Exhortations from Paul and the Puritans to Preach and Persevere
2 Timothy 4:2a
Preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season…
John Flavel was serving as a pastor in the seaport of Dartmouth when The Act of
Uniformity was passed in 1662. This Act required the dismissal of pastors who would not
conform to certain regulations. By many accounts, about 2,000 pastors were expelled from
their churches. Some of these pastors considered their commission to preach the Word to
take precedence over man-made laws, and thus they continued to preach. Flavel was one of
these nonconformists who continued to meet with His church and preach the Word.
Three years later, the persecution escalated with the passage of The Oxford Act (The
Five Mile Act, 1665). It forbade nonconforming pastors to come within 5 miles of a town
unless they took an oath promising not to seek to alter the State Church.
So Flavel moved 5 miles from Dartmouth so he could continue to pastor his flock.
They would meet secretly in the woods, sometimes at midnight. Once he disguised himself
as a woman on horseback to ride to their secret meeting. On another occasion, when pursued
by the authorities, he plunged his horse into the sea and managed to escape by swimming
through some rocks. He did this because of His passion to preach the Word. He preached
and he persevered.
This was Paul’s charge to Timothy. It stands as the charge to every Christian preacher.
As a pastor, I’ve been greatly encouraged and helped by the Puritans, and I want you
to be encouraged by them as well. The Puritans offer a wealth of knowledge and experience
to help us preach the Word and persevere in preaching. In the past, the G3 conference has
included a presenter whose topic related to the Puritans.
Our faith, our convictions are based on God’s Word—so we’ll examine some of Paul’s
commands to Timothy today. We’ll then hear some exhortations from Puritan leaders, as
they encourage us to preach the Word and persevere in preaching.
2 Timothy 4:2 contains five imperative verbs—commands regarding the preacher’s
task. These commands are introduced by a solemn charge in 4:1. Many argue that 4:1
appears in the form of an ancient oath. God and Christ Jesus witness this charge—the
command is given in their presence. Their presence heightens the necessity of obeying these
commands. It also reminds the preacher who he is accountable to. Jesus is the one who will
render the final verdict on your life and ministry.
The first command in 4:2 is to preach the Word.
Preach the Word
The word translated “preach” is khru,ssw. It means to make a public proclamation. It
describes the work of a herald—one who declares a message.1
In the ancient world, the work of a herald was an important task. The Caesars
employed heralds to declare their orders to people and towns. They used heralds to send
their commands to generals on the battle field. The herald proclaimed the message of his
lord. He didn’t make the message up, he didn’t alter the message or selectively edit it. The
herald’s responsibility was to accurately and fully proclaim the lord’s words.
Paul specifies the content of our preaching. We are to preach the Word. This section
of 2 Timothy highlights God’s Word, and its essential place in our service to God. Look back
to chapter 3, verses 15-17, “…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred
writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is
breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
From childhood, Timothy was acquainted with the “sacred writings” (gra,mmata) which
lead to salvation. All Scripture (grafh.) is breathed out by God and is profitable…It makes
the man of God competent and equips him for every good work. The command of 4:2
explains what we are to do with these sacred writings that lead to salvation. God breathes
out these words, they are infallible, inerrant, and authoritative—they are to be proclaimed.
We are to preach the Word.
Here we see why Expository Preaching is so important. The Bible Expositor strives to
craft and deliver a sermon based on Scripture. In an expository sermon, the message of the
sermon is the message of the text. What Scripture says is what the preacher proclaims. What
is written is what is preached. The message is driven and constrained by God’s Word.
Expository preaching is preaching the Word.
Paul makes clear here, and throughout his writings that pastors have a stewardship of
the Word. This is the defining work of a pastor. This was Paul’s great concern for Timothy’s
work as a pastor. And it’s the crying need of the church today.
1
Paul also uses this verb in 1 Tim. 3:16 to describe the proclamation of Jesus to the nations. An occurrence of
the noun form of this word appears in 1 Tim. 2:7.
1 Timothy 4:13
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
2 Timothy 1:13-14
Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love
that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit
entrusted to you.
2 Timothy 2:2
and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men
who will be able to teach others also.
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
One of the problems with the false teachers is that they had “swerved from the truth”
(2 Timothy 2:18).
