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8/12/2019 1988 Issue 9 - How a Puritan Lived - Counsel of
Chalcedon
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How
a
uritan
ived
byC.H. Spurgeon
We
have been
of
late greatly struck
with the placid, heavenly lives of some
of
the Puritans.
In
these days piety is
frequently superficial, and meditation
andreligious exercises are much neglect
ed. We thought it would
be one of
the
best rebukes of this evil, and one of the
surest ways of stirring up our brethren
to better things, if we gave them a
specimen of how a believer has lived,
and how he thought and spoke.
The
per-
son whose way of life is here described
was John Row, of Crediton, a county
magistrate, who died in 1660. Reader,
look at his life, and then at your own,
and see wherein to amend.
n
his accounts, which he made up
every day,
the
method that he used in
his meditation
was
to consider
what
God had done for him, and what his
carriage had been towards God; and he
said, when he considered what God s
carriage towards
him had
been, he saw
that God had been doing him good in a
constant tenor, but when he reflected
upon himself he saw many failings;
whereupon he said there was
no
action
done
by
him
that
was ever
so
good
but
that he could see and lament some cir
cumstance or other
in
which it was de-
fective; and he said, I have accounted
it
a great pitch when the Lord hath shewed
me some defects
in
my best actions
that
m y
go clean
out
of myself unto
Jesus Christ.
By
this constant practice
of reviewing his life and actions he kept
much inward peace
of
conscience,
and
C.H. SpurgCOII
wu
a Baptist preacfler
In
London
In
the
middle
of
the last
century.
He
wa
s,
by any standard,
one
of
the greatest
preachers or all
lime. He was,
doubUcss, the most
knowlegeable person, outside the
Puritan
era,
or
the hi otory
of
the
Puritans, having
the
largest library of
Puritan works In existence.
usually
at
the
close
of
the day, after the
casting up his accounts and fervent pra-
yer, the Lord made it out to him that all
was pardoned, and
by
this means he
attained to such an habitual persuasion
of the
love
of
God, so that he for the m-
ost part walked in the light of God s
countenance fr om day to day. Much of
his prayers were that his faith might be
so strengthened as to see and behold the
love of God in all the passages of his
life, that [with Abraham] he
mi
ght
give
the Lord glory
by
believing.
He was very jealous of losing this
blessed privilege, namely, the sense
that he had of the love of God and the
light of his countenance that
he
walked
in.
He
said there were two things that
he
mainly desired
of God
- ftrst, that
having been a professor of religion so
long, he might be kept from scandalous
sins. Secondly, that
God
would not hide
his face from him, saying that he was a
man
of
low
spirit,
and
that without
God s presence he could not subsist.
And, therefore, said he, saw t
necessary to be kept under affliction,
that I
might
be
humble, knowing that
God
would not reveal himself to proud
persons.
He was much
in prayer
, and
had
a
singular ability in meditation, and this
made him
a
wise man
and a wise
Christian. He
would
seldom answer
any
serious matter
but
he
would
fust
pause
awhile. He was much delighted
in
a
saying of Dr. Preston that the greatest
rousers are the best artists.
He
was so
much taken up in meditation that he
found
himself
much spent
by
it, and
would
say
that meditation was a
spending thing. Sometimes
in
a
morning, before he rose,
he
would be
meditating an hour or two together.
When he
was
riding or walking abroad
[if
he was alone] he would still be
in
meditation. When he went about his
worldly affairs he would contrive them
beforehand,
and
spend
what
spare time
he had in heavenly contemplation. He
seldom prayed
in
secret without pre-
paring
himself for t by
meditation, say
ing he preferred a
short
prayer after long
meditation above a long prayer without
meditation.
Whenever
he heard a ser
mon he
spent
a considerable time
in
meditating upon what
he
had
heard.
