Thomas Goodwin - Westminster Bookstore · The Piety of Thomas Goodwin (1600 –1680) o Considering Thomas Goodwin’s theological and political influence in seventeenth-century England,

Thomas Goodwin

THOMASGOODWIN(1600–1680)(A portrait by Joel Heflin, 2009 )

“A Habitual Sight of Him”:

TheChrist-CenteredPietyofThomasGoodwin

IntroducedandEditedby

JoelR.BeekeandMarkJones

Reformation Heritage BooksGrandRapids,Michigan

“A Habitual Sight of Him”©2009byJoelR.BeekeandMarkJones

PublishedbyReformation Heritage Books2965LeonardSt.,NEGrandRapids,MI49525616-977-0599/Fax:616-285-3246e-mail:[email protected]:www.heritagebooks.org

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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Goodwin,Thomas,1600-1680.AhabitualsightofHim:theChrist-centeredpietyofThomasGoodwin/introducedandeditedbyJoelR.BeekeandMarkJones.p.cm.--(Profilesinreformedspirituality)Includesbibliographicalreferences.ISBN978-1-60178-067-6(pbk.:alk.paper)1.Piety.2.Spirituality.3.Goodwin,Thomas,1600-1680.I.Beeke,JoelR.,1952-II.Jones,Mark,1980-III.Title.BV4647.P5G662009230’.59--dc222009028683_____________________________________________________________

For additional Reformed literature, both new and used, request a free book list from Reformation Heritage Books at the above address.

Withgratitudeto

Adrian and Claire Slootmaker

modelsofChrist-centeredpiety;loyal,God-fearing,enjoyablefriendsofthreedecades

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you(Philippians1:3).

—JRB

Tomybelovedfriendsat

Faith Vancouver PCA:

Maythesereadingsdoforyoursoulswhattheyhavedoneformyown,

that in all things he might have the preeminence(Colossians1:18).

—MJ

PRoFileS in ReFoRmed SPiRituAlityserieseditors—JoelR.BeekeandMichaelA.G.Haykin

Other Books in the Series:MichaelHaykin, “A Consuming Fire”: The Piety of Alexander Whyte of Free St. George’s

MichaelHaykin, “A Sweet Flame”: Piety in the Letters of Jonathan Edwards

MichaelHaykinandSteveWeaver, “Devoted to the Service of the Temple”: Piety, Persecution, and Ministry in the Writings of Hercules Collins

MichaelHaykinandDarrinR.Brooker, “Christ Is All”: The Piety of Horatius Bonar

J.StephenYuille,“Trading and Thriving in Godliness”: The Piety of George Swinnock

JoelR.Beeke,“The Soul of Life”: The Piety of John Calvin

ThabitiAnyabwile,“May We Meet in the Heavenly World”: The Piety of Lemuel Haynes

TableofContentso

ProfilesinReformedSpirituality. . . . . . . . . . . . xiAcknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xvii

Introduction:ThePietyof ThomasGoodwin(1600–1680) . . . . . . . . . 1

1.ChristExcelsJoseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 2.ChristLongsforHisOwnReturn. . . . . . . . 41 3.SittinginHeaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 4.CryingUsintoHeaven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 5.Christ’sGift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 6.ChristDwellinginOurHeartsbyFaith. . . . 55 7.Christ’sPerfectionsAreOurPerfections . . . 61 8.ThreeHours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 9.ChristbyPiecemeal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6510.Christ,theMarrowoftheGospel . . . . . . . . 6711.ReconciliationThroughChrist. . . . . . . . . . . 6912.“ChristaboveMoses” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7113.God’sGreatestWork(1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7314.God’sGreatestWork(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7515.PossessingChristbyFaith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7916.OneFootonChrist,AnotheronYourself?. 8117.NoUnion,NoJustification.............8318.CommunionwithChrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8519.ElectedtoInseparableUnionwithChrist . . 8920.PurchasingandBestowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9121.GatheredtoChristorSatan?. . . . . . . . . . . . 93

22.SittingattheRightHand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9523.SummedUpinChrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9724.ChristPuttingBeautyontheBody . . . . . . . 9925.LivingLikeChrist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10126.TheRevenuesofHisDeath . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10327.JoyinGod’sGlory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10728.Weak,butAcceptedforChrist’sSake..... 10929.Christ’sWorksofGlory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11130.RestoringBeautytoHisBride. . . . . . . . . . . 11331.“TheSon’sSpecialAct”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11532.Spirit-Christology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11733.NeverLeavingChristOut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12134.TheMysteryofHisWillinChrist . . . . . . . . 12535.TreasuresinHeaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129ReadingGoodwin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

viii “AHabitualSightofHim”

ProfilesinReformedSpiritualityo

CharlesDickens’famouslineinA Tale of Two Cities —“itwas thebestof times, itwas theworstof times”—seemswellsuitedtowesternEvangelicalismsincethe1960s.Ontheonehand,thesedecadeshaveseenmuchforwhichtopraiseGodandtorejoice.InHisgoodnessandgrace, for instance,Reformed truth isno longer a house under siege. Growing numbersidentify themselves theologicallywithwhatweholdtobebiblicaltruth,namely,Reformedtheologyandpiety.Andyet,asanincreasingnumberofReformedauthors have noted, there are many sectors of thesurroundingwesternEvangelicalismthatarecharac-terizedbygreatshallownessandatrivializationoftheweightythingsofGod.SomuchofEvangelicalwor-shipseemsbarren.Andwhenitcomestospirituality,thereislittleevidenceoftherichesofourheritageasReformedEvangelicals.

