I think a healthy habit for Christians in the 21st century is to read the wisdom of the Puritans in the 16th-18th centuries. Men like John Owen, Thomas Watson, Jonathan Edwards, Richard Baxter, Richard Sibbes, John Foxe, John Bunyan, and many others have found their way onto my bookshelf; but more importantly, their biblical wisdom and insight has permeated my soul. I want to be a puritan of the 21st century, and one reason why I think it so important for modern Christianity to be immersed in the rich theological and pietistical culture of the Puritans is that we have lost the art at proper self-evaluation. We tend to stare at our belly-buttons in an ecclesiastical, introspective stupor. The Puritans, as I like to say, kept a “finger on the pulse of their soul” not by self-evaluation as we understand it, but by evaluating self in light of God’s Word and truth. This is a great cure for lack of fervency, passion and love to God in the believer’s life. Like Henry Law stated, “stare at the Gospel-page until thy soul’s feature’s melt into Christ’s likeness.”
I stumbled across this gem from Puritan Thomas Brooks. This is just an excerpt from his fantastic piece “Christ’s Love for Us.” I truly hope you enjoy and are spurred onward in godliness, love and good works!
See that you love the Lord Jesus Christ with a superlative love, with an overtopping love. There are none have suffered so much for you as Christ; there are none that can suffer so much for you as Christ. The least measure of that wrath that Christ has sustained for you, would have broke the hearts, necks, and backs of all created beings. [Read more…] about Overtopping Love
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