Those Puritans! (Packer’s Quest for Godliness)

Recently I’ve spent time reading J. I. Packer’s book A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life. In one way, I’m embarrassed to admit I’m reading a book about the Puritans! How entirely out of fashion and out of step with these ’emergent’ times. How fond so many contemporary advocates of the Puritans are about glorying in that very fact; wearing it like a badge of ecclesio-historical honor that it sickens me.

I came upon the book after reading Packer’s Keep in Step with the Spirit, a book I’ve wanted to read for quite some time but just now finally did entirely. His hearty advocacy for the Puritans led me to reconsider them. Jason’s grandfather’s library – virtual treasure trove of classic Christian authors – had this book in it, so I picked it up as my next read.

Packer is a thorough and helpful guide on the Puritans, but at times his prose can in itself feel like and orientation to the long-winded, abstruse works hi is shaking hands with throughout the book.

All that being said, I’m embarrassed now for an entirely different reason: that I’ve never seriously engaged with the Puritans before this time. Packer’s historical background and literary survey at the beginning of the book shows a deep desire for good thinking about God’s truth that didn’t surprise me at all. That’s what I think of when I consider the Puritans; sometime for good and sometimes for ill. However, Packer’s revelation of the thorough and heartfelt practical application of God’s truth to daily living resounded with my own desires in ministry.

There emerges such a clear, personal engagement with God in these 17th century pastors which provides a rich feeding into their pastoral ministry with everyday people. I am moved by their deep concern to do ‘personal work’ with the people in their parishes out of the overflow of their deep thinking.

God forgive me for my prejudices against them! And God help me to be a pastor with such great concern for my people as them!