorities (and yes, prominent Jews really have pushed this narrative onto them, and through them onto us), and believing we are actually being "impartial" and administering equal, blind justice.  We are absolutely foolish, and it is necessary for the radical Egalitarian to feel guilty about the achievements of the white, European races, because it is so manifestly evident historically that we have done great things, greater things by God's help in many ways than other races and nations (this is not to deny ...