As I See It…

I am approaching birthday number LXI. (So brush up on your Roman Numerals!) As I come upon this date I have just finished reading one of the most challenging and informative books on preaching I’ve ever read. For a man who has taught three levels of homiletics over eight years, that is a humbling admission.

The title of the book? Puritan Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, by Joel Beeke. In my latter years the Lord has blessed me with a “Puritan Revival” of sorts. I have written about the Puritans at another time, so I won’t tread those same waters. But the content of this book fooled me a little.

It is written by a Puritan scholar with more bibliography of Puritan works under his belt than is fair, by any standard. By reading this book, you not only appreciate the wealth and breadth of Beeke’s knowledge, but you are warmly challenged, convicted and spurred on to greater spiritual heights than you thought imaginable.

For such a brief book, it carries a considerable wallop. Let me just leave you with a few quotations that left me weak, encouraged, rebuked and invigorated…not necessarily in that order!

We do not need stalwart polemicists and apologists so much as we need genuinely pious men of God who bring the atmosphere of heaven with them to the pulpit.

[Regarding the subject of sin, the Puritans…] felt the awesome responsibility of handling eternal truth and addressing immortal souls; called sin sin, and declared it to be moral rebellion against God which reaps eternal guilt.

[The Puritans] were not worried about injuring the self-esteem of listeners. They were far more concerned about esteeming the triune God…

Scores of Puritans reached out evangelistically to children and young people by writing catechism books that explained fundamental Christian doctrines via questions and answers supported by Scripture. For example, John Cotton titled his catechism, Milk for babes, drawn out of the Breasts of both Testaments (Wow!)

And one last statement reserved for those who love souls: The Puritans used every weapon they could—compelling preaching, personal pleading, earnest praying, biblical reasoning, joyful living—to turn sinners from the road of destruction to God.

I wonder, is there a remnant of Puritans still alive in the church today? Care to join my need for a Puritanical revival?

Pastor Megilligan