More than anything else, churches need pastors who are stewards of God’s Word. To
give them what they need; to provide them with what makes them grow—to feed the sheep.
Jesus to Peter: If you love me, feed my sheep.
Don’t Substitute the Word of God
It’s lamentable that so many churches, and so many pastors follow (and propagate!) a
methodology of substituting God’s Word. Many substitute God’s Word with the telling of
entertaining stories and anecdotes. Rather than preaching the Word, some use every text as a
springboard to promote their agenda. It can be more like listening to Paul Harvey than to the
Apostle Paul. These “preachers” are more reminiscent of traveling bards than heralds of
God’s Word. So much “preaching” sounds more like a therapy session than an
announcement from Sinai.
The church should be the one place God’s people should be able to go and hear God’s
Word. Let people get their stories from their Kindles, movies, and from talk radio. Let them
get the preaching of God’s Word from the church and from the preacher.
Consider the Folly of Substituting God’s Word:
Scripture is what other stories are not—breathed out by God and profitable for
doctrine. God’s Word can do what no story can do, no agenda can do: Stories may fascinate
people, draw people, entertain people (usually their primary purpose), but only God’s Word
can divide soul and spirit. Only God’s Word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart (Heb. 4:12-13). Anything you substitute for God’s Word lacks the divine power to
change lives. Therefore, those that substitute God’s Word for anything, lessen their real
spiritual influence—this is the tragic irony of this methodology. They’re not using the one
real spiritual weapon they have. The weapons of our warfare are not entertaining video
clips, vaudeville like performances, political agendas, or historical anecdotes.
Those who substitute God’s Word in their preaching fight spiritual battles with a
paper sword rather than the sharp two-edged sword. Stories are great, they have a place,
ones that illustrate Biblical truth can be helpful, just don’t substitute God’s Word for them.
I suppose, to substitute God’s Word means that you really think something else will
be of greater benefit to the church. As if what someone else has to say is more potent than
what The Almighty says. As if another source could provide better encouragement or wiser
counsel. Nothing is more helpful to God’s People than God’s Word. It’s as if the thought
process in the pastor’s study goes something like this: “That stuff Jesus said was good…but
man this illustration is dynamite…The Lord of Hosts has spoken, but I’ve got something
really important to say this morning.” The command is to preach the Word—what else is
there to preach? How beautiful are the feet of those who tell good jokes.
The humanistic, pragmatic reasoning underlying this methodology is to be engaging;
to engage with people. This makes sense because everyone wants to be engaging. Yes be
engaging—But for believers, God’s Word is engaging:
Jehu to Jehonadab: “Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD!”
Jesus to the Pharisees: “Get away, Herod wants to kill you…Go tell that fox…”
Let’s also remember this text is a command. Therefore, to not preach the Word is to
disobey God.
Don’t Substitute (or Subordinate) Preaching
Christians and Churches marginalize preaching. Preachers marginalize preaching.
I was recently at a small meeting for pastors; a meeting about promoting revival
through prayer. I almost never go to these kinds of meetings, but a respected friend invited
me, and I’m all for promoting revival, I need to pray more. The leader of a very large church
(whom many of you would know) opened the meeting with the statement, “We need revival in
our churches and preaching isn’t going to do it.” I thought to myself, “Well, I’m in the wrong
meeting.”
In this country, preaching is regularly substituted with gimmicks intended to draw a
crowd. Preaching takes a back-seat to psychological techniques. In some churches more
focus is given to emotional manipulation than to preaching. God’s people don’t need
gimmicks, they need us to preach the Word. They don’t need us to be bards or entertainers,
they need us to be preachers. They get plenty of entertainment from the world—they don’t
need it from the church.
Preaching was to be one of the highest priorities for Timothy. That’s why this
command is preceded by one of the most solemn oaths in the Bible.
Some people in your churches (and some pastors) will try to convince you to
substitute preaching. They’ll offer all kinds of reasons. Many Christians do not know what
they need (in many cases it’s not all their fault—they’ve not been discipled, they’ve not read
or studied the Bible. They’ve never had a pastor who would preach the Word).
