Praying With The Puritans

New Year

O Lord,
Length of days does not profit me
except the days are passed in thy presence,
in thy service, to thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit
to supply every thought,
speak every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire to show forth thy praise;
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.

Give me thy grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to teach,
thy right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.
May thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.

- Taken from "The Valley of Vision" A Collection of Puritan Prayers

Quoting the Puritans

On Prayer

"When men cast off prayer, it is a sign they have cast off God; it is the brand of the apostate."

- Thomas Watson, Puritan Gems, pg 109

"When the heart is inflamed with prayer, a Christian is carried as it were in a fiery chariot up to Heaven."

- Thomas Watson, The Godly Man's Picture, pg 90

"Believers have the Spirit of God breathing in them, and God cannot but hear the cries of His own Spirit."

- Thomas Watson, Puritan Gems, pg 109-110

"It is not the voluble tongue but the melting heart God accepts.  'Oh,' says the Christian, 'I cannot pray like others.'  As Moses said to the Lord, 'I am not eloquent.'  But can you weep and sigh?  Does your soul melt out at your eyes?  God accepts broken expressions when they come from broken hearts."

- Thomas Watson, The Godly Man's Picture, pg 90

"When the arrow of a saint's prayer is put into the bow of Christ's intercession, it pierces the very heavens."

- Thomas Watson, Puritan Gems, pg 17

"To pray in the name of Christ is not only to name Christ in prayer, but to pray in the hope and confidence of Christ's mediation.  As a child claims his estate in the right of his father who purchases it, so we come for mercy in the name of Christ, who has purchased it for us in His blood."

- Thomas Watson, The Godly Man's Picture, pg 91

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

The sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" has been referred to throughout history as "the most famous sermon ever preached."  Preached on July 8, 1741 by the Puritan pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards, this sermon was instrumental in maintaining the "Great Awakening" revival in the mid 18th century.  The "Great Awakening" revival was a tremendous time of the spreading (and acceptance) of the Gospel all throughout the United States.  God used many great and godly men (such as George Whitefield) to bring about the revival, but Jonathan Edwards has been identified as the main catalyst through which God brought thousands of men and women to their knees in deep sorrowful repentance, causing them to turn to Jesus Christ as the only escape from God's holy wrath to come.

In the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Edwards spoke with very intense imagery concerning the dangers of being "outside" of Christ in unbelief while yet being "in" God's hands as a rebellious sinner.  Edwards thus directed his sermon not to Christians, but to those who had not yet placed their faith in Jesus, as Edwards stated, "Perhaps this awful subject may awaken those who remain unconverted in the church."  But although Edwards preached this sermon for non-believers, I would still very strongly recommend that Christians read intently and solemnly through this very harsh, but very biblical sermon.  As a Christian myself who is sure of my faith in Jesus Christ, and therefore convinced of my own future deliverance from the "wrath that is to come", I still could not help feeling tremendously unsettled (even disturbed) regarding the hellish future realities of those who die outside of Christ, which Edwards displays so poignantly in this sermon.  As modern-day theologian R.C. Sproul stated, "This sermon is not for the faint of heart."

We live today in an age when the truths of God's wrath are almost completely absent from pulpits in favor of an unbalanced emphasis on God's love.  This unbalance of focusing on God's love while ignoring God's wrath is self-evidently unbiblical, and can be easily demonstrated by the numerical fact that Jesus Himself spoke more about Hell than He did about Heaven.  Therefore if we are called to be true heralds of God's Word, then we have no choice but to reveal the truth and horrors of what Hell is, and will be like, for those who reject Jesus as Savior.  Regarding the scriptural need for this balance, theologian A.W. Pink wrote, "Faithfulness demands that we speak as plainly about Hell as about Heaven."  I would thus encourage all Christians to engage and absorb the sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in order to always keep fresh in mind the overwhelmingly merciful escape from Hell which God has provided for us who place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  As Jonathan Edwards correctly notes, "God has had it on His heart to show to angels and men not only how excellent His love is, but also how terrible His wrath is."

*Note - In addition to reading Jonathan Edwards sermon in book form, I would also highly recommend listening to the audio narration of "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by the noted narrator Max McLean (which can be purchased as a download at his "The Listener's Bible" website).  Actually hearing Edwards sermon preached through the strong voice of McLean gives a powerful taste of what it must have been like to have heard Jonathan Edwards deliver this frightening but God-ordained warning to the masses of 18th century America.

"Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them."

- John 3:36

"Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?"

- Luke 3:7

 The following are excerpts taken from Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

"There is laid, in the very nature of carnal men, a foundation for the torments of hell.  Corrupt principles, reigning in power in them and in full possession of them, are seeds of hellfire."

"There is nothing that keeps wicked men out of hell, at any one moment, except the mere pleasure of God.  By 'the mere pleasure of God' I mean His sovereign pleasure, His all-powerful will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, nothing else but God's sovereign will has a hand in the preservation of wicked men."

"Sinners deserve to be cast into hell.  Divine justice never stands in the way of God using His power at any moment to destroy them; it makes no objections whatsoever.  Rather, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins.... The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and it is nothing but the hand of all-powerful mercy, and God's sovereign will, that holds it back."

"There is no reason to be given why you did not go to hell the moment you walked into the house of God on a Sunday morning, provoking His pure eyes by your sinful, wicked manner of attending His solemn worship.  There is no other reason why you did not go to hell last night, or why you were permitted to wake up again in this world, after you had closed your eyes to sleep.  And there is no other reason to be given why you have not dropped into hell since you woke up this morning, except that God's hand has held you up.  Indeed, there is nothing else that can stand as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell."

"The bow of God's wrath is bent; the arrow is made ready on the string; and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow.  It is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow from being made drunk with your blood."

"Natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked.  His anger is great toward them as it is towards those who are actually suffering the executions and fierceness of His wrath in hell.  These natural men have done nothing at all to appease or abate that anger, and God is not in the least bound by any promise to hold them up... Hell is gaping for them; the flames gather and flash about them, and would prefer to lay hold of them and swallow them up.  The fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out; and they have no interest in any Mediator.  There are no means within reach that can be any security to them.  In short, they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of.  All that preserves them every moment is the sovereign, all-powerful will, the uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance, of an incensed God."

"The infinite might and majesty and terribleness of the omnipotent God will be magnified upon you, in the unspeakable intensity of your torments.  You will be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and when you are in this state of suffering, the glorious inhabitants of heaven will go forth and look on the awful spectacle, that they may see what the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty is."

"O Sinner!  Consider the fearful danger you are in!  It is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, over which you are held by the hand of God.  And this is the God whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you as against many of the damned in hell.  You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it and ready every moment to singe it and burn it asunder; yet you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing that you ever have done, nothing you can do, to induce God to spare you for even a moment."

"You have reason to marvel that you are not already in hell."

Puritan Library

The Mortification of Sin

This book is a collection of sermons preached in 1656 by the Puritan theologian John Owen.  The book concerns the subject of mortifying (or killing) sin in our lives.  Owen deals with the subject of mortifying sin on such a deeply theological, yet very personal, level that one is left with strong conviction afterwards for being lackadaisical towards one's  own willful faults and weaknesses and allowing sin to prevail on our lives.  Owen also goes through the biblical process of how to mortify sin, and just as importantly how not to mortify sin.  For example, Owen demonstrates that the purpose of mortifying sin is just as relevant to the success of mortification as the actual act of killing sin, as Owen stated, "Mortification of sin from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world."

The book concludes with the most important aspect of sin-mortification as being wholly dependent upon trust and reliance on the crucifixion of Jesus.  Without recognizing ourselves as partakers in His "baptism of death" we won't be partakers of Jesus' victory over sin for us.  As Owen wrote, "Without the death of Christ, there is no death of sin."  And only by relying completely on the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit can we obtain a reliance upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, as Owen concludes, "The Spirit alone reveals unto us the fullness of Christ for our relief: which is the consideration that stays the heart from false ways, and from despairing despondency.  The Spirit alone establishes the heart in expectation of relief from Christ: which is the great sovereign means of mortification."

*Note: John Owen has been called the "Prince of the Puritans."  Owen earned this title because of all the Puritans, he wrote on the most profoundly rich and highest theological level.  Because of this fact, I found myself needing to read multiple pages of Owen's book twice-over in order to fully grasp and absorb the important truths he was attempting to convey.  Therefore, much mental effort and focus is required to read through this book (and others) from John Owen.  But the benefits of such effort will grant tremendous blessings in a Christian's life as they wage war against their greatest mortal enemy; their own sins.

"Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin.  His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls.  Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror.  Yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet."

- John Owen, The Mortification of Sin, Chapter 14, pg 162

Puritan Poetry

Before the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper

This day the Lord of Hosts invites
Unto a costly feast
I will take care, and will prepare
To be a welcome guest

But who and what am I, O Lord
Unholy and unfit
To come within Thy doors
Or at Thy table to sit

Awake repentance, faith, and love
Awake, oh, every grace
To meet your Lord with one accord
In His most holy place

Worldly distraction stay behind
Below the mount abide
Cause no disturbance in my mind
To make my Savior chide

Oh come, my Lord, the time draws nigh
That I am to receive
Stand with my pardon sealed by
Persuade me to believe

Let not my Jesus now be strange
Nor hide Himself from me
But cause Thy face to shine upon
The soul that longs for thee

Come, blessed Spirit, from above
My soul do Thou inspire
To approach the table of the Lord
With fullness of desire

Oh, let our entertainment now
Be so exceeding sweet
That we may long to come again
And at Thy altar meet

William Burkitt
1650-1703

Quoting The Puritans

"Think what it is to have a purified, cleansed soul; to be free from the slavery of the flesh and its concupiscence; to have the sensitive appetite in subjection unto reason, and reason illuminated and rectified by faith; to be alive to God, and disposed and enabled to love and serve him; to have access to him in prayer, with boldness and assurance to be heard; to have a sealed pardon of all our sins, and an interest in Christ, who will answer for them all and justify us; to be children of God, and heirs of heaven; to have peace of conscience, and the joyful hopes of endless joys; to have communion with the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit, and to have that Spirit dwelling in us, and working to our further holiness and joy; to have communion with the saints; and the help and comfort of all God's ordinances, and to be under his many precious promises, and under his protection and provision in his family, and to cast all our care upon him; to delight ourselves daily in the remembrance and renewed experiences of his love, and in our too little knowledge of him, and love to him, and in the knowledge of his Son, and of the mysteries of the gospel; to have all things work together for our good, and to be able with joy to welcome death, and to live as in heaven in the foresight of our everlasting happiness."

- Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory, Chapter 1, pg 21

The Savior Who Would Be Lord

This past week I've been reading through two separate books, which at the outset I did not figure would have anything necessarily in common with each other.  After all, they were written by two very different authors, in two very different languages, in two very different countries, in two very different centuries.  And yet the exact same parallel point is so stressed in both books, that I could not help being greatly moved and greatly convicted simultaneously.  The two books are "The Godly Man's Picture" by the 17th century Puritan Thomas Watson, and "The Cost of Discipleship" by the 20th century Lutheran Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  The subject that both men expounded on very strongly was the relevance of surrendering to Jesus as not only the Savior of your soul, but as the Lord of your life.

"When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The phrase "Jesus is my Lord and Savior" is a well known phrase that has no doubt been uttered by every living Christian today, and by all Christians who have passed from this world over the past two thousand years.  Surely every Christian has full confidence in the second half of that phrase; that Jesus is our Savior.  But how confident are Christians in declaring that we have genuinely "died to ourselves" and crowned Jesus our Lord.  The phrase in its entirety is so common on the tongues of us Christians that we tend to speak it with such shallow demeanor as to cause it to lose all balance and weightiness.  For example, we declare the second half with such confidence that we speak the first half without blushing at our own inconsistency of actually rejecting Jesus as the true Lord over our lives.  If we were to be honest, most of us would say "Jesus is my Savior, but I am my own Lord."  I, too, fall squarely into the camp of Christians that literally cling to Jesus everyday as my loving Savior, but rarely give a second thought to following Jesus as my commanding Lord.  Who among us can say they are not infected by that same "Lordship-denying" syndrome?  Even the disciples of Jesus' own lifetime struggled mightily with presiding continually under the Lordship of Christ.  Think about it for a moment; at the most important time Jesus needed His followers by His side - while He was dying on the cross - it was exactly then the disciples (with the exception of John) abandoned Jesus as their Lord and scattered under the lordship of their own fear and disloyalty.  They did not follow Jesus at all times, not even at the most crucial time.  If the disciples themselves failed to follow Jesus physically up to Calvary, how could we expect any different from ourselves about following Jesus spiritually in our own time.

