Ryan&Amber2013
Puritan Board Graduate
In your own words, how would you sum up what the Puritans called "holy violence"? For example, what would it mean to be violent in prayer? Thanks!
Holy Violence?
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Aggressive and powerful pursuit. If you want something bad enough you strive and grab for it and chase after it and knock down all obstacles to it and will not be deterred.
Do you pursue salvation in the same manner?
John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress has a beautiful passage abut this:
"Then the INTERPRETER took him and led him up toward the door of the palace; and behold, at the door stood a great company of men, as desirous to go in, but durst not. There also sat a man at a little distance from the door, at a table side, with a book and his ink horn before him, to take the name of him that should enter therein: he saw also that in the doorway stood many men in armour, to keep it, being resolved to do to the men that would enter what hurt and mischief they could. Now was CHRISTIAN somewhat amazed: at last, when every man started back, for fear of the armed men, CHRISTIAN saw a man of a very stout countenance come up to the man that sat there to write, saying, "Set down my name, sir"; the which when he had done, he saw the man draw his sword, and put a helmet upon his head, and rush toward the door upon the armed men, who laid upon him with deadly force; but the man not at all discouraged, fell to cutting and hacking most fiercely. So, after he had received and given many wounds to those that attempted to keep him out, he cut his way through them all, and pressed forward into the palace..."
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force!
Do you pursue salvation in the same manner?
John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress has a beautiful passage abut this:
"Then the INTERPRETER took him and led him up toward the door of the palace; and behold, at the door stood a great company of men, as desirous to go in, but durst not. There also sat a man at a little distance from the door, at a table side, with a book and his ink horn before him, to take the name of him that should enter therein: he saw also that in the doorway stood many men in armour, to keep it, being resolved to do to the men that would enter what hurt and mischief they could. Now was CHRISTIAN somewhat amazed: at last, when every man started back, for fear of the armed men, CHRISTIAN saw a man of a very stout countenance come up to the man that sat there to write, saying, "Set down my name, sir"; the which when he had done, he saw the man draw his sword, and put a helmet upon his head, and rush toward the door upon the armed men, who laid upon him with deadly force; but the man not at all discouraged, fell to cutting and hacking most fiercely. So, after he had received and given many wounds to those that attempted to keep him out, he cut his way through them all, and pressed forward into the palace..."
The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force!
Thomas Watson's book "Heaven Taken By Storm" is based on this quote and is one of the best Puritan books on holy violence.
Ed Walsh
Puritan Board Graduate
This book by Thomas Watson was a big help to me.
A little about me. Please bear with me in my foolishness.
Psalm 27:8
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
I can tell you from over 45 years of hard experience that seeking God with all your heart can often be a violent activity. I would say that it took 42 years of failure in this pursuit to finally get it through my head and heart that to seek God with all your heart takes, well, all your heart. The rewards are great, both here and hereafter. To know God, the Holy Trinity is now the passion of my life. This desire has led me, by his grace, to genuine contentment, love to God, and joy in believing. I beg God daily not to hide his face from me, and that if and when he does that I may be able to stand in that evil day. In my case, I have found that the whole work of seeking God takes well over a thousand hours a year (not counting church and family time) of constant struggle in study, prayer, and praise. I regularly pray for you PB members that you will never give up your violent battle after Godliness. I have found that God loves desperate men.
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Seeking God with all your heart is found all over the Bible. Here are some verses:
Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Deuteronomy 13:3
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 11:13
And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
Joel 2:12
Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
1 Samuel 12:24
Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.
Joshua 22:5
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
1 Samuel 12:20
And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;
1 Samuel 7:3
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtoreth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
1 Thessalonians 3:13
To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
Psalms 119:2
Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
2 Chronicles 15:12
And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
Proverbs 4:23
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
2 Chronicles 31:21
And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.
A blessing to hear that Ed. Gurnall's Christian in complete armour is a great follow up book.
Ed Walsh
Puritan Board Graduate
I have always meant to read Gurnall, and thanks to you I just picked it up from Logos a minute ago. Thanks for the reminder. God has been so good to me, but I am convinced that the evil day will come, so I always pray that He will grant me grace enough to stand. But I know my heart and fear I may fall.
Thanks
Ryan&Amber2013
Puritan Board Graduate
What an amazing thought! Thank you so much Mr. Perg!
Ryan&Amber2013
Puritan Board Graduate
Brother Ed, these words are more valuable to me than I'm sure you realize. Thanks a million!
Ryan&Amber2013
Puritan Board Graduate
I actually was reading the Watson book last night, on the section on prayer. In Samuel it says that Hannah poured out her heart before the Lord. It seems that the times I do this I am literally more spiritually satisfied with the things of God. I am seeing more and more just how much passion and affection must be given by us towards our pursuit of God.
Ed, I also have spiritual struggles of this nature so be encouaged others battle on too. I am sure all Puritan board members would agree. One of my own battles is my prayer life so I have decided to work through Spurgeon on Prayer and Spiritual Welfare
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