I’m convinced that many Christians do not know what a Biblical pastor is, because
they’ve never seen one; they’ve never had one. For them, he’s another social connection; a
popular and charismatic guy. He’s quasi-spiritual, and yes, he preaches on Sundays. If
something really bad happens you go to him.
In a context like this, give them what they need. Give them what God says to give
them—preach the Word. Don’t substitute the very thing they need to grow and mature.
This will be difficult in many churches. Holding to Biblical, Theological convictions in
a land where there has been a famine of hearing the Word of God is hard. This kind of a
spiritual milieu can be disheartening and discouraging. Like Timothy, it’s easy to waver.
Be Encouraged and Exhorted by the Puritans to Preach the Word.
In Christian circles, if you hold convictions about the importance of preaching the
Word, you will find yourself in a vast minority. I want to remind you that we are not alone.
In many Christian circles I feel like an alien. I hear the arguments of other Christian leaders,
and wonder, “Am I really so far off base?” I often ponder, “Am I misreading or
misunderstanding the Bible this bad? Are we reading the same book?” And then John Owen
reminds me, a man who bleeds the Bible tells me, “The first and principal act of a pastor is to feed
the flock by diligent preaching of the word…This is by teaching or preaching the word, and no
otherwise. This feeding is of the essence of the office of a pastor; so that he who doth not, or can not, or
will not feed the flock is no pastor, whatever outward call or work he may have in the church.”2
2
John Owen, The Works of John Owen: Volume 16 (London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1968), 74-75.
Exhortations from the Puritans to Preach the Word
The Puritans will Exhort you to Maintain the Priority of Preaching3
The Puritans will remind you what you are to do: Preach the Word. They will give
you confidence in preaching, and clarity regarding your work as a pastor. They are a mighty
army of brothers to remind you who you are. The Puritans will help you maintain your
focus on preaching (for the good of God’s people). They’ll help you keep your priorities in
their correct order. They will help you maintain the primacy of preaching in the church.
We have a tendency to get distracted from our task of preaching the Word. Most
pastors face a relentless press of responsibilities. We have essential responsibilities to our
families and to our own spiritual disciplines. Then in the church, we face a vast host of
duties to keep us busy. We have weekly preaching responsibilities, social expectations,
funerals, and a constant wave of people who need help—there’s never enough time (these are
good and necessary things). A good thing becomes a bad thing if it distracts from the most
important thing. Don’t let busyness in ministry, even worthwhile duties distract you from
your main task. The Puritans can help keep you on track.
Listen to what some of the Puritans say about preaching the Word:
“It is the gift of all gifts, the ordinance of preaching. God esteems it so, Christ esteems it so, and so
should we esteem it.” –Richard Sibbes4
“God had but one son in the world and He made Him a preacher.” –Thomas Goodwin
“The principle work of a minister is preaching; the principal benefit people have by them is to hear the
Lord’s word from them.” –Robert Traill5
“Preaching is the ordinance of God, sanctified for the begetting of faith, for the opening of the
understanding, for the drawing of the will and affections to Christ.” –William Ames6
3
See The Directory for the Publick Worship of God for a Puritan view of preaching in congregational worship.
4
Richard Sibbes, Works of Richard Sibbes (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1977), 508-509.
5
Quoted in Peter Lewis, The Genius of Puritanism (Grand Rapids, MI: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1977), 37.
Quoted in Joel R. Beeke and Mark Jones, A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life (Grand Rapids: MI: Reformation
Heritage Books, 2012), 681.
6
“Preaching is the chariot that carries Christ up and down the world.” –Richard Sibbes7
William Perkins was an early Puritan, and influenced many others with his teaching on
preaching. He writes, “Preaching involves:
1. Reading the text clearly from the canonical Scriptures.
2. Explaining the meaning of it, once it has been read, in the light of the Scriptures
themselves.
