Church History
Church History
Some of My Favorite Puritans
My favorite Puritan-minded theologian from the English tradition is Anthony Burgess; from the Dutch tradition, Wilhelmus á Brakel; and from the Scottish tradition, Samuel Rutherford. Let me explain why. Anthony Burgess (d. 1664) In my opinion, Anthony Burgess, vicar of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire from 1635 to 1662, is the most...
Christian Living
What the Puritans Would Say to Modern Pastors
…One of the great motives driving the Puritans was the need to raise up ministers who imitate Christ. Luke 6:40 says, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect [fully trained] shall be as his master.” I would lay before you seven points in which...
Resources
The Foundation of Puritan Worship: Knowing God in Christ
Stephen Charnock (1628–1680), a gifted Puritan pastor and theologian, said that we cannot worship God unless we consider Him worthy of worship, and we cannot consider Him worthy of worship unless we know Him in Christ. That involves three important things. First, we must know the gospel of Jesus Christ....
Church History
Absolute Predestination
The… reprinted classic Absolute Predestination brings together the thoughts of two men with very different backgrounds. One was Italian; the other, English. One lived in the sixteenth century; the other in the eighteenth century. One is best known today for his profound theology, and the other for his hymns of...
Resources
The Amazing Wonder of Adoption
The triune God delights in family planning. Unlike most modern human family planning, which is restrictive and limiting, God’s plans for His family are expansive and enlarging. Spiritual adoption—the wonderful teaching that every genuine Christian is an adopted child in God’s family—is a foundational and vital factor that God uses...
Resources
The Restoration of Conscience
In God’s restoration of His image in the soul, He also restores the conscience. This takes place in awakening the conscience by preaching, informing the conscience by Scripture, healing the conscience by the gospel, and exercising the conscience in self-examination. 1. Conscience must be awakened by preaching. One mark of...
Resources
Jesus is the Lord God Almighty
Jesus is the Lord God Almighty, the great I Am. His very name and word can bring men and angels to their knees. He is a Savior for the lost, a Redeemer for the guilty, a Physician for the sick, a Friend for the needy, an Intercessor for the sin-accused,...
Resources
The Marriage of Christ and His Church
Have you ever noticed that the Bible does not speak about dying and going to heaven? It speaks about dying and going to be with Christ. Christ is the sum and substance of heaven’s glory. Samuel Rutherford said, “Suppose that our Lord would manifest His art, and make ten thousand...
Church History
How to Profit from Reading the Puritans
Here are nine ways you can grow spiritually by reading Puritan literature today: 1. Puritan writings help shape life by Scripture. The Puritans loved, lived, and breathed Holy Scripture. They also relished the power of the Spirit that accompanied the Word. Rarely can you open a Puritan book and not...