The only comfort I take from this is that the disposition of disobedience is a universal weakness among all believers.  But surely we are not to wallow in self-pity from this pathetic universal confession, but to repent of our disloyalty, seek out Jesus' precepts and commands each and everyday of our lives, and to rely on the Holy Spirit to empower us to truly live as though Jesus is our Shepherd (John 10:11), our Overseer (1 Peter 2:25), and our Lord (Jude 1:21).  It is He alone that is to direct our every step, so that we do not live as shepherd-less rogue sheep who create our own paths.  We are not called to exist as a saved people with no directing Ruler, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ... A Christianity of that kind is nothing more or less than the end of discipleship.  In such a religion there is trust in God, but no following of Christ."

I am not here teaching the false doctrine of "perfectionism" which states that you must become perfect and be without sin in order to legitimately call Jesus your Lord.  The Apostle John declares, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" - 1 John 1:8.  Nor am I teaching the false doctrine of "salvation by works" which states that your salvation depends upon the merit of your own works.  The Apostle Paul declares, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works" - Ephesians 2:8-9.  I wholeheartedly affirm that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  My works can neither contribute to, nor improve, the completed salvation Jesus has wrought on the cross.  In fact, my works would only tarnish and diminish the finished work of Christ on Calvary by belittling and invalidating the glorious nature and ultimate sufficiency of the atonement achieved through Jesus' holy blood.

"Every pardon is the price of blood." - Thomas Watson

Perhaps the only cure to deliver us from continually rejecting Jesus' lordship over every area of our lives is to continually and consciously live under the knowledge of Jesus' shed blood for us.  Meditate daily on what it took for Jesus to become our Savior by the spilling of His precious blood on a wooden cross, and you would then cheerfully and wholeheartedly submit your life to Him as Lord.  As Thomas Watson wrote, "Christ ransomed us with a price, not of money, but of blood.  Therefore we are to be only at his service.  If any can lay a better claim to us than Christ, we may serve them; but Christ having the best right to us, we are to cleave to him and enroll ourselves forever in his service."  We as saved Christians may be spiritually clothed in the blood of Christ, but how often do we allow that same blood to drip into our daily thoughts and pierce our conscience so as to cause us to give our all to Jesus?  If the blood of Jesus that saves you does not also move you to serve Him, than nothing will.  And since the blood of Jesus covers us completely, may we surrender our lives completely to Him.  Charles Spurgeon concludes, "This fact [that Jesus shed His blood for you] is the most important one in all your history.  That you were redeemed with a price is the greatest event in your biography... Let it exercise the most prominent influence over your entire career.  Be a man, be an Englishman, but be most of all Christ's man.  A citizen, a friend, a philanthropist, a patriot; all these you may be, but be most of all a saint redeemed by blood."

Is it enough to give thanks, but no obedience?  Is it enough to be pardoned, but not led?  Is it enough to be cleansed by Jesus' blood, but not conformed to His image?  Is it enough to claim Jesus as the Savior of our souls, but reject Him as the Lord of our lives?  Jesus Himself answered that question simply and conclusively when He declared in John 14:15, "If you love me, obey my commands."

"Would you as well be ruled by Christ's laws as saved by his blood?  He will never be a priest to intercede unless your heart is the throne where he sways his scepter."

- Thomas Watson

Praying with the Puritans

The Savior

Thou God of all grace,
Thou hast given me a Savior,
produce in me a faith to live by him,
to make him all my desire,
all my hope,
all my glory.

May I enter him as my refuge,
build on him as my foundation,
walk in him as my way,
follow him as my guide,
conform to him as my example,
receive his instructions as my prophet,
rely on his intercession as my high priest,
obey him as my king.

May I never be ashamed of him or his words,
but joyfully bear his reproach,
never displease him by unholy or imprudent conduct,
never count it a glory if I take it patiently
when buffeted for a fault,
never make the multitude my model,
never delay when thy Word invites me to advance.

May thy dear Son preserve me from this present
evil world,
so that its smiles never allure,
nor its frowns terrify,
nor its vices defile,
nor its errors delude me.

May I feel that I am a stranger and a pilgrim on earth,
declaring plainly that I seek a country,
my title to it becoming daily more clear,
my meetness for it more perfect,
my forestaste of it more abundant;
and whatsoever I do may it be done
in the Savior's name.