3. Gathering a few profitable points of doctrine from the natural sense of the passage.
4. If the preacher is suitably gifted, applying the doctrines thus explained to the life and
practice of the congregation in straightforward, plain speech.8
In The Pilgrim’s Progress, when Christian enters the House of Interpreter he views
several portraits. He first sees the portrait of the Godly Pastor, and recounts, “Then did
Christian see the picture of a very grave [serious] person hanging against the wall, and its features
were as follows. This man had his eyes directed up toward Heaven, the best of books in his hand, the
law of truth was written upon his lips, the world was behind his back; he stood as if he pleaded with
men, and a crown of gold hung over his head.”9
The Puritans will Exhort you to have a Passion for Preaching
Richard Baxter urged that pastors should preach, “As one that ne’er should preach again, And as
a dying man to dying men” –Richard Baxter10
“Though I move you not to constant loudness in your delivery (for that will make your fervency
contemptible), yet see that you have a constant seriousness…Speak to your people as to men that must
be awakened, either here or in hell.” –Richard Baxter11
“O sirs, it is a miserable thing when men study and talk of heaven and hell, and the fewness of the
saved, and the difficulty of salvation, and be not all the while in good earnest.” –Richard Baxter12
7
Ibid., 699.
8
William Perkins, (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1996), 79.
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress, The Accurate Revised Text by Barry E. Horner, (Lindenhurst, NY:
Reformation Press, 1999), 36-37.
9
Quoted in J. I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway,
1990), 288.
10
11
Ibid., 279.
12
Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1999), 92.
The Puritans will Challenge Contemporary Notions of Preaching that are Hindering the
Church rather than Helping It:
They protect us from the draw of modern fads; many of which suggest we substitute
or marginalize preaching. While offers come in our mail for all kinds of dazzling programs
and schemes guaranteed to grow the church (all for a nominal fee of course), the Puritans
encourage us to follow the Apostolic method and preach the Word. These pragmatic
resources can be so alluring, and they’re presented in such a subversive manner—they
promise church growth, and we want church growth. But by “church growth” they mean
increased numbers and the money and human prestige that come with them. So while many
contemporary voices call us to silliness and levity, the Puritans push us to seriousness and
gravity. So much modern “Christian” counsel and literature lacks depth and conviction—not
so with the Puritans.
“He was…immoveable in all times, so that they who in the midst of many opinions have lost the view
of true religion, may return to him and there find it.” –John Geree13
Richard Baxter condemned preaching for the entertainment of people as,
“proud foolery which savoureth of levity, and tendeth to evaporate weighty truths.” –Richard Baxter14
“Of all preaching in the world, (that speaks not stark lies) I hate the preaching which tends to make the
hearers laugh, or to move their minds with tickling levity, and affect them as stage-plays used to do,
instead of affecting them with a holy reverence of the name of God.” –Richard Baxter15
“You cannot break men’s hearts by jesting with them, or telling them a smooth tale, or pronouncing a
gaudy oration.” –Richard Baxter16
“The Word of God is too sacred a thing, and preaching too solemn a work, to be toyed and played
with.” –William Gurnall17
“Starched oratory may tickle the brain, but plain doctrine that informs the judgment, convicts the
conscience, bows the will and wins the heart.” –Thomas Brooks
13
Quoted in Packer, 7.
14
Ibid., 285.
15
Baxter, 119-120.
16
Ibid., 149.
17
Quoted in Beeke, 685.
By preaching the Word, the Puritans changed England, New England, The
Netherlands, and their impact is still being felt today. The preaching of God’s Word changed
the world. It can do so again.
Paul commands Timothy to preach the Word. He also commands him to persevere in
preaching.
Persevere in Preaching
Consider the context of Paul’s commands to Timothy. This is Paul’s final letter. The
evidence suggests that Timothy was wavering in his faith. Enemies within the church and
persecution from outside the church were probably tempting Timothy to compromise. Paul
highlights the context of pervasive evil in the world (2 Tim. 3; 4:3-4). It was a context of
prevalent heresy within the church (1 and 2 Timothy directly address the false teachers who
had infiltrated the Ephesian Church where Timothy served). Because of these perilous times,
Timothy was to “be ready, in season and out of season.”
“Be ready” is a command that speaks to the preacher’s vigilance despite opposition. It
could refer to the readiness of a soldier. It’s a call to be ready regardless of season or
circumstance. Like so much of 2 Timothy, this is a charge to persevere—to persevere in
preaching.
Regardless of the season we are to preach the Word. Depending on the season,
sometimes plants grow, and sometimes they die. Sometimes they thrive, and sometimes they
dry up. Some seasons are easier than others—the command is the same: Preach the Word.
