Thomas Sullivan on SermonAudio

This study explores one of the most sobering and psychologically intense scenes in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress: the character of the Man in the Iron Cage. By taking a deeply casuistic and pastoral approach, we examine the critical distinction between objective judicial hardening (true apostasy) and subjective spiritual desertion—the tragic state in which an anxious, tender conscience falsely fears it has committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit. Drawing upon a rich array of historic Reformed and Puritan theology—including the classic diagnostic criteria of William Gouge, William Guthrie, and William Gurnall, the exegetical insights of John Brown of Edinburgh, Thomas Chalmers' analysis of spiritual light and moral insensibility, Archibald Alexander's dual diagnosis of physical melancholy versus spiritual trial, and John Bunyan's own autobiographical struggle in Grace Abounding—this session provides a compassionate, biblically grounded framework designed to help troubled souls dismantle the false iron cages constructed in their minds and anchor their hope solely in the external sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

It is the frequent and mournful condition of many a precious soul, under the dark clouds of spiritual desertion or the heavy affliction of bodily melancholy, to apprehend themselves entirely swallowed up in total despair; yet it remains the unalterable covenant-grace of God that His children are never left without such a secret presence and support of His Holy Spirit as keeps them from final shipwreck. Though the felt sense of assurance may be utterly withdrawn, and the believer, like a bruised reed, can discern nothing in themselves but smoke and darkness, the root of faith abides invisibly preserved beneath the soil. As the chief casuists of the church—from Goodwin and Owen to Sibbes and Ridgley—have tenderly demonstrated, the Spirit's supporting hand in the dark is rarely measured by sensible comfort, but by that holy, secret tenacity which causes the downcast soul, even in its deepest agonies, to cry out from the depths and cast itself upon the bare mercy of Christ. To mistakingly judge the absence of light as the absence of life is to misapprehend the subtle workings of grace; for where there remains even a groaning desire after God, a unwillingness to depart from Him, and a casting of the soul upon His bare promise, there Christ is secretly sustaining the smoking flax, guaranteeing that while a saint may walk in deep darkness, they shall never sink into utter ruin.

A detailed examination and comments, pastoral counsel, on the cases I have come across detailed since the Reformation on Spiritual Desertion, Melancholy, apostasy leading to despair. In the cases of Francis Spira, Debra Huish, Joane Drake, John Childs, and George Edwards. What can we learn from these stories?

This really is a bibliography of what the reformed, informed past generations wrote about the subject of "spiritual melancholy." A bibliography of their writings. This has been on my heart for awhile to be the subject of a podcast. So I trust you won't be wasting your time.

Yesterday my wife's mom turned 105. And in other news.... Also an introduction and overview of Joseph Alleine's book, An Alarm To the Unconverted 1672.

The Puritan Fast Day Sermons preached between 1640 and 1660. This podcast is an overview and content of two Puritan Fast Day Sermons, 1 by Stephen Marshall preached December of 1641 called Reformation and Desolation, and a 2nd, The Saints' Hiding-Place in the Time of God's Anger by William Bridge, William Bridge preached this sermon on October 28, 1646 , to the House of Lords at Westminster Abbey. Finally an overview and some content by the sermon, The Goodness and Severity of God in Judging Sinful Churches and Nations. How does their counself apply to us in our day?

"Welcome to the program. If you walked into a Christian bookstore seventy years ago, the profound, soul-stirring writings of the Puritans were virtually lost to history—rotting in forgotten English attics and locked away in academic vaults. Today, we're sharing the remarkable story of a quiet literary rescue mission: a global, providential relay race run not by famous celebrities, but by a colorful band of printers, pastors, and tireless book-distributors. From Martyn Lloyd-Jones launching a modest magazine in post-war London, to remote bookrooms in Choteau, Montana, a devastating warehouse flood in Pennsylvania, and a hard-charging contractor who bought books by the pallet just to give them away, join us as we trace how a handful of dedicated pioneers brought the forgotten giants of the faith back to life—and forever changed the modern pulpit."