AsitwasatthetimeoftheReformation,whenthewatchwordwasad fontes —“backtothesources”—soitisnow:thewayforwardisbackward. Weneedtogoback to the spiritualheritageofReformedEvan-gelicalism to find the pathway forward. We cannotlive in the past; to attempt to do so would be anti-quarianism.ButourReformedforebearersinthefaithcan teachusmuchaboutChristianity, itsdoctrines,itspassions,anditsfruit.

Andtheycanserveasourrolemodels.AsR.C.SproulhasnotedofsuchgiantsasAugustine,MartinLuther,JohnCalvin,andJonathanEdwards:“Thesemenall were conquered, overwhelmed, and spiritu-allyintoxicatedbytheirvisionoftheholinessofGod.TheirmindsandimaginationswerecapturedbythemajestyofGodtheFather.Eachofthempossessedaprofound affection for the sweetness and excellenceofChrist.TherewasineachofthemasingularandunswervingloyaltytoChrist thatspokeofacitizen-shipinheaventhatwasalwaysmoreprecioustothemthantheapplauseofmen.”1

Tobesure,wewouldnotdreamofplacingthesemenandtheirwritingsalongside theWordofGod.John Jewel (1522–1571), the Anglican apologist,oncestated:“Whatsayweofthefathers,Augustine,Ambrose, Jerome, Cyprian?… They were learnedmen, and learned fathers; the instruments of themercyofGod,andvesselsfullofgrace.Wedespisethemnot,wereadthem,wereverencethem,andgivethanksuntoGod for them.Yet…wemaynotmakethemthefoundationandwarrantofourconscience:wemaynotputourtrustinthem.OurtrustisinthenameoftheLord.”2

Seeking then both to honor the past and yet notidolize it, we are issuing these books in the seriesProfiles in Reformed Spirituality. The design is tointroduce the spiritualityandpietyof theReformed

1. “An Invaluable Heritage,” Tabletalk, 23, no. 10 (October1999):5–6.

2. Cited in Barrington R. White, “Why Bother with History?”Baptist History and Heritage,4,no.2(July1969):85.

x “AHabitualSightofHim”

tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives ofnotable Christians with select passages from theirworks.Thiscombinationofbiographicalsketchesandcollectedportionsfromprimarysourcesgivesatasteofthesubjects’contributionstoourspiritualheritageand some direction as to how the reader can findfurtheredificationthroughtheirworks.Itisthehopeofthepublishersthatthisserieswillproviderichesforthoseareaswherewearepoorandlightofdaywherewearestumblinginthedeepeningtwilight.

—JoelR.Beeke MichaelA.G.Haykin

ProfilesinReformedSpirituality xi

Acknowledgmentso

Thirty-six selections of Thomas Goodwin’s Christ-centered writings that promote piety are presentedhereinpuristform.Onlythesmallestofchangeshavebeenmadeforconsistency’ssake,suchascapitaliza-tionofafewwordsandthewritingoutinfullofBiblebookswhennotinparentheses.Onafewoccasions,lengthyparagraphshavebeenbrokenupintosmallerparagraphsforthesakeofreadability.Onrareocca-sions, a few words have been added in brackets tosupplyclarity.Fortherest,theselectionsarepreciselywhatarefoundinGoodwin’sWorks.

WeowethankstoGregBaileyandMarthaFisherforeditingthisbook;toMichaelHaykin,co-editoroftheseries,forproofreadingthework;toDerekNavesforhuntingdownillustrations; toJayT.Collier forseeingthisbookthroughthepress;andtoGaryandLindadenHollander,oureffectiveproofing/typeset-tingteam,fordoingtheirnormalhigh-qualitywork.

*****

Mostofall,Ioweheartfeltthankstomyspecialwife,Mary, for her patience and love in supporting mywriting ministry. No man could have a better help-meet than the one with whom God has graciously

chosen toblessme;daily, I thank theLord forher.Ialsothankmychildren,Calvin,Esther,andLydia.Withouttheirgreatattitudeandcooperation,Icouldneverbeinvolvedinwritingandediting.