- Taken from "The Valley of Vision" A Collection of Puritan Prayers

Puritan Library

I personally believe that every Christian who is serious about studying the Bible ought always to have at least one Bible commentary in hand to help guide them through the Scriptures and give additional and helpful insights.  One of the commentaries I use, and would recommend to absolutely every Christian, is by the 18th century Puritan Matthew Henry (an immense 2,000 page volume).  Henry was born in 1662 and died in 1714, and although his commentary on the Bible is now 300 years old, it is still one of the most commonly used and well respected commentaries available today.  Henry wrote his commentary as both a theologian and a pastor, therefore his insights and expositions of Scripture are highly intellectual but at the same time very practical for helping all Christians to apply the Bible to their everyday living.  For those who are looking for an aid to assist them in their studies of the Scriptures, this commentary by Matthew Henry is an invaluable treasure to help lead to a deeper understanding and living out of God's Word.

The main reason I first began using Henry's commentary was because who strongly endorsed it just over 100 years ago; that person being the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon.  Spurgeon had these words to say about Matthew Henry's commentary, "First among the mighty commentaries for general usefulness we are bound to mention the man whose name is a household word, Matthew Henry.  He is the most pious and pithy, sound and sensible, suggestive and sober, terse and trustworthy... he is deeply spiritual, heavenly, profitable; finding good matter in every text, and from all deducting the most practical and judicious lessons."

*Special Note - For those who read the "KJV" there was a brand new Bible released earlier this year called "The Matthew Henry Study Bible" by Hendrickson Publishers, which has Henry's commentary notes spread throughout the KJV edition of the Bible.  The notes are just a concise collection, not all of Henry's notes in their entirety.  Therefore, for those who wish to have just a sprinkling of Matthew Henry's biblical insights (and who use the KJV), this study Bible would be perfect for such a purpose.

"The Bible is a sealed book to every man, learned or unlearned, till he begins to study it with a simple heart and a teachable spirit, that he may thence learn the truth and the will of God." - Matthew Henry

"Lay the Bible to heart, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls." - Matthew Henry

"It is a wonder sinners can ever read the Bible with dry eyes." - Matthew Henry

Guarding Against New Sins

I am currently reading the book "The Mortification of Sin" by 17th century Puritan John Owen.  The book concerns the subject of killing personal sin in our lives.  The first half of the book is very powerful thus far, but Owen mentioned something in chapter 5 that really struck me as something for us Christians to be constantly wary of; and that is to not be so overtly focused on ridding particular sins from our lives that we unknowingly let down our guard and allow brand news sins to slip in without realizing it, and thus still be slaves to sin.  Owen's stated it this way, "He that changes pride for worldliness, sensuality for pharisiasm, vanity in himself to the contempt of others; let him not think that he hath mortified the sin that he seems to have left.  He hath changed his master, but is a servant still."

There is perhaps no other time in our lives when we are more open and susceptible to absorbing new sins in our lives than when we let down our guards after accomplishing the mortification of old sins.  The words of Jesus can and should be applied here, when He said, "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation" - Mark 14:38.  Jesus is not suggesting that we keep an eye on the sins we are currently committing, but that we prepare in advance to be on guard and pray against new sins that we will be tempted with in a future sense.  This command of caution by our Lord was so important that it was recorded and repeated by Matthew in his Gospel as well (Matthew 26:41).

Mortifying particular sins in our lives should never give grounds for celebration and cause defensive leniency resulting in the temporary lowering of our spiritual walls of protection.  May we always be in pursuit of mortifying our old sins, while simultaneously being fully conscious of the real possibility of being tempted and attacked by new sins at precisely the same time of our victories.

"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation." - Mark 14:38

Quoting the Puritans

"If we are in Christ while we live, we shall go to Christ when we die.  Union is the ground of privilege, hence we must be in Christ before we can be with Christ."

Thomas Watson, Puritan Gems, pg 16

"We are to learn of Christ, and we are to learn Christ; He is both teacher and lesson.  His gentleness of heart fits Him to teach, and makes Him the best illustration of His own teaching."

Charles Spurgeon, Sermons on the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, pg 117

"It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that God has declared, by a voice from heaven, that Jesus Christ is His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased, with which we must by faith cheerfully concur and say that He is our beloved Savior, in whom we are well pleased."

