Gems from a Puritan Conference: The Puritans are important, especially in today’s increasingly pagan world of self-love and exultation of sin. Recently, Grace Community Church hosted to 2022 Puritan conference. See video and links below.
Personal note
Before I became a Christian, I’d heard whisperings about the Puritans. After God saved me, I learned more. But for a long time I regarded them as those weird people who were Calvinists, and frowned at having fun. I assumed they were killjoys.
I recall the first day I visited the Reformed church I still attend. My wife informed they had a bookstore—and I do love books! So I spent some time browsing. The shelves were stacked with Calvinistic books and the Puritans. I expressed this observation and disappointment to my wife.
At the time, I was steeped in studying prophecy and future Israel. There’s nothing wrong with that; I still love these things. But in time I felt I needed more spiritual nourishment. Moody and DTS were not publishing the books I wanted to read. Moreover, there was a trend towards producing books addressing social issues.
But I kept browsing our church bookstore and came across Andrew Bonar, Diary and Life, and remembered him from reading Barry Horner’s Future Israel. The Diary was a catalyst to my reading more and more Puritans. They didn’t alter my view of prophecy and Israel, but they fed me.
Why read the Puritans?
Joel Beeke gives us nine reasons why we ought to read the Puritans. Towards the end of his article he notes,
With the Spirit’s blessing, they [the Puritans] will enrich your life in many ways as they open the Scriptures to you, probe your conscience, bare yours sins, lead you to repentance, and conform your life to Christ. Let the Puritans bring you into full assurance of salvation and a lifestyle of gratitude to the Triune God for His great salvation.
One doesn’t need to agree with their eschatology—they were postmil and amil for the most part—to be blessed by them. You don’t have to be Calvinistic either. Their concern was to tend God’s flock and to glorify Him in their lives. They knew God! We can learn from that.
The 2022 Puritan Conference videos
There’s a great example of Christian unity in a Q & A with John MacArthur and John Piper. These two men have disagreed on points over the years. Yet their love for God and shepherding the flock unites them in this God-edifying session.
The rest of the conference presentations can be found HERE
We hope you will watch and benefit from them.
Maranatha!
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