Finally, I am so grateful for Thomas Goodwin,who, formore thanadecade,hasbeenmy favoritePuritan to read.Hisprofoundwayof experientiallyprobingthedepthsofourdepravity,thenexaltingthesuitability,beauty,andgloryofChristinHismediato-rialwork,isunsurpassed.Whatagiftthechurchhasin Goodwin! Read him for your soul’s profit here,then buy his Works (www.heritagebooks.com) andreadonforyears.Youwon’tbesorry. —JRB

*****

Iowethankstomywife,Barb,whohasbeenincred-ibly patient with me, especially during evenings asI’vereturnedtothecomputertofinishupanumberofprojectssuchasthisone.IamalsogratefultomyPh.D.supervisor,Dr.MichaelHaykin,whoputmyname forward for this small book. Finally, I, too,amgratefulforThomasGoodwin;hiswritingshavebeenaconstantcompanionofmineoverthepasttwoyears.AndbecauseChrist figuressocentrally inhisWorks, Ihavebeenblessed toread frequentlyof theonewhois“chiefamongtenthousand.” —MJ

xiv “AHabitualSightofHim”

The Indwelling of Christ by faith...is to have Jesus Christ continually in one’s eye, a habitual sight of Him. I call it so because a man actually does not always think of Christ; but as a man does not look up to the sun continually, yet he sees the light of it.... So you should carry along and bear along in your eye the sight and knowledge of Christ, so that at least a pres-ence of Him accompanies you, which faith makes.

—ThomasGoodwin,Works,2:411

ThomasGoodwin

ThePietyofThomasGoodwin(1600–1680)o

Considering Thomas Goodwin’s theological andpolitical influence in seventeenth-century England,it is remarkable that he is little known today, evenwithin conservative Reformed evangelical circles.Thereasons forGoodwin’s relativeobscurity todayare several. For example, Goodwin was a Puritanand champion of ecclesiastical Independency (i.e.Congregationalism). Therefore, as a result of thepolitical and religious upheaval in England duringthe1640sand1650s,culminatingintheGreatEjec-tionof1662,Goodwinfoundhimselfonthe“losingside.” And, as Carl Trueman has noted, “non-con-formistswerenot simplyexpelled from theChurchof England, but excluded from the establishment,political, cultural, and intellectual, with all of thelater impotence with regard to influence and thewritingofhistorywhichthatimplies.”1Furthermore,in connection to the Great Ejection, the paucity ofsecondary literature on Goodwin can be explainedinpartbecauseoftheAnglicanmonopolyofhighereducationthathascontinuedintothetwentiethcen-tury. The Puritans, especially Goodwin, “sufferedtheneglectwhich their separation fromtheChurch

1.CarlTrueman,John Owen(Farnham,U.K.:Ashgate,2007),1.

2 “AHabitualSightofHim”

made inevitable.”2 The legacy of Goodwin—orlackthereof—isnot,then,theresultofanyintrinsicmediocrityinhisthought,butrathertheresultofdis-advantageoushistoricalcircumstancesthatrelegatedone of England’s finest theologians to the halls ofobscurity.Those,however,whohavereadGoodwinarecapaciousintheirpraise!

RenownedforintelligentpietyatitsPuritanbest,Goodwin, known as “the Atlas of Independency,”stands on a par with John Owen, “the prince ofPuritans,”asatheologianandanexegete,andoftensurpasses him in experimental depth. Any lover ofthebiblical and experimental emphasesof thePuri-tanswillfindGoodwinbothreadableandspirituallyrewarding. He represents the cream of Puritanism,capturingtheintellect,will,andheartofhisreaders.HiscollectedWorksjointhevigorofearlierPuritanssuch as William Perkins and Richard Sibbes to thematuredthoughtoflaterPuritandivines,representedsupremelybyOwen.

Those influencedbyGoodwin’swritings includeJohn Cotton, Jonathan Edwards, George White-field, and John Gill. Alexander Whyte confessed:“Ihavereadnootherauthorsomuchandsooften.And I continue to read him to this day, as if I hadneverreadhimbefore.”HecallsGoodwin’ssermon,“ChristDwellinginOurHeartsbyFaith,”oneofthe“twoverygreatestsermonsintheEnglishlanguage.”Whyteaptlyconcludes:

Goodwin is always an interpreter, and one of a

2. Carl Trueman, Claims of Truth (Carlisle, U.K.: Paternoster,1998),2.

ThePietyofThomasGoodwin 3

thousand.... All his work, throughout his twelvevolumes, is just so much pulpit exposition andpulpit applicationof theWordofGod....Full asGoodwin always is of the ripest scriptural andReformation scholarship; full as he always isof the best theological and philosophical learn-ing of his own day and of all foregoing days;full,also,ashealways isof thedeepestspiritualexperience—allthesame,heisalwayssosimple,so clear, so direct, so un-technical, so personal,andsopastoral.3

In our generation, Puritan scholar J. I. Packerconcurs:“WhytecalledGoodwin‘thegreatestpulpitexegeteofPaulthathaseverlived,’andperhapsjustly;Goodwin’s Biblical expositions are quite unique,even among the Puritans, in the degree to whichthey combine theological breadth with experimen-taldepth.JohnOwensawinto themindofPaulasclearlyasGoodwin—sometimes,onpointsofdetail,moreclearly—butnotevenOweneversawsodeepintoPaul’sheart.”4

3. Alexander Whyte, Thirteen Appreciations (London: Oliphant,AndersonandFerrier,1913),158ff.

4.J.I.Packer,“TheWitnessoftheSpirit:ThePuritanTeaching,”in The Wisdom of Our Fathers (London: Puritan Conference, 1956),14; cf. J. C. Philpot, Reviews by the late Mr. J. C. Philpot (London:Frederick Kirby, 1901), 2:479ff., who comments, “Being a man ofchoiceexperience,Goodwinsoblendswith[hissoundexpositionsofdoctrine]theworkoftheSpirit,inallitsvariousbranches,astoenrichhisexpositionwithaheavenlysavourandunctionwhichcarrieswithitgreat force,andcommends itself inaverysensibleandprofitablemannertotheconscience.”