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, pg 1287

"Without Christ, you cannot believe in the Father, as in one that will show you any saving mercy, but only as the devils, that believe Him just, and tremble at His justice.  Without Christ, you cannot love God, nor have any lively apprehensions of His love.  Without Christ, you can have no hope of heaven, and therefore no endeavors for it.  Without Him, you cannot come near to God in prayer, has having no confidence, because of no admittance, acceptance, or hope.  Without Christ, how terrible are the thoughts of death!"

Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory, Chapter 1, pg 27

Blog Format

The specific format I would like this blog to take is that of a personal devotional/Puritan promotion blog.  What I mean is, explicitly I hope to share some of my own thoughts and experiences that God may grant in my day-to-day life; and implicitly I wish to use this blog to promote the books and writings of the Christians during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries known as the Puritans.  Since I read the works of the Puritans on a regular basis, it would be nearly impossible to share my daily spiritual experiences without mentioning their important expositions of Scripture and their exhortations of living lives wholly devoted to Jesus Christ.  The uncommon ability the Puritans had to wade heavily through great depths of biblical truths has led one of today's leading theologians, J.I. Packer, to refer to the Puritans as "Physicians of the Soul."

I will be promoting the Puritans on this blog by way of intermittently posting some of their poems, prayers, and quotes, as well as recommending books of theirs that I've read personally.  Such Puritans that I have read and currently reading are: Thomas Watson, Matthew Henry, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, John Owen, and Charles Spurgeon (Spurgeon is considered by some to be the last of the Puritan age).  Puritan's whose writings I hope to read in the future are: Thomas Manton, Thomas Shepard, William Whitaker, Henry Scougal, John Flavel, and Jeremiah Burroughs.

For those who wish to learn "about" the Puritans before learning "from" the Puritans, I would highly recommend the book "Meet The Puritans" by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson.  In this book Beeke and Pederson present mini-biographies of over 100 of the most influential Puritans in church history.  I would also recommend the 16 lecture series by J.I. Packer called "History and Theology of the Puritans" which can be downloaded for free on iTunes.  This lecture series is what first introduced me to the Puritan movement.

For those who have not yet had the privilege of reading through the works of our Christian brothers from the Puritan era, I pray that this blog will help give a slight taste of the high degree of spirituality they existed on, as theologian Leland Ryken stated, "By valuing all of life in relation to God, Puritans gave sacred significance to every activity."  And may their unmatched levels of biblical knowledge and godly devotion lift us all up to new heights of love and loyalty to Jesus Christ.

Puritan Poem of the Month

Contempt of the World 

Can ought below engross my thought
Or am I to the world confined
Nay, let my pure affections soar
To objects of a nobler kind

I know I'm but a pilgrim here
That seeks a better promised land
Then may I run and never tire
Till that celestial home's obtained

Resolved to tread the sacred way
That Jesus watered with His blood
I bend my fixed and cheerful course
Through that rough path my Master trod

Contemptuous of the world I live
A daily death rejoice to die
And while I move and walk below
My absent heart mounts up on high

O Light of life, still guide my steps
Without Thy friendly aid I stray
Lead me, my God, for I am blind
Direct me, and point out my way

Let the vain world applaud or frown
Still may I heaven's path pursue
Still may I stand unshook and keep
The center of my hopes in view

Though Satan, earth, and self oppose
Yet through Thy help I'll persevere
To Canaan's hills my eyes lift up
And choose my lot and portion there

Augustus Toplady
1740-1778

A Pilgrim's Way

I was inspired to create this blog from two different sources; the first one being the very biblical and strong-minded blog of a friend of mine (hi Stephanie). You can read my friend's blog here http://christianchron.blogspot.com/ (you will be blessed!!!).

The second being the book "A Pilgrim's Progress" by the 17th century Puritan John Bunyan (hence the name of my blog).  In this book Bunyan takes us through the travels, trials, and tribulations of two fictional characters (part one concerns a man named 'Christian', and part two concerns his wife 'Christiana' and their family).  Although the characters in the book are fictional, the circumstances the characters go through are based on real spiritual ordeals that we all experience as followers of Jesus Christ and as "aliens" in this world seeking our true home.  The purpose of the book is better understood in the full title Bunyan gave it, which is "A Pilgrim's Progress From This World To That Which Is To Come."

So just as John Bunyan narrated the travels and learning's of the pilgrims in his book, so should we Christians today give accounts to one another of our own pilgrimages in this world which is "not our home" to strengthen and encourage each other until we reach our heavenly destination.

"They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.  Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." - Hebrews 11:16.