As my Twitter feed has probably given away, I’ve been reading Thomas Watson’s Heaven Taken By Storm lately. Watson is easily my favorite Puritan. What I like best about Watson is that he’s so alive to God it’s difficult to read him and not be caught up in worship. His writing is simple but electric. Eminently easy to read.
I was extremely encouraged by this passage from Watson speaking of the ministry of John the Baptist:
Learn what kind of ministry is likely to do most good, namely, that which works upon the consciences of men. John the Baptist lifted up his voice like a trumpet; he preached the doctrine of repentance with power: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).
He came hewing and cutting down men’s sins, and afterwards preached Christ to them. First he poured in the vinegar of the law, then the wine of the gospel. This was the preaching which made men studiously seek after heaven. John did not so much preach to please as to profit; he chose rather to discover men’s sins than to show his own eloquence.
The best mirror is not that which is most guilded, but that which shows the truest face. That preaching is to be preferred which makes the truest discovery of men’s sins and shows them their hearts.
-Thomas Watson, Heaven Taken By Storm (paragraph breaks mine)
Preaching to the consciences of men is so very difficult. It’s the exact thing that will make you hated as John the Baptist was hated (and eventually executed). And the difficulty is compounded by the number of ear-tickling preachers that are out there assuring people that their sins are not real sins after all. Why would someone stay and have their conscience afflicted by you, when they can easily go down the street and have their ears tickled?
Yet this is the kind of preaching that God uses. John was hated. But his ministry was blessed with fruitfulness.
Now, the ridiculous thing here, is that most true Christians will immediately recognize that it is when their consciences have been most afflicted by a courageous preacher that they’ve known the grace of God most deeply and been most helped in their pursuit of holiness. It’s certainly true of me. But somehow, when I get up to preach, I’m tempted to doubt this truth. And if I’m not careful, I will rob my hearers of the grace of sitting under a soul-searching ministry. Which is why I really appreciate what Watson said next:
It is the greatest mercy to have a soul-searching ministry. If one had a desperate wound, he would desire to have it searched to the bottom. Who would not be content to have their souls searched so they may have them saved?
In other words, here Watson is encouraging and teaching the people of God to love their pastors when they preach to their consciences. How many times have you been taught to love your pastor for afflicting your conscience? How many times have you been told to encourage him when he lands a heavy blow? How many times have you been exhorted to encourage your pastor to drive the scalpel deeper?—that you need him to really nail your sins so that you won’t try to escape them?
I remember one of my first Sunday morning sermons when I was training for the pastorate. A godly older woman came up to me afterwards and thanked me for preaching. And then she told me something I’ve never forgotten: “Jake, you did a fine job. But I wish you would have driven your point home harder. You left my heart so many ways to avoid seeing my sin, that I nearly got away without tasting the grace of Christ. Cut off my exits so I have to turn to Jesus. That’s when you’ll be really helpful.”
What a gentle rebuke and what encouragement! Your pastors need that kind of encouragement. Because it’s hard. It is tempting to live to please men rather than God. So thank them for seeking out your sin and encourage them when they’re weak.