education and ConversionThomasGoodwinwasbornonOctober5,1600, inRollesby,Norfolk,toRichard(d.1632)andKatherineGoodwin (1577–1645).5 Richard was a churchwar-den of St. Nicholas from 1615, who, in 1627, wasreprimanded by Samuel Harsnett, bishop of Nor-wich,forallowingnonconformiststopreachwithoutthe surplice.Hisparents’nonconformist sympathies

5. For biographical material on Goodwin, see The Works of Thomas Goodwin, 5 vols. (London: J. D. and S. R., 1704), 1:v–xix,by Thomas Goodwin Jr. (hereafter, “Life”); The Works of Thomas Goodwin, 12 vols. (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books,2006),1:1–23byJoelR.Beeke (fromwhichmuchof this introduc-tion is drawn) and 2:ix–xlviii, by Robert Halley (hereafter, Halley,“Memoir”); Edmund Calamy, The Nonconformist’s Memorial, ed.SamuelPalmer(London:Alex.Hogg,1778),1:183–87;JamesReid,“Life of Thomas Goodwin,” in Memoirs of the Westminster Divines(1811;reprintEdinburgh:BannerofTruthTrust,1982),319–43;SirLeslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee, eds., The Dictionary of National Biography [DNB] (1890; reprint Oxford: Oxford University Press,1922), 22:148–50; Whyte, Thirteen Appreciations, 157–76; StanleyP. Fienberg, “Thomas Goodwin, Puritan Pastor and IndependentDivine” (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 1974); BrianFreer, “Thomas Goodwin, the Peaceable Puritan,” and GrahamHarrison, “Thomas Goodwin and Independency,” in Diversities of Gifts, Westminster Conference Reports, 1980 (London: The West-minster Conference, 1981), 7–44; Tom Webster, Godly Clergy in Early Stuart England: The Caroline Puritan Movement, c. 1620 –1643 (Cambridge:CambridgeUniversityPress, 1997), 149–338;MichaelHorton,“ThomasGoodwinandthePuritanDoctrineofAssurance:Continuity and Discontinuity in the Reformed Tradition, 1600–1680”(Ph.D.dissertation,UniversityofCoventryandWycliffeHall,Oxford,1998);T.M.Lawrence,“Transmissionandtransformation”(Ph.D.dissertation,CambridgeUniversity,2002);T.M.Lawrence,“Goodwin,Thomas(1600–1680),”Oxford Dictionary of National Biog-raphy, ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison (Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress,2004;onlineedn.,2008),22:823–28.


geared Goodwin’s education toward ecclesiasticalinvolvement.OnAugust25,1613,GoodwinenteredChrist’sCollege,Cambridge,whichatthattimewasa “nest of Puritans.”6 At this time, the legacies ofWilliam Perkins (1558–1602) and William Ames(1576–1633)were“still freshinmostMen’sMemo-ries.”7 Upon his arrival at Christ’s College, “thereremain’d still in the College six Fellows that were

6.BenjaminBrook,The Lives of the Puritans: Containing a Biographi-cal Account of Those Divines Who Distinguished Themselves in the Cause of Religious Liberty, from the Reformation Under Queen Elizabeth, to the Act of Uniformity in 1662(London:forJ.Black,1813),113.

7. “Life,” ix. Patrick Collinson argues that Perkins was “theprinceofpuritantheologiansandthemosteagerlyread”(The Eliza-bethan Puritan Movement [Berkeley: University of California Press,1967],125).ForagooddiscussionofAmesandPerkins’sinfluenceatCambridge,seePaulR.SchaefferJr.,“TheSpiritualBrotherhoodontheHabitsoftheHeart:CambridgeProtestantsandtheDoctrine

St.NicholasParishChurch,whereGoodwin’sfatherwaschurchwarden

(Photo courtesy of Paul Davies)


greatTutors,whoprofessedReligionafterthestrictestsort,thencalledPuritans.”8AtCambridge,Goodwinwould have had a thorough training in humanismandscholasticism;logic,rhetoric,metaphysics,math-ematics,physics,andlinguisticsformedthesubstanceofhisundergraduatecurriculum.9

AtCambridge,GoodwinbecameacquaintedwithZachariasUrsinus’s(1534–1583)Heidelberg CatechismandfollowedtheArminian–CalvinistdebatesatDortclosely.Goodwin“judged[theCalvinists]tobeintheright...andtheArminiansinthewrong.”10Moreover,as a student of theology, Goodwin came under the“plainandwholesome”preachingofRichardSibbes(1577–1635) at Holy Trinity, Cambridge. Sibbes’spreachingandthereadingofJohnCalvin’sInstitutes of the Christian Religionweredecisiveinboththespiritualand theological formationofGoodwin.SpeakingofCalvin’s Institutes, Goodwin writes: “O how sweetwas the reading of some Parts of that Book to me!Howpleasingwas theDeliveryofTruths ina solidmannerthentome!”11

Intheirpreaching,SibbesandJohnPreston(1587–1628) sought, according to Paul Schaeffer Jr., “arevitalizationandreformationofpietyinthelivesof

ofSanctificationfromWilliamPerkinstoThomasShepard”(Ph.D.dissertation,OxfordUniversity,1994).

