Join us on Thursdays at 7:00am as we read through classic writings by the Puritans! Joyless. Severe. Fanatical. "Haunted by the fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." That's the Puritan reputation. However, when you read the Puritans you will actually discover quite the opposite. You will find men who love God with zeal seeking to conform all their lives to Christ. You will find a joyful tone as they write helping others to discover the warmth of the triune-God. We are currently reading Josiah's Reformation by Richard Sibbes.
Richard Sibbes always sought to get under the superficial layer of his listeners’ behaviour and deal with their hearts. He knew that the outward acts of sin spring from the inner desires of the heart. Merely to alter a person’s behavior without dealing with those desires would cultivate hypocrisy, the self-righteous cloak for a cold and vicious heart. Sibbes believed that hearts must be turned, and evil desires eclipsed by stronger ones for Christ.