He
used to say, That
if he
were in a
place wherein he
might
have opportuni
ty of hearing more than two sermons a
day he should not like it so well to hear
much, unless he could have liberty to
digest it by meditation. In meditating
upon
the
things he
heard
he
would
dili
gently
look
into all
the
texts that were
quoted,
often
speaking of
that
famous
instance of the Bereans, of whom the
Holy Ghost testifies that they were
more noble than those of Thessalonica,
because they searched the Scriptures
whether those things were so. This
meditation
helped
him greatly, inso
much that by a diligent enquiry into the
Scriptures, and musing upon what he
had heard, he was sometimes carried
much further than what the minister had
touched
upon
: and when he
came to
repeat those sermons
in
his family [as
his constant practice was], having medi
tated upon them beforehand, he would
clear up those passages which had most
difficulty
in
them. or that had been de-
livered more darkly. And if the preacher
was
of
meaner
parts
and
gifts,
and what
he had delivered might not
seem
so
useful, he
would
so explain
and
illu
strate
what
h heard that the
sennon
was always
rendered
profitable
in
his re-
petition of i t
After his repetition on the Lord s
days,
he
used to call his children and
servants to an account of what they had
learned
of that which
had been taught
f
any had been careless, he
would
ad
monish and reprove
them
for their negli
gence, and
show
them the danger they
were in,
by
reason
of
their unprofitable
ness
under
the means
of
grace.
Such
as
were apt
and forward to
remember he
would commend and encourage them,
often mentioning that speech of our
Saviour,
To
him that hath shall more
be given; but from him that hath not
shall be taken away
even that
which he
hath.
And,
though where
th r
was
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8/12/2019 1988 Issue 9 - How a Puritan Lived - Counsel of
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casion, he would speak with great
authority, yet when he came to dis
coursewith his children and servants he
would speak with muchfaJniliarity and
condescension to the meanest
of
their
capacities; thereby insinuating hirilself
into their affections, begetting a love i i l
them to the Word, and taking oppor-
tunity thereby to make things more
plain and easy
to
their understandings.
He was much arid frequertt in prayer;
he often prayed
With
his wife alone;and
when any great occasion fell out in the
day
he
would retire into his closet to
ask counsel and a blessing from the
Lord .Every month .he kept a private
fast by .himself,. besides what he did
upon emergent occasions,
to
seek the
Lord; and the better-to prepare himself
for the.
I...Otd s Supper, at which time
also he had much -upon
his
heart the
concernments
of
the church. Whenever
any
affliction befell him,
ot
any in his
family,
or of
his relations,
his
constant
course was
to
seek the Lord in an
extraordinary way. And i f there were
~ y
great business . hat he
wa8
to under
~ e
or any great strait wherein he
needed divinecourtsel orproteetion; he
still set; time apart in
a
more
than
o r ~
dinary manner,
so
to obtain a special
blessing from the
,Lord, or
render
s p e ~
cial
t h ~ g i v t n g
i
.
Besides his senime ofprayer, he wa8
frequent
in
holy ejaculations, which
prO
ceeded fropt the spiritual frame
of
his
heart; he was
v ~
punctual in keeping
his
ti.tnes
anp. seasons for prayer,
r e d ~
irig, and meditation. Though his world
ly businesses were ,sQmetimes very
ur-
~ e n t ,
yet
was
he always very loth to
.abridge hinlself in his .wonted enjoy
ment of holy exercises;
arid
i f at any
;time
w as
d e p r i v e ~ of his full time,
he would redeem the next opportunity
;o
regain what time. he had lost. He
.used to say, that when he did -hasten
over
~ o l y
duties
o u ~ o f
an eager desire
.to follow his worldly business, he did
many times meet with a cross in them,
;but when he spent his ordinary time
in
devoti.ori .O
.odOid-nake his otlier busi
D,ess
to
p r o s ~
th_
bettf;l
i
or, i f
not,
his
mind was .
broU,ght t
submit to the will
ofGod. , . . , . .
f
he woke
in
a hu:ming before
his
ordinary
time,
yet he would get up; and
his manner was to spend some time in
meditation, for the most part
abOut
the
great work
of
our redemption, and on
the eternal sacrifice
of
the Lord Jesus,
which he offered up to his Father for
the taking away
of
his people s sins;
and he used to counsel his children
every morning to take a tum at the
cross of Christ, and to think of his
sufferings, which; said he, will be a
m.eans
to make you love Christ the
more.
