Puritan Preaching

J. I. Packer wrote that the Puritans can be a valuable guide to us concerning the content of the gospel.  The Puritans understood that knowledge of God is fundamental to a sound conversion.  “This is important,” wrote Packer, “in that it challenges our modern idea that preaching ‘gospel sermons’ means just harping on a few great truths—

guilt, and atonement, and forgiveness—set virtually in a theological vacuum.  The Puritan view was that preaching ‘gospel sermons’ means teaching the whole Christian system of truth—the character of God, the plan of salvation.  Preach less and the gospel will not be properly grasped.”  The Puritans held that knowledge of sin and salvation presupposes some knowledge of the creation; no one can understand what sin is until they have learned what God is.  The Puritans would tell us that we need to lay the same foundation as Paul did at Athens.  To the Puritans, a vital part of the gospel message was convincing people of their sin, and opening their eyes to see sin in relation to God.  That means giving them an understanding that He will be their judge.  They held that the index of the soiundness of a person’s faith in Christ is the genuineness of the self-despair from which it springs.  They give us much to consider.