WHY

READ

THE

PURITANS ?

what do the Puritans have to offer us?

Dr. Don Kistler has done the church a huge favor by writing the booklet " Why Read the Puritans Today? A Soli Deo Gloria Publications, in which Don Kistler is fonder and president . Don has given us his ten reasons to spur us on to the reading of the Puritans. I encourage you, my readership, to read Don's booklet, if you have not done so as of yet. These great booklets are great to hand out to promote the proliferation of the reading of sound theological depthness that is exhibited in the Puritans. My love affair for the Puritans began back in 1997. In 1996 I had discovered the writings of a man that many have called " the Prince of Preachers" Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I found myself quickly entranced by his passion for Christ and His cross. I kept encountering quotes from the Puritans from Spurgeon's writings. So I set out to embark upon the writings of the Puritans, so as to find out, first hand, what had such a profound influence on Spurgeon. I found out indeed. It was love at first sight or should I say love at first read. My desire to read the Puritans seems to grow with every new book. Now I want to share my reasons with you, and to the Church, as to why read the Puritans? However I don't want to steal Dr. Don Kisler's reasons, but it would be very hard not to come away with some of the same reasons. These are my reasons, in my words primarily before I had read Dr. Don Kistlers booklet.

Why Read the Puritans?

1) Coram Deo- The Puritans had a way with exalting and esteeming the goodness, glory and grandeur of God. Getting us to move toward the throne room of God. And beholding His face. Upholding all of God's attributes, not just the singularity of God's love, but encompassing His manifold manifestations of His nature. Before the Puritans, John Calvin said, "Man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he he has first looked upon God's face, and then descends from contemplating Him to scrutinize himself." The Puritans knew their God well, thus they knew themselves well.

2) Christ-centric- The Puritans often plea with us to flee and fly to Christ. And Christ alone. The sufficiency of Christ, as mediator between God and man. The great physician of the soul. The excellencies of Christ were Cherished, loved, and herald among the Puritans.

3) The sufficiency of scripture- The Puritans knew their bibles. On average they would read 15 chapter per day. They had an assiduous appetite in the reading and studying of the Holy Scriptures. When guests were over to their houses, they read to each other from the bible or from other good books sometimes for hours.

4) Physicians - The Puritans were often called "The physicians of souls". They had a profound love for one another, and would analyze the poor soul in question, in light of the full council of God. And diagnosis the poor soul for the biblical remedy.

5) Sin mortifiers- The Puritans spoke much on the evils of sin. I call this talking down sin. That is they would show the awfulness, heinousness, and ugliness of the reality of sin. They had an ardent abhorrence for sin. This is where the Puritans were really strong. Where we have much to learn.

6) The Gospel - The Puritans were evangelists. Their evangelism was God-centered rather than man-centered. They made much, rightly so, of being made right with God. Unlike much of today's so called evangelism, that promises that your felt needs, can be meant, like any other relationship. The gospel was seen, as the full council of God. The evangelist task was to teach it. Not to deduce the gospel to mere four points, and make the gospel easy for consummation. But rather teach the great doctrines of sacred scripture. Predestination- Election - regeneration-Justification- propitation- reconciliation- sanctification- and glorification. They would not shun away from these biblical doctrines. Making your calling and election sure, was an integral part of their preaching.

7) Practical- The Puritans were a practical bunch, but not pragmatists . Most of the Puritans were Calvinists who believed in what they would call "experimental Calvinisim". They firmly believed that without holiness no one will see the Lord.

8) Worship- The Puritans believed that all of life is worship to the King of Kings. No part of life was not under Christ's Lordship. Worship was not compartmentalize nor was it considered to be only the time reserved for singing and music. The pulpit was highly esteemed. The preaching of the word was at the height of the whole Church service. The Lords day was viewed as a day of joyous celebration of the manifold grace found in Christ. The Lords day would not be a day to fast , but to feast on Christ's body both at the Lords table (communion) and with the body of Christ (the Church). Yet reverence for Christ, and the fear of God was exhibited, and was a prelude to Knowledge.

9) Family- The Puritans had a high view of the family. Children were seen as a blessing , and not a curse. The Puritans where match makers. They stressed that it not good for man to be alone (Gen. 2:18). That Companionship was the top primary reason for the institution of marriage. Sex was not to be suppressed , but rather lavishly enjoyed, with in the bounds of holy matrimony. Sex was viewed as a sacred God given gift, first for the enjoyment between husband and wife, than for the progeny of the gospel by bearing children as a means to carry out the first command, to be fruitful and multiply, so to have dominion. The culture mandate was to be carried out through the proliferation of raising a godly family. The husband was seen as the pastor of his little flock. Prophet priest and king. Provider and protector. The wife as the helpmate to the man's joy. As a good wife, mother, and lover. And as the cultivator of the heart of the family.

10) StrongVocabulary- The Puritans had a way with words. In our day much of our literature seems so drab, dry, and deficient; of fostering ardent affections for anything. Let alone of the eternalties of what seems often to us as mundane, boring, and even useless. Their literature is able to arouse, and awaken us out of our lethargy. We Christian here in the West seem to be asleep in the light. My own prayer for myself has been "Lord save me from this cesspool of indifference". The Puritans were good at painting word pictures to heighten the will, so as to move it, to it's highest climax of emotions. They weren't only concern about information and facts but they wanted people to be moved and stirred in their emotions as to act differently. So long it was under the masters umbrella of truth.