The Gospel Coalition

Kevin DeYoung has a great post on Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen, a little known Dutch Reformed pastor serving at the dawn of the great awakening.  I’ve only had the slightest taste of Frelinghuysen, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve tasted.  This was a great introduction to the man and seven lessons from his ministry.  DeYoung writes:

Frelinghuysen, with his gifts and guffaws, has something to teach all of us, the conservative formalist, the liberal traditionalist, the passionless preacher, and the professional pugilist. Most of all, we ought to give thanks for this man used by God to light a spark that the Spirit fanned into the flames of the Great Awakening. As a pastor in the same denomination as Frelinghuysen, I am especially grateful for his commitment to Calvinist doctrine and evangelical proclamation. I encourage all Christians, especially those in the Dutch Reformed tradition, to listen to the forgotten voice of this neglected forerunner.

Here are the seven lessons:

1. Dead orthodoxy is deadly.

2. Tradition is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.

3. God blesses preaching that is scriptural, personal, and evangelical.

4. Do not neglect the third mark of the church.

5. Fear God, not people.

6. Doctrinal fidelity and evangelistic fervor do not have to be at odds.

7. Passion and courage are no excuses for a harsh spirit.

Read the entire article for the meat of these lessons and to get a sense of the man.