Update!

Jeremiah Burroughs' biography is now available! Click here to read more and to order A Life of Gospel Peace: A Biography of Jeremiah Burroughs.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Jeremiah Burroughs Homepage! I hope you will find many things on this site which will help you to know God better, love Jesus Christ more, and glorify Him in practical ways. This site is being continually updated, so check back often. Also, the links to the left will give you samples of the writings of this great Puritan preacher. (Thanks to Monergism.com for giving me a headstart with these links.)

I am currently working on a biography of Burroughs. The more I get to know the man, the more I appreciate his writings. Time and again, I am discovering that his sermons were not mere intellectual speculation, but were borne out of the very difficult circumstances through which he lived. To quote his friends, “Reader, you have these sermons twice printed; once in the practice of this holy man and once again in these papers which we present to you in this preaching style” (from A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness, Soli Deo Gloria, 1991, p. iii). Burroughs was a living sermon, exemplifying what he taught, and teaching what he had lived. The following introduction is adapted from the introduction to the biography in progress:

“I should mention that I owe a great debt to Jeremiah Burroughs. It was his book, “The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” that greatly impacted my life. In a time when my sin and my problems seemed to be undefeatable foes, Burroughs showed me a view of the Almighty that left me relieved, refreshed, and revitalized. It was Burroughs who said, “A Christian should be satisfied with what God has made the object of his faith (i.e., Jesus Christ). The object of his faith is high enough to satisfy his soul, were it capable of a thousand times more than it is. Now if you may have the object of your faith you have enough to content your soul”. He went on to say, “Since God is contented with Himself alone, if you have Him, you may be contented with Him alone, and it may be, that is the reason why your outward comforts are taken from you, that God may be all in all to you. It may be that while you had these things they shared with God in your affection, a great part of the stream of your affection ran that way: God would have the full stream run to Him now.”

It was Burroughs who was my first introduction to the writings of the 17th century British Puritans, and their writings have also left me deeply affected. Men like Burroughs were first-rate thinkers; they could take a truth from Scripture, and meditate on the implications and ramifications of that truth, and come back with a veritable treasure trove of jewels, which they then share with their readers. However, their words were not, as they are often mischaracterized, “stale intellect”. Rather, Burroughs and his fellow Puritans were preachers of the highest rank. They would present a truth, apply it practically to the life of the hearer, and then exhort with passion and conviction. The adage which is often ascribed to the Puritans is true; they preached with “light and heat”; They would illuminate the head, then preach warmly to the heart.

In my opinion, no Puritan did this better than Jeremiah Burroughs. Given the wealth of writings left to us by all the Puritans, I’m sure many will disagree; but for God-centered, Cross-exalting, practical, warm instruction and exhortation, I feel Burroughs is unparalleled.
His writings are also very accessible. With some Puritans (such as John Owen), the level of thought is so lofty, one must often re-read a single paragraph multiple times to really absorb its meaning (though it is certainly worth the labor to read it). Not so with Burroughs. His ability to communicate deep truths in an understandable way is likely why he was one of the most popular preachers of his day. And it is likely for this reason that his books are still being printed and sold, over 360 years after his death.”

So enjoy the site! It is my prayer that, as you read, your heart will be stirred and challenged as mine has time and again by his sermons. Yours in Christ,

Phil Simpson