The Puritans were precise. They were known as precisionists. Are you precise in your own studies or sermons? If you are a teacher, are you precise in the classroom? What we need are precise teachers today, and they are hard to come by.

Where oh Where have the Precisionists Gone?
By Dr. C. Matthew McMahon

[Edited on 3-21-2005 by webmaster]

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C. Matthew McMahon, Ph.D. (Pot hole Digger)
John 5:39, "...search the Scriptures..."

Dr. C. Matthew McMahon.com, www.apuritansmind.com and www.puritanpublications.com
Member - Christ Presbyterian Church

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago

Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you? Woo--woo--woo

I have a vague understanding of what Matt is getting at, could someone help to clarify? :bigsmile:

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Andrew

Matt

I often wonder about this. It is not always possible to nail everything though - if we could, we would be God. What we can do is be as precise as possible in our nailing attempts, I suppose...

JH

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Jonathan Hunt

Elder holding forth the word of life at:
Cheltenham Evangelical Free Church (Confessionally Based)
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Logic is a systematic method of coming to the wrong conclusion with confidence.
-- Thomas Elsworth

Shouldn't we just base everything on our feelings.

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How often have you wondered why Christ should set His heart upon such a one as you! --Octavius Winslow

Lon Wadkins (Jesup, Iowa)
New Covenant Fellowship, OPC
Independence, Iowa

Hey yeah! Have we tried that one yet??

Seriously though I wish we could go back to that. I am reading "Marriage to a Difficult Man, The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards" and it gives alot of detail into the daily life and practices of their time. The reasons for things like the raised pulpit in the church for the minister etc. Part of the puritan life that we can never get back though that was an integral part of their lives in colonial America especially, was the degree of hard work, thrift, and discipline they had to practice just to survive in a fledgling country. This aspect kept them in a constant state of prayer and dependence on God. You could reasonably expect to live only to the age of about 45 or 50 maybe. You could also reasonable expect only about half of your babies to live past infancy. You had to make literally everything you used daily. They worked hard and prayed hard. The church was the central aspect of the town. You could not even charter a township without a learned orthodox minister, it was a requirement along with clearing 5 acres of grass and staking out 63 lots allowing 2 for ministers and one for a school. Some of this we can never get back but biblical precision can be brought back if our seminaries and churches if it is demanded but I think that we are quite a ways from that at this point. The second reformation is just gearing up. I hope.

[Edited on 3-21-2005 by Augusta]

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Traci
Lynnwood OPC
"I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad deeds, and cast them through each other in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and betaken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him I have sweet peace."--David Dickson

We are to be precise in accordance with the measure of grace that has been given to us.

[Edited on 3-21-2005 by maxdetail]

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Bob Vigneault C.O.L, L.E., G.E, Dr.O.P., O.U.T.
The Heartbeat of Heaven (blog)
Deacon/Christ Presbyterian Church, Janesville, WI OPC www.christ-opc.org

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Seriously though, Thank you Matt for your articles. They always are very timely, and often address situations that I find myself struggling in at the time, thus giving me encouragement to continue striving when often I feel (at least locally) that I am the only one that this matters to.

Right - precise as possible.

Excellent topic. The most overused buzz-word in academic circles (both Christian and anti-Christian) is nuance. Examples I've heard recently:

"In contrast to the reactionary, conservative society of Sparta, the Athenian culture was much more nuanced."

"So in light of these verses the doctrine of limited atonement needs to be further nuanced."

We don't lack nuance today; we lack precision. May God grant it.

Greg,

I agree completely.

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Fred Greco
Senior Pastor, Christ Church PCA (Katy, TX)
Christ Church Blog

"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)

Amen to all!