Walter Marshall (Puritan) facts for kids

Walter Marshall (born June 15, 1628 – died August 1680) was an English pastor and writer. He was known for his important book, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. Many people believe this book is one of the best ever written about how people can grow to be more like God, a process called sanctification.

Walter Marshall: A Life of Faith

Early Life and Ministry

Walter Marshall became a student and later a teacher at New College, Oxford in 1648. He earned his first degree in 1652. In 1656, he became the pastor of a church in Hursley, Hampshire.

In 1662, a new law called the Act of Uniformity was passed. This law made many religious leaders leave their jobs if they did not agree with certain church rules. Walter Marshall was one of these leaders. Soon after, he became the minister of a church in Gosport, Hampshire, which was a church that ran itself. He served there for eighteen years.

For several years, Marshall felt sad and unsure about his faith. He wanted to find peace and grow closer to God. He even talked to other religious leaders like Richard Baxter for advice. But it was after a very important talk with Thomas Goodwin that things changed. Marshall began to focus more on God's power to help him, rather than just his own efforts. With this new way of thinking, he found "holiness, peace of conscience, and joy."

His Most Famous Book

Walter Marshall's book, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, was published in 1692, after he had passed away. The book has fourteen main sections, which Marshall called "directions."

In the first direction, Marshall explains that growing in goodness and becoming more like God is a gift from God. He says God helps us through certain "means of grace." These means are ways God helps us, like prayer, reading the Bible, and being part of the church. Many people have talked about the book's ideas on being closely connected to Jesus. For example, Direction 5 explains that we cannot truly become good by ourselves without being connected to Jesus.

Spreading His Ideas

In 1739, a Dutch minister named Alexander Comrie translated The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification into Dutch. The book was published in Leiden, Netherlands, with the Dutch title De verborgentheit van de euangelische heiligmaking. In 1750, Comrie wrote that Marshall's book was probably the best book ever written about how people become more like God.

Walter Marshall's Writings

• The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification (first published 1692). This book also includes a sermon by Marshall called "The doctrine of justification opened and applied." Evangelical Press, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, 1981, ISBN: 978-0-85234-158-2, 257 pages.