This discussion outlines the compilation of a specialized 19th-century pastoral bibliography centered on the *Ars Moriendi* (The Art of Dying) literary tradition, which contrasts the final moments of believers and non-believers to demonstrate the power of faith. Key figures in this genre include Davis W. Clark, John Gregory Pike, and John Warburton, whose works served as evangelistic tools and pastoral guides. A focal point of the research is the rare 1807 Middlebury pamphlet, *The Contrast; or, The Death-Bed of a Free Thinker and a Christian Contrasted*, which physically pairs the harrowing, despair-filled demise of the skeptic Sir Francis Newport with the triumphant, ecstatic deathbed testimony of Presbyterian minister Dr. Samuel Finley—a historical text that can be reviewed via institutional databases like HathiTrust or downloaded in full PDF format through widespread 19th-century regional reprints.

Welcome to today's program, where we are stepping back into the vibrant, often forgotten print networks and pastoral pulpits that forged the early nineteenth-century Second Great Awakening. From the foundational 17th-century English Puritanism of William Gurnall's The Christian in Complete Armour to the strategic New England revival engines of Nathan Strong's Connecticut Evangelical Magazine and Jedidiah Morse's The Panoplist, we will explore how local awakenings transformed into a unified global mission movement. Joining us on this historical journey are the towering figures of the era—including Edward Dorr Griffin, Heman Humphrey, Bennet Tyler, and Ashbel Green—whose traditional Reformed orthodoxy and orderly revival methods were defended and distributed through historic publications like The National Preacher and The Christian Advocate.

The Beta (test) version of the Monergism APP has been released. After 15 months of providing audio for a few of the titles, the seed has been planted, another waters, may God bring an increase. Reflections on the last 16 months of this ministry.

To introduce a modern audience to the classic theme of spiritual warfare, this bibliography traces a robust, historically rich trajectory that spans over three centuries—beginning with the massive, foundational strategy manuals of 17th-century Puritans like John Downame and William Gurnall, mapping the deep psychological and pastoral care found in the soul-diagnosing "cases of conscience" by Pike and Hayward, and culminating in the vivid, fiercely practical 19th- and 20th-century expositions of Charles Spurgeon and Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Far from being a relic of abstract, archaic mysticism, this enduring body of literature functions as a brilliant, clinical handbook for the human soul. By masterfully distinguishing between the internal vulnerabilities of our own hearts and the external, highly adaptive "wiles" of a defeated but persistent adversary, these authors provide contemporary readers with a timeless blueprint for vigilance, mental resilience, and an unwavering reliance on the all-sufficient triumph of Jesus Christ.

Meditating on the 6th doctrine mentioned in the Introduction to the Sermon Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God, needed to be explored deeper. And 2 more fearful teachings in this doctrine.

What happens when our public religious lives don't match the hidden corners of our hearts? Today, we're diving into the deep end of the human soul with the help of America's greatest spiritual detectives. From Jonathan Edwards' piercing warning that true faith is verified in the dark, to John Owen's ultimate blueprint for a peaceful, focused mind in a world drowning in distraction, we're pulling back the curtain on performative faith. Even legendary statesman Daniel Webster warned over two centuries ago that without a solid moral compass, a nation slides into chaos. If you've ever wondered whether your inner life matches your outer presentation, or if you're just looking for a little unshakeable peace in a loud world, stay with us—this is a conversation you cannot afford to miss."

"Why is modern America so politically fractured and culturally adrift? The answer isn't just found in the latest headlines, but in a hidden theological shift that began over a century ago. Join us as we trace a profound line of thought from the prophetic 19th-century warnings of Southern Presbyterian Robert L. Dabney, through the sharp historical analysis of C. Gregg Singer, to the sweeping cultural philosophy of R.J. Rushdoony. Together, these three thinkers argued that America's shift toward big government and political pragmatism was ultimately caused by an apostasy in the American pulpit—the trading of biblical realism for humanistic utopianism. But don't mistake their ideas for today's top-down 'Christian Nationalism'; these men fiercely distrusted centralized power, warning that a society cannot be saved by the sword of the state, but only through a bottom-up reformation of individual hearts, families, and churches. Stay tuned as we dive into how their warnings predicted our current cultural crisis—and why their solution is radically different than what you hear on the news today."

This 1665 outbreak was the last major widespread epidemic of the bubonic plague in England, killing an estimated 100,000 people—roughly a quarter of London's population at the time—before tapering off in the winter of 1666, a decline accelerated by the Great Fire of London.

A look at the collegiate landscape at the beginning of the 19th centuries, and true college revivals. The story of Asahel Nettleton. (April 21, 1783 – May 16, 1844)

In an effort to enlarge on books that have been influential to me, I thought that I would just walk through the video of the walk-through of Paul Washer's library and enlarge on his comments to just add additional information. Some background information, and a couple of comments from Charles Spurgeon's Commenting and Commentaries.