Look at how Paul goes on to describe the context of Christian preaching in vv. 3-4: For
the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will
accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the
truth and wander off into myths. Despite opposition from within and without, preach the
Word. Regardless of what the people say they want or think they need—preach the Word.
Preach the Word when they rejoice in you and when they reject you. Whether it brings you
accolades or execution, preach the Word. Persevere in preaching. The nature of the season
does not alter the command to preach the Word.
It’s always going to be easier to quit. It’s easy to complain about the season we are in:
Gospel ignorance, confusion, false teaching. But if you quit preaching, you allow these
problems to continue. This is one of the great implications if you quit. Give in to opposition
or fold under pressure—the spiritual diseases we’re trying to treat will continue to spread.
Perseverance in preaching the Word is one of the ways God will stem the contemporary
problems we decry. Imagine if Luther or Calvin would have quit. Luther—“This is too hard,
I think I’ll go to Law School.”
There is a time to flee—Paul fled Thessalonica. But in general, in our preaching, the
default position is to persevere. So it was for Timothy, and so it is for most of us. If you quit,
you will not be preaching to them anymore—and this is what they need.
And we know that God ordains persecution to advance the Gospel. We see it in Acts,
we find it in Philippians, and it’s in 2 Timothy 4 where Paul knows his execution is at hand.
You’ll discover it in the Puritans as well.
History encourages us because it gives us perspective. History allows us to examine
previous seasons and glean from them. The Puritans preached the Word in difficult times—
they persevered—they were used by God. It’s especially encouraging to me that they faced
far more difficult circumstances than we will probably ever face. We can look to those who
persevered in a more difficult season for help in our season (this line of thinking finds a
Biblical/Theological model in Hebrews 12:3-4).
We have hard meetings—the Puritans were hunted. We have hard phone calls to
make, they were imprisoned. You may be fired today, and you will be disparaged, but you
probably won’t be dismembered. We worry about how to pay the bills—John Bunyan made
shoestrings while in jail to help support his family. I don’t intend to minimize the real
struggles we face. I hope to help us find some perspective and encouragement from the
Puritans.
All 11 of John Owen’s children died; He buried 11 children and still persevered. His
wife died 8 years before he did. He ministered during the Black Plague. He was a chaplain
on the battlefields of the English Civil War.
One of the most prevalent themes of The Pilgrim’s Progress is perseverance—because
it was such a necessity.
Why Look to the Puritans for Help?
Because of their Clear and Refined Biblical/Theological Convictions
John Owen wrote over 600 pages articulating and defending the doctrine of the
Perseverance of the Saints.18
18
Entitled The Doctrine of the Saints Perseverance Explained and Confirmed. The full title is one page in length
because of its specificity. It makes up all of volume 11 in Owen’s collected works. Owen, Works, Vol. 11.
Regarding salvation, John Owen writes,
“And hence the work of grace in conversion is constantly expressed by words denoting a real internal
efficiency; such as creating, quickening, forming, giving a new heart, whereof afterward. Wherever
this word is spoken with respect unto an active efficiency, it is ascribed unto God; he creates us anew,
he quickens us, he begets us of his own will. But where it is spoken with respect unto us, there it is
passively expressed; we are created in Christ Jesus, we are new creatures, we are born again, and the
like; which one observation is sufficient to evert the whole hypothesis of Arminian grace.”19
Consider the specificity and guileless title of Owen’s first book:
A Display of Arminianism: being a discovery of the old Pelagian idol, free-will, with the new goddess,
contingency, advancing themselves into the throne of God in heaven to the prejudice of His grace,
providence and supreme dominion over the children of men.
How Owen received his Biblical/Theological depth:
“I must now say, that, after all my searching and reading, prayer and assiduous meditation have been
my only resort, and by far the most useful means of light and assistance. By these have my thoughts
been freed from many an entanglement”20
Because of their Example as Biblical Reformers
They are compelling models for modern Biblical Church reform.21
“And how can we more effectually further a reformation, than by endeavouring to reform the leaders of
the Church?” –Richard Baxter22
“If God would but reform the ministry, and set them on their duties zealously and faithfully, the people
would certainly be reformed.” –Richard Baxter23
“All churches either rise or fall as the ministry doth rise or fall (not in riches or worldly grandeur) but
in knowledge, zeal and ability for their work.” –Richard Baxter24
19
Owen, Works, Vol. 3, 317.