As
he dressed
hiniself in
a mon l
ing he would drop some holy in
structions
or
other among those that
were about
him;
and when he was ready
his first work was to retire into
his
closet, where he spent a considerable
time
in reading, meditation, and
r a y ~
Every morning he read in some part
of the Scriptures, with some commen
tary upon the same, especially with
Calvin s Expositions which he
m.uch
delighted in for the spiritUality and solid
ness thereof.
Having.ended his private devotions
he used
to
call
his
family together
to
whom he communicated what he had
learned by his own meditation, and
what he had learned from the authors
which heread; and whatsoever
his
world
ly business were, he would rarely omit
this exercise in his family: and such
was his modesty and humility in
managing this busiiless, that he would
tell them that
he
would not take upon
him
to interpret the Scripture; but only
would communicate to them what he
had learned from judicious divines. By
this
constant courseof reading and medi
tation he became expert and mighty in
the Scriptures, so that
in his
family
duties he would
open
the Scriptures
With
much clearness
of
judgment, the
Lord enduing
him with a more than
ordinary ability
to make things plain
and familiar to the meanest capacity;
and when he came
to
apply things
to
those of his own family he would care
fully consider every one s condition, and
to thosewhom he feared
to be
still in
the state
of
nature he would lay open
the danger
of
their present condition,
and what a sad
thUJ.g it was
for
them. t:O
remain out of Christ; and whatever the
matter was that he had been speaking
of,
his
exhortation still
was
to press
themto look after Christ, in whom the
Father had laid
up aU
grace, and from
whom they must expect
to
receive
all
grace. His exhortations were attended
with great authority:
and
thete was
so
great a presence
of
od
with
him,
thil.t
many,\ besides his own family, who
occaSionally came to his house, and
heard
him,
will have cause to bless God
for
him 1:0 all eternity,
Having Spent aquarter of an hour, or
a little more, in these exhortatiOns,
he
would close up he duties with prayer,
wherein he would not be long; but his
prayer was so substantial that he would
comprehend the whole
of
religion in a
short prayer. His prayer seeined to
be
nothing but
a
digested meditation acted
by. he Spirit of GOd; every passage in
it ha,d its weight; and not one sentence
could well
be
spared. Though he varied
in
his form, yet the substance and
materials
of his prayers were
for
the
most
part
the same, yet still he took in
the other necessities
of his
family
as
the various providences
of
God gave oc
casion. The
main
scope
itt
which his
prayers were leveled
was the
glory
of
God.
He
was still cattied above himself
to eye and aim at that, and still he
would thus be expressing
it
Lord,
glorify thyself in our salvation; glorify
thyself
n
bestowing this or that grace
upon us.:The matter
of
his prayer
WaS
still coriunensurate to the word of God;
what Scripture required
of us as
a duty,
either in our general or .particular .call
ings,
or in
relation
to
the various
J)ro
vidences of God, that was still the
m a t ~
ter
of
hisprayers; he
was
most eminent
in this, for having a very large and
comprehensive charity he would still
take in the concernment of the
churi::h
Catholic, and woiild constantly
prai
for
that election wherever
they
were
.
-In
the evening, before sili Per,
i f
he
could.
get
liberty; he would spend some
time in reading the
works
of
s01ne
eminent divine; and he took most
delight in Dr; Preston s
books
, wherein
he was so conversant that most ofthe
choicest
a g e
in
his
writings b e ~
came very familiar with
him..
Then
he
betook.himSelf to his constant cotirse
ofpiay er arid rheditation.
A f ~
suppet
;
P ~ 6
The Counsel o Chalcedon, September, 1988
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8/12/2019 1988 Issue 9 - How a Puritan Lived - Counsel of
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he caused his children, and the young
scholars that were in his house [which
for many years was never empty of
such, who were sent to the grammar
school, and by their parents were placed
in his family, to enjoy the benefit
of
his instructions and holy example],
each
of
them to read a chapter; which,
being done, he would call together his
whole family, and would spend the rest
of the evening in catechising, or in
repeating some sermon that had been
preached in the week-day.