From the beginning of this journey in 1981, how I was providentially led to my first solid Christian Books. My awakening and my early pilgrimage. How I went from reading Kenneth Hagin and Watchman Nee to within 6 months reading A. W. Pink and Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spurgeon and Jonathan Edwards. Given in an autobiographical entertaining way.

I couldn't settle on anything to narrate this morning and decided to just speak about some things that were reflections, and recalled a revival story I had read from James Hall and the Revival in North Carolina in 1802. At then end I read from Ruth Bryan's diary, and somehow tied it all together.

Of all of the biographical sketches I have taught in a Sunday School setting, the Life of A W Pink was drawn the largest audience and the most comments. From a life of relative obscurity, this is the story of how his commentaries and topics gained a large audience within 10 years after his passing in 1952.

Spring Clearning, came across a letter sent to my mom on January 16th 1986, forty years ago. Where I was then, what I have reflected on now. And other interesting news and updates. Also a historical sketch of the influence of the book, Human Nature in its Fourfold State, by Thomas Boston and how just reading it in a group of awakened Virginia farmers was a means to the end of the Hanover County Revival.

The story of the Payson family is a captivating study in how profound spiritual light can emerge from the deepest valleys of human suffering. Dr. Edward Payson, famously remembered as "Praying Payson," was a towering figure of the Second Great Awakening whose legendary, agonizing intercessions literally wore grooves into his hardwood floors, yet he was constantly bedeviled by physical pain and overwhelming bouts of melancholy. This complex legacy of fierce devotion and raw vulnerability did not end with his early death; it was magnified in the lives of his two brilliant daughters. Louisa, a self-taught intellectual powerhouse, masterfully translated the silent longings of the soul into clear, resonant prose, while her sister Elizabeth—enduring a lifetime of devastating chronic illness and the tragic loss of her own children—penned the immortal hymn More Love to Thee, O Christ and the bestselling novel Stepping Heavenward. Together, this 19th-century family transformed their personal battlefields of grief, doubt, and physical frailty into an enduring literary and spiritual roadmap that continues to guide weary travelers home.

Latest news, prayer requests, and another ministry opportunity I learned about yesterday. What it is, why I am particularly emotional about this one.

They set out with prayers and polished promises, bound for a Canaan they had only mapped in their dreams, completely blind to the terrible arithmetic of the wilderness. From the salt-sprayed decks of the Mayflower in 1620 to the snow-choked passes of the Sierra Nevada in 1846, the American pioneer's progress has always been a brutal ledger of faith paid for in flesh. We remember the grand myths of standard-bearers and empire-builders, but we forget the raw, human cost: the agonizing winters where the wind howled like a starving wolf, the agonizing choices made when the rations ran out, and the shallow graves that dug a highway across a continent. This is not a tale of seamless triumphs, but of ordinary men, women, and children who pushed past the edge of the known world, proving that the true price of discovering a new home is often everything you have left to lose.

In this episode, based on a lesson I taught in 2019, the aim will be to show that a revisionist history has taken place. The aim is to exhonerate Cotton Mather's reputation and then give the history of a slave named Onesimus and the development in early America for a cure for Small Pox.

Much of this history is the recorded audio for an American Church History Sunday School class taught in 2019, but I wanted to speak about the history of John Owen's interaction and battle for religious toleration and review the whole of this.

Recently I made a trip up to Grand Rapids MI, to hold for the first time my new grandson. While I was there I took notice of the continuing apostasy of the churches in an area once noted for Dutch Calvinism, Reformed Theology, Christian book publishing. This is the story of what this city once was.

Much of this story depends on a book titled, A Personal Narrative of 2 Years Imprisonment in the Burman Prison, 1860 - Henry Gouger.

What is "sympathy?" what are its adverse effects that was guarded against in genuine revival?

A study of the evangelistic method of Jonathan Edwards in such sermons as Pressing Into Kingdom, God Makes Men Sensible of Their Misery, Tne Manner in which Salvation is to be Sought. Why was there an appeal to mercenary motives? Were the applications what is sometimes labeled "preparationism" in fact so? Was Edwards alone in his instructions to the unconverted sinner, or did this in fact follow the Puritan Tradition? Why has modern evangelism shunned the type of awakening illustrated in Christian in his awakening detailed in the allegory Pilgrim's Progress?