8.“Life,”ix.

9.JohnMorgan,Godly Learning: Puritan Attitudes towards Reason, Learning, and Education, 1560 – 1640 (Cambridge:CambridgeUniver-sityPress,1986),36–106.

10.“Life,”x.

11.Ibid.,vi.


thosewithinaProtestantestablishedchurch.”12More-over,theyfavoredadecidedlyReformedapproachtotheologyandurgedtheirhearersto“liveaccordingtothe Reformation principles which they had alreadyachieved legally.”13 Jonathan Moore argues thatPreston’s preaching was “on occasions militantlyanti-Papist and anti-Arminian.”14 Not only did thecontentimpactPreston’shearers,sotoodidthestyle.GoodwincreditsPrestonastheindividualwhotrans-formedhisownpreachingstyletowhatisknownasthe“plainstyle.”15Goodwin’schiefinfluences,then,wereChrist-centeredpreacherswhoadvocatedadis-tinctlyReformedpositionontheology,theScriptures,and the church’s creeds and confessions, men whowerealsoovertlyanti-Papistandanti-Arminian.

WhileGoodwinwasstillastudentatCambridge,hepreparedtoreceiveCommunionforthefirsttime,buthishopesofparticipationweredashedbyhisonlytutoratCambridge,WilliamPower,whorefusedtoallow him to receive the sacrament. There is littleinformationonPower.Hedidnotpublishanybooksthat give clues about his theological leanings, butbothextremePuritanismandpoperyseemunlikely.16However,Powerdidtakehisdutiesseriously,enoughsothathisreasonforforbiddingHolyCommunionto

12.Schaeffer,“TheSpiritualBrotherhood,”34.

13.Ibid.ForaninterestingstudyofPreston’sviewontheatone-ment—apositionthatGoodwinwouldnotadopt—seeJonathanD.Moore,English Hypothetical Universalism: John Preston and the Softening of Reformed Theology(GrandRapids:Eerdmans,2007).

14.Moore,English Hypothetical Universalism,20.

15.See“Life,”xiii.

16.Lawrence,“Transmissionandtransformation,”70.


GoodwinwasmostlikelyGoodwin’sage.17Discour-agedbythis,Goodwin“leftoffprivatePrayer...andwentconstantlytoSt.Maries”tohearthe“flauntingSermons” of Richard Senhouse (d. 1626), whose“eloquent tongue and honest heart were capable toover-awe a Court.”18Goodwin,undertheinfluenceofSenhouse, began to lean toward Arminianism andresolvedtopreachagainstthenonconformists.

In1617,GoodwingraduatedBA,andonMarch21,1620,havingreceivedhisMAfromSt.Catharine’sCollege, he was elected fellow and college lecturer.Other fellows who served at St. Catharine’s wereJohnArrowsmith,WilliamSpurstowe,andWilliamStrong. All would serve one day with Goodwin attheWestminsterAssembly.SeveralofthesePuritanstriedtopersuadeGoodwinthatrhetoricandArmin-ianismwerenotedifyinganddidnotservethetruth.Inaddition,GoodwincouldnotshaketheinfluenceofSibbes’spreachingandthesermonsofPreston inthecollegechapel.

OnOctober2,1620,while listening toa funeralsermonbyThomasBainbridge (bap. 1574,d. 1646),Goodwin underwent a conversion experience thathe described as “a true work of Grace.”19 On thatafternoon, he had met with some friends to have agoodtime.Oneofthefriendsconvincedthegrouptoattendafuneral.Bainbridgepreachedatthatservice

17.Ibid.,68.

18. J. Gauden, Ecclesia Anglicana suspiria (London, 1659), 614.Goodwin,speakingafterhisconversion,providesafascinatingcom-parison between the preaching of Senhouse and John Preston. See“Life,”xiii.

19.Ibid.,xi.


onLuke19:41–42,focusingontheneedforpersonalrepentance.GodusedthemessagetoshowGoodwinhisdreadfulsins,theessentialdepravityofhisheart,hisaversenesstoallspiritualgood,andhisdesperatecondition, which left him exposed to the wrath ofGod.Afewhours later,“beforeGod,whoafterweareregenerateissofaithfulandmindfulofhisword,”Goodwin received a “speedy word” of deliverancefromEzekiel16.Hewrites:

AndnoEyepitiedme or could helpme, but asGod there (in Ezek. 16) on the sudden (for ’tisspokenasaspeedyWord,aswellasavehementearnest Word, for ’tis doubled twice) yea I saiduntoyouLive:SoGodwaspleasedon the sud-den,andasitwereinaninstant,toalterthewholeCourse of his former Dispensation towards me,andsoofandtomySoul,Yealive,yealiveIsay,said God: and as he created the World and theMatterofallthingsbyaWord,sohecreatedandput a new Life and Spirit into my Soul, and sogreatanAlterationwasstrangetome.