20
Owen, Works, Vol. 1, LXXXV.
Their articulation and living out of Soli Scriptura, their reliance on the Sufficiency of Scripture, and their focus
on the centrality of God’s Word in the Church are especially helpful.
21
22
Baxter, 39.
23
Quoted in Packer, 38.
24
Quoted in Packer, 38.
Because of their Commitment to Expository Preaching
Their methodology is sound, well-reasoned, and has stood the test of time.
Because of Their Influence on Other Giants of the Faith
Charles Spurgeon was heavily influenced by the Puritans.
“By all means read the Puritans, they are worth more than all the modern stuff put together.”
–Charles Spurgeon25
“From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then
winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has
adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.” –Charles Spurgeon26
“The old writers, who are, by far, the most sensible—for you will notice that the books that were
written about 200 years ago by the old Puritans have more sense in one line than there is in a page of
our new books—and more in a page than there is in a whole volume of our modern divinity!...In a
cubic inch of Charnock, or Owen, there is enough matter to cover acres of the new school of writing.”
–Charles Spurgeon27
Spurgeon records this conversation with his wife:
“Another Sabbath night…The dear Pastor is not only weary, but sorely depressed in spirit. ‘Oh,
darling!...I fear I have not been as faithful in my preaching to-day as I should have been; I have not
been as much in earnest after poor souls as God would have me be. O Lord, pardon Thy servant!’ ‘Go,
dear,…to the study, and fetch down Baxter’s Reformed Pastor, and read some of it to me; perhaps that
will quicken my sluggish heart.’” --Charles Spurgeon28
“We want again Luthers, Calvins, Bunyans, Whitefields, men fit to mark eras, whose names breath
terror in our foemen’s ears. We have dire need of such. Whence will they come to us? They are the
gifts of Jesus Christ to the Church, and will come in due time. He has power to give us back again a
golden age of preachers, a time as fertile of great divines and mighty ministers as was the Puritan age,
25
Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2002), 184.
26
From his Article: “Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?”
Quoted in Tom Nettles, Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon
(Scotland: Mentor; Christian Focus Pulications, 2013), 23-24.
27
Charles Spurgeon, Autobiography: Volume 1: The Early Years (Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2005),
417.
28
and when the good old truth is once more preached by men whose lips are touched as with a live coal
from off the altar, this shall be the instrument in the hand of the Spirit for bringing about a great and
thorough revival of religion in the land.” –Charles Spurgeon29
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was also heavily influenced by the Puritans. The good doctor
describes them by noting, “Those men were preachers, they were practical, experimental preachers,
who had a great pastoral interest and care for the people. So as you read them you find that they not
only give knowledge and information, they at the same time do something to you.”30
You can drink from the same well as Spurgeon and Lloyd-Jones. Be counseled by
their spiritual counselors. You can be apprenticed by John Owen (through his writings).
Imagine the value of a 20 year apprenticeship with Owen.
John MacArthur writes (in a forward for a Puritan book),
“Reading it (that is, The Mischief of Sin) reminded me once again how seriously the Puritans dealt
with Scripture, how clearly they thought, how straightforwardly they preached, how sensibly they
presented their doctrine, and how wonderfully they could convey heavenly truth through the medium
of earthly language.”31
How to be Encouraged by the Puritans
Read Primary Sources; Read Books Written by Puritans
Puritan books have been invaluable to me as a Christian and a pastor. This is one of
the main reasons I wanted to bring the Puritans into this sermon: I think you can also greatly
benefit from their influence—especially their books. I want to exhort you to read the
Puritans. We all have a limited time to read, and all have limited abilities. Therefore we
must be very selective in the books we give our time to—we must find and read the best
books.
As a pastor, your knowledge of the Scripture (and theology) is essential to your ability
to deliver God’s Word to the Church. Greater depth in Biblical knowledge, and wisdom in
applying Biblical truth will make you fitter for our Lord’s service. Reading and thinking
through Scripture with the Puritans will greatly help you in all your tasks.
29
Ibid., v.
30
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1972), 174-175.
31
Thomas Watson, The Mischief of Sin (London: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1994), v.
