Tuesday, February 08, 2005
The English Puritan
Well, whenever I hear Christians knock other believers (whether its me they knock or others) because they have this false picture of unhappy, dour, sombre folks, who must be miserable cos they take their faith seriously and is at the centre point of their lives, this quote seems a good one to bring to mind. As these people were involved in every aspect of life. There's loads of unpublished thus far Puritan sermons preached before parliament. But there faith just was active in every area of life, and isn't this the kind of Godliness and piety we should all strive after? And does this word picture bring to mind an unhappy misery guts? Or someone happy in serving God to the best of their ability? Again I dunno who it was by, as again I heard it during a sermon. But the description was apparently given by someone who was a friend of the English puritans in their day."The old English Puritan was such a one that honored God above all else and under God gave everyone his due. His first care was to serve God and therein he did not was good in his own but in God's sight. Making the rule of God the rule of his worship. He highly esteemed order in the house of God and would not under color of that submit to superstitious rites. He reverenced authority keeping within its sphere. He was much in prayer with which he began and closed the day. In it he was exercised in his closet family and public assembly. He esteemed that preaching best wherein there was most God and least of man, and that method best which was most helpful to understanding affections and memory. The Lord's Day he esteemed divine ordinance and rest on it necessary so far as conduced to holiness. He was careful to remember it, to get house and heart in order for it, and when the Sabbath came he was serious to take advantage of it. The sacrament of baptism he received in infancy. The Lord's Supper he accounted part of his souls food. He esteemed those churches most pure where the government is by elders. His chiefest music was by singing of psalms wherein he neglected not the melody of the voice he looked chiefly after that of the heart. He accounted religion and engagement to duty that the best Christians should be best husbands, best wives, best parents, best children, best masters best servants, best magistrates, best subjects. The family he endeavored to make a church. Both in regards of persons and exercises admitting none into it except such as feared God and laboring that those that were born into it might be born again under God. He blessed his family morning and evening with a word in prayer. His whole life he accounted a warfare wherein Christ was his captain, his arms prayers and tears, the cross his banner."
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