Godtookmeaside,and.. .privatelysaiduntome,doyounowturntome,andIwillpardonallyour Sins tho never so many.. . . I about a Yearafter did expressly tell Mr Price, in declaring tohimmyConversion.. .andIhavesince repeatedthem to others I know not how often, for theyhaveeverstuckinmyMind.20

20.Ibid.,xi.GoodwinreferstoMr.NicholasPriceas“thegreat-est and most famous Convert . . .andwho was the holiestMan thateverIknew”(ibid.,xii).ReferringtoGoodwin’sconversion,WilliamHaller described it as one of “the most notable revelations of the


Goodwingivesfourreasonswhyhebelievedthat“these instructions and suggestions [of deliveranceand pardon] were immediately from God”: (1) thecondition of his heart prior to receiving the wordof God’s willingness to pardon—“the posture andconditionofmyspirit,andthatthissuggestiontookmewhenmyheartwasfixed,andthatunmoveably,inthecontrarypersuasions”;(2)theappropriatenessof this divine word when it came—“it was a wordinitsproperseason”;(3)thatthiswordwas“notanungroundedfancy,butthepurewordofGod,whichis the ground of faith and hope”; and (4) that thisdivineintimationhad“consequentsandeffectsafterGod’sspeakingtome,”includinganaltereddisposi-tionofsoul;adissolutionof theworksofSatan;anenlightenedunderstanding;ameltedwilldisposedtoturntoGod;anewnature“incliningmetogood”;theSpiritofGodas“anew indweller”; and“anactualturningfromallknownsins,andmyentertainingthetruthofallgodliness.”21

Upon conversion, Goodwin aligned himselfunequivocally for the remainder of his life with thetheologicaltraditionofPerkins,Sibbes,andPreston.He resolved never to seek personal fame, but “topart with all for Christ and make the glory of Godthe measure of all time to come.”22 Consequently,he abandoned the polished style of preaching thencommonamongAnglicandivines,sinceitpromoted

Puritansoul”(The Rise of Puritanism[NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1957],75).

21.“Life,”xi–xiii.

22.Ibid.,xii.


the preacher, and adopted the Puritan plain styleof preaching, which, in its self-conscious disuse ofhuman embellishment, sought to give all glory toGod.Hispreachingbecameearnest,didactic,experi-mental,andpastoral.

From 1620 to 1627, Goodwin sought personalassuranceoffaith.Throughlettersandconversationswithagodlyminister,Rev.NicholasPriceofKing’sLynn(whoGoodwinsaidwas“thegreatestmanforexperimental acquaintance with Christ that ever hemet”), he was led to see his need to “live by faithin Christ, and to derive from him life and strengthfor sanctification, and all comfort and joy throughbelieving.”23Later,hesaidaboutthistimeofspiritualstruggle:“IwasdivertedfromChristforseveralyears,to searchonly into the signsof grace inme. ItwasalmostsevenyearsereIwastakenofftolivebyfaithon Christ, and God’s free love, which are alike theobjectoffaith.”24

Goodwin’ssoulfinallyfoundrestinChristalone.His preaching became more Christ-centered. HecouldagreewithSibbes’sadvice:“Youngman,ifyoueverwoulddogood,youmustpreachthegospelandthefreegraceofGodinChristJesus.”25

Goodwin’sconversionatCambridgemarkedthebeginning of what is surely one of the most inter-esting—and longest—ecclesiastical careers in thehistoryofEnglishPuritanism,rivalledonlybythatofhisfellowIndependentandfriend,Owen.

23.Ibid.,xiii.

24.Ibid.

25.Ibid.

JohnCotton(1585–1652)

Puritan, ministered in New England. Cottonconvinced Goodwin of congregational polity,entrustedhimwithpublishingoneofhisbooks,andhadevenencouragedhimtomovetoNewEngland.

1o

ChristExcelsJoseph1

NowwhenChristcomesfirstoutoftheotherworld,from the dead, clothed with that heart and bodywhichHewastowearinheaven,whatmessagedoesHe send first to them? We would all think that asthey would not know Him in His sufferings, so HewouldnowbeasstrangetotheminHisglory;oratleastthatHisfirstwordswouldbetoberatethemfortheirfaithlessnessandfalsehood.Buthereisnosuchmatter,forHisfirstwordconcerningthemis,“Gotellmy brethren.. .” (John 20:17). You read elsewherehowit isagreatpointofloveandcondescensioninChristsotoentitlethem.Hebrews2:11says,“Heisnot ashamed to call them brethren,” though surelyHis brethren had been ashamed of Him. For Himto call them so when He is first entering into HisgloryarguesthemoreloveinHimtowardthem.HecarriesitasJosephdidintheheightofhisadvance-ment,whenhefirstopenedhismindtohisbrethren;“IamJosephyourbrother,”hesaid(Gen.45:4).SoChristsayshere,“TellthemyouhaveseenJesustheirbrother;Iownthemasbrethrenstill.”ButwhatisthemessagethatHewouldfirsthavedeliveredtothem?

