Exploring Boston: Place to Place

Reflections on Thomas Boston's Journey to Stirling Before His Ordination

The author of Ecclesiastes writes, “There’s a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). In the fourth journal entry of his memoirs, the Puritan Thomas Boston portrays the tension between having his feet planted in one place and being uprooted by the shifting currents of life events.

This part of his journey entailed numerous opportunities to preach, an invitation to join the presbytery of Stirling, a delay in his journey to Stirling, a near-death experience, and much resistance to his pastoring, resulting in discouragement. Yet in all of this, Boston found hope and persevered.

Being licensed to preach poured gasoline on the flaming passion to preach. At that time, still in his native land, he was deeply immersed in study. He prepared multiple sermons per week and went from place to place preaching God’s Word.

He preached many sabbath mornings, each sermon being distinct, no text being the same. From Psalm 50:22, to Matthew 7:21, to Hosea 13:13, and to Ezekiel 9:4, though he preached with much trepidation, Boston believed he was setting fire “to the devil’s nest” (32). One encounter that added more bricks to the structure of his preaching ministry was with the likes of Mr. John Dysart.

Boston was raised under prelatic authority, and as Boston mentions in the first chapter of his memoirs, the doctrine of the gospel was greatly lacking in the churches. No doubt, this context influenced his preaching and was potentially riddled with moralism. When he spoke with Mr. John Dysart, he was instructed in the importance of preaching Christ, even from many of the imperative-heavy Scripture passages; the gospel was to remain central to the pulpit ministry.

Shortly after these preaching opportunities, he was invited to the presbytery of Stirling. Presumably, this was to continue his itinerant preaching ministry. There were many moving parts: travel, release from his previous presbytery, and, of course, people.

Being licensed to preach in Dunse, Scotland, his hometown, he sought to make his way to Stirling but was delayed many times due to his health. When seeking release from his original presbytery, they granted release under three conditions. He was happy to yield to the first two, but the last one he could not comply with: “1. That I should preach a day at Abbay before I went away; 2. That I should go by Paisley, and see my Lord Ross; 3. That my licence should bear, that I should not, without their advice, engage with any parish” (34). The last was undoable since he was already considering taking a call to the parish of Foulden after reaching Stirling. Before then, he resolved to preach at Abbay (modern-day Abbey St. Bathans, Berwickshire, Scotland), a church where he was asked to minister before leaving.

With much readiness for the pastoral charge, Boston was refused by the presbytery in Foulden. The parish urged the presbytery to call Boston to be their pastor with much persistence, but to no avail. This caused deep discouragement for the traveling preacher, and he was left questioning God’s call upon his life.

To top it off, amid vain fantasies of being planted in Foulden, he was uprooted from Dunse into no man’s land, only to have a near-death experience due to a fainting episode. This was a dark cloud over his journey, but thankfully, behind a frowning providence, God hides a smiling face. He awoke, thankful to be alive, though he indicates that, though he was very young, he was ready to meet his master. The presbytery of Stirling is where he ended up planting his feet down for the time being. He bloomed while planted there with a heart of contentment before the next call to move on.

Through every turn of providence, Boston took many lessons.

First, he learned that God would often delay His blessings to prepare the minister for a future of flourishing, the likes of which may not have come apart from the delay.

Secondly, he learned not to place his affection in one location over the other. To do so would be to tether one's heart too closely to this world, which is passing away with all of its desires. The presbytery of Stirling is where he ended up planting his feet down for the time being. He bloomed while being planted there with a heart of contentment before the next call to move on.

As a man who recently uprooted his family, I very much relate to Boston, and even more so when he later recounts moving to a remote area to pastor a small church. But like Boston, I’ve learned a very valuable lesson: God takes material things away from us, even on a small scale (like moving cities in California), to wean us off of this current world.

This is a reminder I’ll take with me wherever Christ sends me. Sojourners and exiles passing through this world do well to tether their hearts to the new heavens and new earth wherein righteousness dwells.

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