The third way the Puritans had a decisive effect on J. I. Packer was through Richard Baxter. Concerning Baxter’s influence on him, Packer wrote: “He convinced me that regular discursive meditation, in which you ‘imitate the most powerful preacher you ever heard’ in applying spiritual truth to yourself, as well as turning the truth into praise, is a vital discipline for spiritual health. This was the unanimous Puritan view, and it is now mine too.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones also emphasized the benefits that come from “preaching to our own souls.” We see examples of this all throughout the Psalms. David often questioned and exhorted his own soul, carrying on dialogues with himself such as found in Psalm 42:5: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him.”
The fourth way Packer was influenced by the Puritans was also through Richard Baxter’s writings. His book The Reformed Pastor shaped Packer’s vision of “the ordained minister’s pastoral office.” He wrote that the words of Baxter’s book, “work their way into your heart and conscience, and will not be dislodged. My sense of being called to preach the gospel, teach the Bible, and shepherd souls was learned through my study of Baxter’s own ministry and his Reformed Pastor.”
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