1. From The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth; Works4:104–105.


“That I,” says He, “ascend to my Father, and yourFather”(John20:17).

Thisisamorefriendlyspeechbyfar,andarguesinfinitelymore love than thatofJoseph (thoughhiswasfullofcompassion),forJoseph,afterhehadtoldthemhewas theirbrother,added,“whomyou soldintoEgypt”;heremindedthemof theirunkindness.NotsoChrist.Hesaysnotawordofthat;Heremindsthemnotofwhat theyhaddoneagainstHim.Poorsinners, who are full of the thoughts of their ownsins,knownothowtheyshallbeableatthelatterdayto lookChrist in the facewhentheyshall firstmeetwithHim.But theymay relieve their spirits againstthiscareandfearbyChrist’sconducttowardHisdis-ciples,whohadsosinnedagainstHim.Benotafraid,yoursinsHewillremembernomore.

Yea, further, you may observe that He remindsthem not so much of what He had been doing forthem.Hesaysnot,“TellthemIhavebeendyingforthem”or“Theylittle thinkwhatIhavesufferedforthem”;notawordof thateither.HisheartandHiscarearesetupondoingmore:Helooksnotbackwardto what is passed, but forgets His sufferings, as awomanhertravail, for joythataman-child isborn.Havingnowdispatchedthatgreatworkonearthforthem,Hehastens toheavenas fastasHecantodoanother.AndthoughHeknowsHehasbusinessyettodouponearth thatwillholdHimfortydays lon-ger,yettoshowthatHisheartislongingandeagerlydesiroustobeatworkfortheminheaven,Hespeaksin thepresent tenseand tells them,“Iascend”;andHe expresses His joy that, not only does He go toHisFather,butthatHegoestotheirFather,tobean

advocatewithHimforthem,ofwhichIspokebefore.AndisindeedJesusourbrotheralive?AnddoesHecallusbrethren?AnddoesHetalkthuslovinglyofus?Whoseheartwouldnotthisovercome?

ChristExcelsJoseph 39

WilliamPerkins(1558–1602)

Influential Puritan, taught at CambridgeUniversity.GoodwinwrotethatwhenheenteredCambridge, six of his instructors who had satunderPerkinswerestillpassingonhisteaching.

2o

ChristLongsforHisOwnReturn1

It is the manner of bridegrooms, when they havemadeallreadyintheirfathers’houses,thentocomethemselves and fetch their brides, and not to sendforthembyothers,becauseitisatimeoflove.Lovedescendsbetterthanitascends,andsodoestheloveof Christ, who indeed is love itself, and thereforecomesdown tousHimself. “Iwill comeagainandreceiveyouuntomyself,”saysChrist,“thatsowhereIam,youmaybealso.”ThatlastpartofHisspeechgivesthereasonofitandshowsHisentireaffection.It is as if He had said, “The truth is, I cannot livewithoutyouandIshallneverbequiettillIhaveyouwhere I am, that we may never part again; that isthereasonof it.HeavenshallnotholdMe,norMyFather’scompany,ifIdonothaveyouwithMe,Myheartissosetuponyou;andifIhaveanyglory,youshallhavepartofit.”

So, John4:19 says, “Because I live, ye shall livealso.”Itisareason,anditishalfanoathbesides.As I liveisGod’soath;because I live,saysChrist.HepawnsHis life upon it and desires to live upon no otherterms; “He shall live to see his seed,” etc. (Isa. 53).

1. From The Heart of Christ in Heaven Towards Sinners on Earth; Works4:100.


Andyetfarther,themoretoexpresstheworkingsandlongingsofHisheartafterthemallthatwhile,Hetellsthem it shall not be long before He comes again tothem.So,“Againa littlewhileandye shall seeme;alittlewhileandyeshallnotseeme,”saysHe(John16:16).NotseeingHimrefersnottothatsmallspaceofabsencewhileHewasdeadand in thegrave,butto that after His last ascending, forty days after Hisresurrection,whenHeshouldgoaway,nottobeseenonearthagainuntilthedayofjudgment;andyetfromthatascension,but“alittlewhile,”saysHe,“andyoushallseemeagain,”namely,atthedayofjudgment.Itissaid,“Yetalittlewhile,andhethatshallcomewillcome,andwillnottarry”(Heb.10:37).ThewordsintheGreekmean,“Aslittlelittleasmaybe.”Thoughthetimeislonginitself,yetitisaslittlewhileasmaybeinrespectofHisdesire,withouttheleastdelayingtocome.HewillstaynotamomentlongerthantillHehasdispatchedallourbusinessthereforus.

Thedoublingofthephrase,“cominghewillcome”(John14:18), impliesvehemencyofdesire tocome,andthatHismindisalwaysuponit;Heisstilla-com-ing;Hecanhardlybekeptaway.Thus,theHebrewphraselikewisesignifiesanurgency,vehemency,andintensenessofsomeact,asexpectingIhaveexpected,desiringIhavedesired,socomingHewillcome.Andnotcontentwiththeseexpressionsofdesire,Headdsoverandaboveallthese,“andwillnottarry”;andalltosignifytheinfiniteardencyofHismindtowardHiselectbelow,andtohaveallHiselectinheavenaboutHim.HewillnotstayaminutelongerthanHemust;HetarriesonlytillHehasthroughouttheagesbyHis

intercessionpreparedeveryroomforeachsaint,thatHemayentertainthemallatoncetogetherandhavethemallaboutHim.

