Looking Back: the Puritans

Puritan quote by John Bunyan "You can do more than pray after you've prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed."

        Okay, so some of you might be wondering who the Puritans refers to, or you might just skip this post because it looks kinda boring, but bear with me! Unfortunately, I don't have time to write my definition of the Puritans...okay, I don't have an official one- but I have been learning a lot about them, and find it very interesting! So I thought I would share a few of the questions I asked and answered to myself.  Hopefully you like it :)

  Why should we study the Puritans? Studying the Puritans can be beneficial in two ways, first their history. All study of history is enriching as we learn about the church, context, and culture of different eras, and is especially so in this unique time frame (late 16th- early 18th century).  We can also learn a lot by witnessing God's amazing providence displayed in their time. Secondly, we can improve our own Christian walk by learning from the Puritans' maturity, as well as their motives for their way of life.

    What made the Puritans different from those around them? One thing that set them apart was an earnest sense of duty to God. They didn't see this negatively as we may be prone to, but as a joy, and a small thing to give The Lord in return for His great love. It sprung from an honest look at the filthy state of man, compared to God's holy commandments, and resulted in a desire for complete conformity to scriptures in every area. Another element that set them apart was their desire to live life in light of their eternal destination. The living out of each day with a conscious acknowledgment of the vapor-like nature of life, and the vastness of eternity, will likely give anyone a more meaningful, motivated and solemn way of life, though not (in assurance of eternity with Christ) an unhappy one.
    One way we can improve our Christian walk in studying the Puritans is to observe their response to their difficult times. How did they respond to the political and ecclesiastical hardships of the day? First they turned to Scriptures. As sons of the Reformation they had witnessed the transforming power of Sola Scriptura on society. Secondly, they united in faith, practice, and prayer. Although certainly not unanimous in all areas, they had a beautifully deep sense of spiritual brotherhood in Christ. Lastly, they persevered. Even though in God's providence their dream of uniting all England in total reform did not succeed, their lives, families, and churches continued to grow broader and deeper. We can all look up to these godly men, and through their influence gain maturity in our Christian walk.

     

Oh my! I have sooo much to learn. From my family, from you also, my friends I'm learning and have learned so much! Thank you so much for the wonderful friends you are! Also I'm learning a lot from books from and about men like these. You can just see love for Christ pouring out of everything, their writing, lives, their heritage. I'd really encourage you, if you don't know much about the puritans, to learn more. John Bunyan, John Knox, John Robinson ( okay I'm seeing a theme here!) William Brewster, William Bradford, (another theme!) and others (whew...). Have any of you studied or heard about a specific Puritan/pilgrim who has taught you something? Please leave a comment and let me know! I'd love to hear about the things you are learning. While you're here, you should check out this amazing video about the pilgrims and our founding fathers...you'll be glad you did!


(Click the picture and it will pull it up on Amazon...) I hope you are encouraged to find the buried treasure in these men's writings, and lives!
THANK YOU my dear readers for taking time to read this, and stay tuned for more Looking Back; the Puritans.

Blessings in Christ!
~ Madi