In an introduction to one of his sermons preached in 1967, J.I Packer gives 5 essential characteristics of Puritan preaching as follows :
“What do you mean by preaching in the Puritan style? I would tell you what I take it to mean.
- Preaching in the Puritan style is preaching that is expository. The Puritans sought to be expositors first and last. Opening texts was their phrase for it, bringing out the treasures hidden in the various texts of the Word of God.
- Preaching in the Puritan style is preaching that is doctrinal. The Puritans believed that texts teach truths and the preacher’s business is to find those truths and display them so that people may learn them.
- Preaching in the Puritan style is preaching that is contemporary. There never were preachers more directly contemporary than the Puritans. One of them said this “it’s a cheap zeal that declaimeth against the errors of yesterday”. And it would be a cheap zeal on my part if I simply aped the Puritans when God has set me to preach the Word to you today.
- Preaching in the Puritan style is preaching that is applicatory. The Puritans sought to get inside their hearers, they sought to use the Word of God in order to search their hearts. They believed that one reason why God has given us His truth was so that we might know ourselves as we are in His presence; as He knows us. The sought to apply the Word in such a way that their congregations would know themselves. Also in such a way that their congregations would feel the healing power of truth, of those particular places of need and trouble, the sore places, the bruised places in their own consciences and in their own hearts.
- Preaching in the Puritan style is preaching that is (if I might try to reclaim an abused phrase) honest to God. Much preaching today, I believe is not honest to God. It is not honest to God in its matter. It does not declare God’s whole counsel. It soft peddles God’s holiness and His severity. That is abusing the Word of God. Much preaching today, I believe is equally failing to be honest to God in its manner. Its sentimental and cheapening holy things. Oh its brilliant and thereby calling attention to the preacher rather than to the Lord. The Puritans lead us out of these into honest preaching. The preaching of those who have sought to hear the Word of God and now stand before congregations to declare what they have heard.
This to be sure is what I mean by preaching in the Puritan style. You can see that it is only by the grace of God that anyone ever succeeds in preaching in the Puritan style. If a man ever does, he ought to be very thankful.” [1]
Amen, may God raise up such preachers in our day for His glory.
Footnotes
----------------------
[1] Sermon entitled “Romans 7&8” by J.I Packer
