About this episode
In this episode of the Expositors Collective podcast, Mike Neglia is joined by Shane Deane for a wide-ranging conversation on Puritan preaching, with particular attention to William Perkins’ The Art of Prophesying and the Puritan emphasis on application.Rather than treating the Puritans as mere historical figures or quotable voices, this discussion explores how their preaching method remains deeply relevant for modern pastors. Shane helps unpack why clarity, structure, and especially wise application were central to Puritan preaching, and how these convictions can shape Christ-centred exposition today.The conversation also turns to the often-neglected practice of pastoral prayer in gathered worship, drawing on Puritan theology and practice to show why public prayer is not filler, but a vital act of shepherding the congregation before God.Topics CoveredShane’s first sermon and how his preaching has developed over timeWhat first drew Shane to the Puritans and their preaching methodThe danger of treating the Puritans as “quote machines”William Perkins’ The Art of Prophesying, with a focus on Chapter 6The fourfold Puritan preaching pattern:Reading the textExplaining its meaningDrawing out doctrineApplying truth to the hearersWhy Perkins warned against cluttering sermons with excessive citationsWhy application was the heartbeat of Puritan preaching“Discriminating application” and addressing different kinds of hearers in one sermonPerkins’ categories of hearers and how they challenge one-size-fits-all preachingThe Directory for Public Worship and its heavy emphasis on applicationThe six Puritan “uses” of application:InformationRefutationExhortationAdmonitionComfortTrial (self-examination)Why pastoral prayer belongs at the heart of gathered worshipHow public prayer functions as shepherding, not transition timeThe connection between preaching, prayer, and spiritual formationWhich Puritan habits could most immediately strengthen modern preachingHow studying the Puritans has shaped Shane’s own preachingA closing “quote machine” segment featuring memorable Puritan linesKey TakeawaysPuritan preaching was deeply pastoral, not merely academicApplication is not an appendix to exposition, but its goalStructure serves clarity and freedom rather than rigidityToo many quotations can obscure rather than illuminate ScripturePastoral prayer is a theological act that teaches, shepherds, and forms a congregationPreaching and prayer together shape the spiritual life of the churchAbout the Guest
