Puritan of the Week: Andrew Gray (1633-1656)

One of the beauties of “Meet the Puritans” is that you get to do just that, meet many puritans that are less known or all but lost. One of these is Andrew Gray. The limited knowledge and familiarity with Gray results more from the fact that he only lived to be 22, than his lack of contributions. His short life was a delight to him rather than a tragedy. It was on his twenty second birthday that he expressed his desire to “meet his Master in celestial bliss” before he turned 23. This is an amazing wish for a young man with a young wife, two young children, and a budding preaching ministry, but it was his love of holiness both in preaching and his personal life, which created such a longing for heaven. The following remarks were used to describe his short life:

• “A burning light” by the thousands who heard him preach
• “A spark from heaven” in regards to his personal holiness
• “We may safely say that never in the history of our country (Scotland) did a man of his years (only 27 months of ministry) make so deep a mark.”
• “He could make men’s hair stand on end.” This was said in terms of his ability to probe men’s consciences when preaching.

Here is a link to a website that hosts Andrew Gray’s sermons.

Here is a brief expert from “A DOOR UNTO EVERLASTING LIFE” :

It is a very sad, but yet an apparent truth, that there is no creature in the world so merciless and mischievous to itself as man is. For whereas everything naturally desires, or tends to its own preservation, man unweariedly endeavours his own destruction. He becomes his own murderer and executioner, by loving vice, and hating virtue, by forsaking Christ, to follow the world, by poisoning his soul to please his senses, by leaving the safe and pleasant way of holiness, to walk in the dangerous and destructive way of wickedness. Wicked men turn their backs upon God, and are ruled by sin and Satan at their pleasure. Such profane beasts are many. They glory in their shame….Yea, God’s own children make but little progress in holiness. The estate of many is a declining estate. They have lost the savouriness of their spirits, and their delight in communion with God. They are weak in resisting temptations to sin, from the devil, the world, and the flesh. They are often overcome by sensuality, pride, worldliness, envy, etc. Their heart is less watched, their tongue less bridled, and their conversation more vain than formerly.

I often wonder as I read through these puritan sermons and writings if we have lost perspective about the effectiveness and relevance of holiness. There is such an emphasis on relevance to culture right now within the church, and it is not all bad, but it can become devastating to Christianity and the Church if it becomes a greater focus than holiness. Isn’t holiness the essence of our transformation? We cannot simply desire the world to accept what we accept, but we must desire that the too be transformed.