Category Meet the Puritans

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Socinianism: Then and Now?

The term “Socinianism” has recently appeared in various theological discussions, especially as it relates to topics such as the doctrine of the Trinity and biblicism. At the same time, many have little familiarity with the history or definitive marks of…

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Getting the Word and Growing in Grace

Calvin once said that we listen to ourselves too much, and we talk to ourselves too little. Specifically, Calvin meant telling ourselves the truth of the Word of God. Many Puritans followed Calvin in this encouragement, including Thomas Hooker Use…

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Can We Overemphasize the Cross?

Is it possible to undervalue Christ’s sufferings by overemphasizing the cross? In his Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, Herman Witsius (1636-1708) includes a profound section on the extent to which Christ’s sufferings make satisfaction for our sins…

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How John Owen Prepared Sermons

I once spent a cracking day at the Evangelical Library in London, attending a “Reading John Owen” conference. Those lectures (including Nigel Graham’s exceptional popular introduction to the life of Owen) left me hungry to do more reading and re-reading of John…

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The Oft-Unopened Gift of Shame

In his classic work, The Doctrine of Repentance, the great Puritan Thomas Watson lists six ingredients necessary for true repentance: Sight of sin Sorrow for sin Confession of sin. Shame for sin. Hatred for sin. Turning from sin. According to…