Many Puritan works are deep meditations on Scripture. They not only supply a
helpful model of meditating on Scripture, but they also offer penetrating insight into difficult
theological issues.32 We want to help God’s people grow in the faith; we want Christians to
mature; we want the church to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. Their writings will help
us lead God’s people to these green pastures, and help us feed the flock of God.
The first Puritan book I recommend you read is The Pilgrim’s Progress. After that, I
would suggest you read John Owen’s, The Mortification of Sin (I recommend beginning with
the abridged version put out by The Banner of Truth). Then move to one of the following
(depending on your present need): John Flavel’s The Mystery of Providence, Richard Sibbes The
Bruised Reed, and Jeremiah Burroughs The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.
Get to know the Puritans from primary sources, not second-hand critics. They have
often been maligned, misrepresented, and misunderstood (Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The
Scarlet Letter to intentionally lampoon and attack the Puritans).
They offer far better counsel and far sounder advice than many of the voices at your
local Christian bookstore.
Use Puritan Books in Your Discipleship of Others
Reading The Pilgrim’s Progress is a great way to introduce other Christians to edifying
Puritan literature. The first time I read Bunyan’s classic with a small group of Christians,
more than one remarked to me how the book, “changed them and their theology.” I was
recently overjoyed when one of our college students described how she had been reading The
Pilgrim’s Progress out loud to her college roommate. Several of the men I’ve met with for
regular discipleship have been greatly challenged and helped by Owen’s The Mortification of
Sin (though reading Owen is probably not for everyone, this work is simply the best book
ever on Christian sanctification). By giving Puritan works to your church members, you’ll be
encouraging their maturity.
Owen’s Apostasy from the Gospel is a meditation on Hebrews 6:4-6. His Mortification of Sin is an exposition and
meditation on Romans 8:13 and the doctrine of Sanctification.
32
Appendix 1
A Brief Overview of the Puritan Movement
J. I. Packer dates the Puritan era at 1550-1700.33 Of his age, Richard Sibbes remarks, “I
have lived in the best times of the Gospel.” Below are some defining points of Puritanism and the
Puritan era.
“Puritanism was at heart a spiritual movement, passionately concerned with God and godliness. It
began in England with William Tyndale…”34
“Puritanism was essentially a movement for church reform, pastoral renewal and evangelism, and
spiritual revival…”35
“Who, then, were the Puritans? Perhaps John Milton put it best, when he spoke of ‘the reforming of
the Reformation,’ for that was the united goal of all Puritans. It was not that they thought they were
pure; it was that they wanted to purify what in the church and in themselves had not yet been purified.
They wanted reform, and while they had some different ideas as to what that should look like, they
wanted to apply the Reformation to everything it had not yet touched. They thought the Reformation
was a good thing, but that it was not yet complete.”36
“Puritanism was about reforming all of life under the sole authority of the Bible.”37
“They yoked their consciences to his word, disciplining themselves to bring all activities under the
scrutiny of Scripture, and to demand a theological, as distinct from a merely pragmatic, justification
for everything that they did.”38
“…throughout history God has raised up men and movements whose great work was to expound and
apply that Word to their own generation, and by implication to ours also. Such men were the Puritans
and such a movement was Puritanism.”39
33
Packer, 11.
34
Ibid., 28.
35
Ibid., 28.
Michael Reeves, The Unquenchable Flame: Discovering the Heart of the Reformation (Nashville, TN: B & H
Academic, 2009), 151.
36
37
Ibid., 154.
38
Packer, 29.
39
Lewis, 11.
“It was through the pulpit that Puritanism made its mark on the English nation in the early
seventeenth century.”40
40
Leland Ryken, Worldly Saints: The Puritans as they Really Were (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1990), 91.
Appendix 2
A Timeline of the Puritan Era
1546:
1558:
1559:
1563:
1564:
Martin Luther dies.
William Perkins is born.
Act of Uniformity requires the use of The Book of Common Prayer for public worship.
The Heidelberg Catechism.
John Calvin dies. Michelangelo dies. William Shakespere is born. Galileo is born. The
term “Puritan” is first used.
1567: The Puritan controversy over vestments.
1570: Thomas Cartwright is expelled from Cambridge for his criticisms of Anglicanism.