ChristLongsforHisOwnReturn 43

ZachariasUrsinus(1534–1583)

German Reformer, known as an author of theHeidelbergCatechism.GoodwinwasintroducedtoUrsinus’sworkatCambridge.

3o

SittinginHeaven1

Observe now, He is said to sit there (in heaven)over all things, not in His own pure personal rightsimply—it is His inheritance, as He is the Son ofGod (asHeb.1:3,4,5, it isaffirmedofHim)—butasaheadtothechurch(Eph.1:22).Thephrase“overallthings”comesbetweenHisbeingaheadand“tothechurch”toshowthatHeissetoverallinrelationtoHischurch.Soweseethatourrelationisinvolvedandour right included in this exaltationofHis.HesitsnotsimplyasaSonbutasahead,andHesitsnotasaheadwithoutabody,soHethereforemusthaveHismembersuptoHim.Forthisreason,inthenextverseitisadded,“whichishisbody,yea,hisfulness”(Eph.1:23).SoChristisnotcompletewithoutallHismembers and would leave heaven if any one weremissing.Itwouldbealame,maimedbodyifitlackedbutatoe.Christisourelement,andbecauseHehasascended,wearesparksthatflyupwardtoHim.Hetookourfleshandcarrieditintoheaven,andleftusHis Spirit on earth, both being pawns and earneststhatweshouldfollow.

Furthermore, He is not only said to sit as ourhead, but we are said to “sit together with him.”That is made the upshot of all in the next chapter

1.FromChrist Set Forth; Works4:53–54.


(Eph.2:6).So justaswearosewithHim,Hebeingconsideredasacommonperson,andascendedwithHim,aswassaid,sowesittogetherwithHiminthehighestheavens,thatis,“inHisexaltedestateabovetheheavens.”Not thatChrist’sbeingatGod’srighthand(iftakenforthatsublimityofpower)iscommu-nicabletous;thatisChrist’sprerogativeonly.

So, “to which of all the angels did he ever say,Sit thou at my right hand?” (Heb. 1:5). Yet sinceHis sitting inheaven, as it is indefinitely expressed,isunderstood tobe inour rightandstead,andasacommonperson,andsoistoassureusofoursittingtherewithHim,inourproportion,soit isexpresslyrenderedasthemindandintendmentofit:“Himthatovercometh,Iwillgranttositwithmeinmythrone,even as I also am set down with my Father in histhrone”(Rev.3:21).Thereisaproportionobserved,thoughwithaninequality;wesitonChrist’sthrone,butHealoneonHisFather’s throne; that is,ChristalonesitsatGod’srighthand,butweonChrist’srighthand,andsothechurchissaidtobeatChrist’s“righthand”(Ps.45:9).

Furthermore(anditmayaffordafurthercomforttousonthispoint),thisshowsthatatthelatterdayweshallsitasassessorsonHisjudgmentseat,tojudgetheworldwithHim.“WhentheSonofmanshallsitinhisglory,yeshallsitupontwelvethrones,judgingthetribesofIsrael”(Matt.19:28;Luke22:30).SinceoursittingwithHimisspokenofinrespecttojudg-mentandtogivingthesentenceofit,notasentenceshall pass without your votes. So you may by faithnot only look on yourselves as already in heaven,sittingwithChristasacommonpersoninyourright,

youmaylookonyourselvesasjudgesalso;ifanysinshouldarise toaccuseor condemn, itmustbewithyourvotes.Whatgreatersecuritycanyouhavethanthis?Foryoumustcondemnyourselvesifyoubecon-demned;youmayverywellsay,“Whoshallaccuse?Whoshallcondemn?”foryouwillneverpronounceafatalsentenceuponyourselves.

JustasPaultriumphedhere,somaywe,foratthepresentwesitinheavenwithChristandhaveallourenemiesunderourfeet.AsJoshuamadehisservantssettheirfeetonthenecksofthosefivekings,soGodwouldhaveusbyfaithtodothesametoallofours,foronedayweshalldoit.Andifyousay,Weseeitnot,IanswerthattheapostlesaysofChristHimself,“Nowweseenotyetallthingsputunderhim”(Heb.2:8).All thingsarenotyetunderHim, forHenowsits in heaven and expects by faith that the day willcomewhenHisenemiesshallbemadeHisfootstool(Heb.10:12–13).“Butwesee”forthepresent“Jesuscrownedwithgloryandhonour”(v.9),andsomaybesurethatthethingisasgoodasdone.Andinsee-ingHimthuscrowned,wemayseeourselvessittingwith Him, and quietly wait and expect, as ChristHimselfdoes,forallthingstobeaccomplished,whenoursalvationwillbefinishedandfullyperfected.

SittinginHeaven 47

Thomas Goodwin - Westminster Bookstore · The Piety of Thomas Goodwin (1600 –1680) o Considering Thomas Goodwin’s theological and political influence in seventeenth-century England,

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