Though I sat under Albert Martin's Ministry in 1984-1985, From the years 2009-to 2020 I was his neighbor and computer tech and tutor. There was a reason that I was given this privilege. This is my assessment and reflections that I have been contemplating when we heard that he passed away on April 7th. how the end of his life on earth affected me.

Update about our trip to New Jersey for our son's wedding. Also, while we were going to the church that Albert Martin pastored for 46 years, we discovered he had passed into heaven just a few hours before. So I wanted to honor him from my own experience from my days at TBC and over 11 years as his neighbor, and close friend as I began teaching him how to use a personal computer and served him anytime he needed us to come over and fix a printer, or even line up the rows in his email program. It was such a privilege.

The Revival of 1800, also known as the Red River Revival, was a series of evangelical Christian meetings which began in Logan County, Kentucky. These ignited the subsequent events and influenced several of the leaders of the Second Great Awakening. The events represented a transition from British traditions to innovations arising from the unique needs and culture of Americans in the new century, especially on the frontier. The startling manifestations of revival fervor that first occurred in June 1800 at the Red River Meeting House, a small Presbyterian congregation led by James McGready, began as a Scottish sacrament service, but led to the important innovation of serial religious services later known as camp meetings. (Wiki)

This is an examination of the works of John Owen that are in volumes 6 and 7 for the new reader trying to understand John Owen's writings and arguments.

The 1857 Manhattan Revival, also known as the Fulton Street Revival or the Great Prayer Revival, began on September 23, 1857, when businessman Jeremiah Lanphier initiated a noon prayer meeting at the North Dutch Reformed Church in lower Manhattan. Despite starting with only one other person, the gathering grew rapidly to six men by 12:30 PM, and within three weeks, forty attendees were praying for the city's spiritual awakening. Economic turmoil from the Panic of 1857, which left 30,000 New Yorkers unemployed, created a desperate atmosphere that fueled the revival's expansion. By November, prayer meetings were held in every church and even filled all floors of the North Dutch building, with 6,000 men reported praying in a single hour. The movement quickly spread to other cities like Cleveland, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Chicago, and eventually reached Ireland and Scotland and beyond.

A Compare and Contrast of the University Student Revivals in the news, with the revivals in American in the early years.

An analysis of evangelism counseling in American Church History and the Counseling of the Awakened Sinner. How the allegorical picture called the Slough of Despond from Pilgrim's Progress disappeared in counseling after the 1st generation of Princeton Theological Seminary to the modern "Free Grace Movement."

The 5 questions posited to John Mac on his death-bed. An enthusiastic response to each. Why modern evangelicals don't accept assurance tied to evangelical obedience.

Some discussion of the many things that are going on around here, and also a discussion of a commentary on Proverbs and the Immoral, or "strange woman" mentioned in the book of Proverbs numerous times.

Interesting updates given to me by Monergism. And the discussion of revivals and guarding against spiritual backsliding.

At my son's request, I traveled with him to a Baptist Bible Conference. I had no expectations in my mind, I went to it because my son was going to be going alone to represent the seminary here at one of the booths that were set up.

Update on the trials that we are surrounded with and direction in this ministry and narrations.

If you're looking for the "happily ever after" part of the Bible, Psalm 88 is definitely not the place to find it. It is widely considered the darkest, most sorrowful psalm in the entire collection. While most psalms of lament end with a glimmer of hope or a "but God" moment, Psalm 88 ends with the word "darkness. The Nature of His Suffering Heman doesn't describe a single bad day; he describes a lifetime of misery. His story is defined by three specific layers of pain: 1. Lifelong Affliction 2. Social Isolation. 3. Spiritual Desertion.

A discussion on Christian experience, self-examination and the subject of assurance of salvation.

I have heard you, you have spoken. After many hours of prayer and seeking direction, I have determined the direction to prioritize going forward. Give it a listen.

There has been a lot of scandals in the Christian news these days. Did John Owen, Richard Sibbes, other writers of a bygone day say anything that can help us get to the foundation of this problem? I at least tried to gather up their counsel for you. I hope it is enlightening.

A new MP3 sermon from The Narrated Puritan is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Ministry Update - Non-Cessationist? What IS a Spiritual Gift? Subtitle: NarratedPuritanPodcast Speaker: Thomas Sullivan Broadcaster: The Narrated Puritan Event: Podcast Date: 11/18/2025 Length: 27 min.