1576: Elizabeth I orders Archbishop Grindal to suppress the Puritan “prophesyings.”
1577: Richard Sibbes is born.
1588: The Spanish Armada fails to invade England.
1592: William Perkins publishes The Art of Prophesying.
1599: Oliver Cromwell is born; Jeremiah Burroughs is born.
1600: Thomas Goodwin is born. Samuel Rutherford is born.
1602: William Perkins dies.
1603: James I becomes The King of England.
1605: Theodore Beza dies. The Gunpowder Plot.
1608: John Milton is born. Thomas Brooks is born. Galileo builds the first telescope.
1610: The Remonstrance.
1611: The King James Version of the Bible is published.
1615: Richard Baxter is born.
1616: John Owen is born; William Shakespeare dies.
1618-19: The Synod of Dordt.
1620: Thomas Watson is born. William Guthrie is born. The Pilgrims land at Plymouth
Rock. They bring a copy of the Geneva Bible with them on the Mayflower.
1623: Blaise Pascal is born.
1625: Charles I becomes The King of England.
1628: John Bunyan is born. Stephen Charnock is born. John Flavel is born. Oliver Cromwell
becomes a member of Parliament.
1630: Richard Sibbes publishes The Bruised Reed. John Howe is born.
1633: William Laud is appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. The “Great Migration” of
Puritans to New England begins.
1635: Richard Sibbes dies.
1637: The Prayer book riot in Edinburgh.
1641: Richard Baxter becomes pastor in Kidderminster.
1642: The English Civil War begins between Charles I and Parliament. John Owen is
converted in a Presbyterian church after hearing a sermon on Matt. 8:26. Isaac
Newton is born.
1643: John Owen became a pastor of a small church in Fordham, Essex.
1643-49: The Westminster Assembly produces the Westminster Confess of Faith, two
catechisms, and The Directory of Public Worship.
1644: The First London Confession of Faith is drafted by Baptists.
1645: Parliament took over the Monarchy under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell. William
Laud was beheaded.
1646: Jeremiah Burroughs dies.
1647: John Owen publishes The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.
1648: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment published (2 years after Burroughs’ Death).
1649: Charles I was beheaded.
1651: Hobbes writes Leviathan.
1652: Thomas Brooks publishes Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices.
1653: Cromwell becomes “Lord Protector,” Parliament is dissolved.
1656: Richard Baxter publishes The Reformed Pastor. John Owen publishes The Mortification of
Sin.
1658: Oliver Cromwell dies. William Guthrie publishes The Christian’s Great Interest.
Congregationalists adopt The Savoy Confession.
1660: Parliament reinstates the Monarchy; Charles II becomes king. John Bunyan is arrested.
1661: Samuel Rutherford dies.
1662: “The Act of Uniformity” required all churches to submit to the Church of England.
Around 2,000 Puritan pastors are expelled from their churches for not submitting to
the State Church. Blaise Pascal dies. Matthew Henry is born.
1665: Around 70,000 die in London from the Black Plague.
1666: Thomas Watson publishes The Godly Man’s Picture.
1667: John Milton publishes Paradise Lost.
Around 1670: John Bunyan writes The Pilgrim’s Progress in prison.
1672: “The Declaration of Religious Indulgence” allowed Puritans to legally preach again.
1674: John Milton dies. Isaac Watts is born.
1677: Baptists meet and approve The Second London Confession.
1678: John Bunyan publishes The Pilgrim’s Progress (with the help of John Owen). John Flavel
publishes The Mystery of Providence.
1679: Thomas Goodwin dies.
1680: Thomas Brooks dies. Stephen Charnock dies.
1683: John Owen dies.
1685: James II becomes The King of England (he was Catholic). “The Bloody Assizes” leads
to 300 Puritan pastors being put to death. Richard Baxter is imprisoned.
1686: Thomas Watson dies.
1688: John Bunyan dies at the age of 60. The Glorious Revolution begins when William
successfully invades England.
1689: William and Mary ascend to the throne. The Act of Toleration: Puritans regain their
freedom to worship. An assembly of Baptists meet and adopt The Second London
Confession (originally composed in 1677).
1691: Richard Baxter dies. John Flavel dies.
1705: John Howe dies.
1708: Matthew Henry publishes his Complete Commentary.