William Bates: How To Bear Affliction

·49 min·4 clips

If a whip can't tame a beast, rich pasture never will—so why is God's cessation of punishment a sign of displeasure?

The episode begins with hosts Troy and Jill introducing the show's purpose of reviving historical sermons. They set the stage by discussing the late 17th century in England, noting the complexity of this period and their own struggles to understand it after five years of producing the podcast. They mention listener feedback, specifically a comment from someone named Rainn Wilson on a previous episode about the Taiping Rebellion, and promote Patreon-exclusive content like deep dives on Joan of Arc and the Salem Witch Trials. The focus then shifts to William Bates, born in 1625 in London, with obscure early life details but a documented graduation from college at age 22. Bates served in a wealthy London church, requiring high education to cater to an intellectual congregation. The hosts explain the Act of Uniformity under King Charles II, which enforced Anglican Church rules and led to persecution of Puritans, with examples like John Flavel and John Bunyan. Bates, as the king's royal chaplain, faced personal cost by resisting this act, though he avoided jail due to his status. He lived until 1699, outliving many peers and giving funeral sermons for figures like Richard Baxter. The sermon, based on Hebrews 12:5-6, argues that God's discipline is a sign of love and necessary for spiritual growth, warning that ignoring it can lead to greater evils. The hosts reflect on the sermon's relevance, comparing historical persecution to modern experiences like COVID lockdowns. They conclude with calls to action for listeners to leave comments and submit voice recordings for a segment on the Act of Uniformity.

As heard by us

Bates's experience of persecution lends weight to his sermon on patience through affliction.

William Bates takes up a difficult question: how can a Christian bear affliction patiently while taking God's discipline seriously? Troy and Jill place the sermon in late seventeenth-century England, describing Bates preaching in barns and living on the run during persecution.

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Why you'd press play

If hardship has made patience feel abstract, hear William Bates address it from a life marked by persecution.

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