When the Sabbath was approaching
he would endeavour so to order his -
fairs that
he
might dispatch his worldly
business in due season, and so have the
more liberty in the evening to set his
heart in order for the duties of the Lord's
day; when it was come he would spend
most
of
the morning in secret prayer
and meditation, and he used
to
be
shorter in his family duties on that day
than on others, that so they might not
be hindered from attending upon the
public ordinances: and his care was to
be there at the beginning; and he used
to say that it was fitter for them
to
wait
for the minister than that the minister
should wait for them; and he would
often mention the example and speech
of Cornelius, Acts 10:33: 'We are all
here present before God,
to
hear all
things which are commanded thee
of
God.' The morning service being ended
he would spend the little time
he
had
before dinner in looking over his notes,
and in meditating upon what he had
heard.
Dinner being ended, he used to repeat
the sermon to his family, and so hasten
to
the congregation. After the sermon
he used to spend a considerable time in
secret, and the rest
of the evening was
spent in repetition of the sermon, and
in calling his family to give an account
of the things which they had learned.
His charity towards others was very
exemplary. Where he saw anything of
Christ or sincerity, though mixed with
some errors in judgment, and accom
p ~ i e with other infirmities, his chari
ty
would pass over those defects, and
embrace the grace
of
God that he appre
hended to be in them. He loved
to
make
the best constructions of the conduct
of
others; and if it could possibly admit of
a candid interpretation he would be sure
to construe
it
in that sense. It was a
rule with him never to speak of the
faults and failings
of
others behind their
backs, except it were in two cases;
either that it might in some way or
other tend
to
the person's reformation,
or else to prevent mischief to others.
Neither could
he
patiently endure to
hear an evil report; and it was the most
unpleasing discourse to him to hear the
infmnities of others blazoned without a
cause.
He was ready to distribute to the ne
cessities
of
others to his power, yea,
many times beyond his power. His
house was free and open at all times for
the entertainment of godly ministers
and others good persons that came to
visit him.
He
was a lover
of
hos
pitality, and spent a great part
of
his
estate that way. Few weeks passed
wherein his house was not a receptable
to entertain and lodge some godly
person or other; and none could be freer,
and more hearty in the entertainment
and respect that he gave unto others,
than
he
was. His love was truly
according to the apostle's .rule -- 'Let
love be without dissimulation.'
As
was his manner of life, so at his
death he was much in the acknowledg
ment
of
his own nothingness and vile
ness, and much in magnifying the free
grace and mercy of God to him. The
minister that preached at his funeral had
this passage concerning him: 'He was
much,' said he, 'in self-denial even to
the last; looking on all that he had done
as nothing, as dross and dung in com
parison with Christ.' Once, when his
wife came to him and said she prayed
that she might follow his steps, he
replied, 'Follow Christ, follow Christ;
he hath given you an example. Blessed
be God for friends, but blessed be God
for Jesus Christ, who hath saved us
from wrath to come.'
Two or three days before he died he
had a sore fit, and thought he should
then have died; but reviving a little he
called for his wife and children, to
whom
he
said, 'This is the true grace of
God, wherein I stand; that I expect
salvation by Jesus Christ and by
him
alone.' nd this he repeated again, and
withal exhorted them, that they should
give themselves up to Christ and live
upon him. A day or two before he died,
when he saw his children weeping
about him he said, Weep for your sins;'
and when his wife was lamenting,
saying what should she
do
when God
took him away? he said, 'You must
repent for that word. Did Joseph say,
Without me God shall provide for the
life of Pharaoh, and shall not God pro
vide
for
you? Yes, he will; only cast
yourself upon him.'
The day wherein he died fell out to be
on the lecture day in that town, and a
near relation coming to see
him
he
would not suffer
him
to stay with him,
but seemed to put him
off
with his
hand, saying, 'Away, away; you will
come too late.'
For he
would not have
him
lose the sermon, though it were
the last time he was like to be with
him
[Reprinted, by permission, from
The
Banner of Truth magazine, Edinburgh,
Scotland, 92, May, 1971.]
Continuing the series of
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orinthians
by
Joe Morecraft, III
Preaching Christ in the
Power
of
the Spirit
II
III
I Cor. 2:1-10)
The Thoughts and
Words of od
(I Cor. 2:11-16)
Knowing the Mind
of
od
(I Cor. 2:14-16)
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The Counsel of Chalcedon, September, 1988
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