“We cannot cleanse ourselves; God must work in us with power. That is why the Holy Spirit is fire. We must go back into the oven when God chooses to make us new.”

– John Calvin

Book Description

Translated from the French of 1562 by Robert White

Of the many sermons which Calvin preached on the Synoptic Gospels, only the first sixty-five were recorded and published, under the title Sermons on the Harmony or Concordance of the Three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke (1562). Eighteen of these sermons appear here, for the first time in English translation. They focus on the events of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee: his baptism, his testing by Satan, the calling of his first disciples, his teaching and his works of healing.

In consecutive sermons the preacher traces the drama of Jesus’ confrontation with the forces of darkness and unbelief, which make him a prophet without honour in his own country. For the time being, his identity as Messiah remains hidden. Already, however, he is filled with the Spirit of God who empowers and directs him; already Satan must contend with one stronger than he; already the poor have good news preached to them; already God’s kingdom is present in Jesus’ gracious words and mighty works.

These sermons, the last Calvin was to preach on a New Testament text, reveal the Reformer at his best: a lucid interpreter of Scripture, an engaging preacher, and a pastor passionate to present every soul in his care mature in Christ.

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Why should one have a high view of the visible church and its ministry? The short answer is, Because this is what the Bible requires. Jesus said ‘I will build my church.’ He charged the disciples to baptize their converts into the church and in the process teach them all of his commandments (Matt. 16:18; 28:18–20).

Bible texts not only transform one’s personal life, but also shape one’s outlook on the church–its ministry and mission. In Texts that Transform: Church and Ministry, Terry Johnson shows how the Bible determines our understanding of such things as a Christian’s calling in general, the specific role of the minister, the shape of public worship, the content of the church’s public services, and the character of the day on which those services are conducted. Why do we do what we do in life and ministry? Because these are the things that the Bible–the word of God–directs us to do.

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Book Description

In 1786, at the age of twenty-two, Alexander Stewart became parish minister of Moulin, near Pitlochry, Scotland. He was as yet unconverted. Sermons from those early years he would later denounce as ‘youthful trifles, produced in the season of ignorance and darkness, possessing nothing of the savour of the gospel, abounding in errors, fit only to be pitied, fit only to be destroyed.’ When the change came it deeply impacted not only his preaching but his congregation. At the time of his settlement in Moulin most were as ignorant of the gospel as he was. As he puts it himself, ‘The opinion of their own works recommending them to the favour of God, and procuring a reward from his bounty, was almost universal.’ Now they began to think as differently about such things as their minister did. Indeed, it was not long before Moulin was in the grip of a revival that resulted in many conversions.

James Sievewright’s biography, long out of print, is an invaluable account of the steps by which Stewart was led from darkness to light, of the revival that followed, and of Stewart’s subsequent ministries in Dingwall and in Edinburgh. It introduces us to David Black, the young evangelical minister who played a major role in Stewart’s conversion, and is enriched by a selection of the letters that passed between them. It shows us, too, what a remarkable and far-reaching ministry an unconverted minister may one day exercise if God should be pleased to save him.

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The Pilgrim’s Progress has been entertaining and illuminating readers for over three centuries, and there can have been few readers more expert about both the book and its meaning than C.H. Spurgeon. Here we have the greatest of nineteenth-century preachers setting forth timeless truths from Bunyan, with infectious enthusiasm about his favourite author. ‘The reason for his liking is not far to seek,’ writes Spurgeon’s son and successor in his Introduction. ‘They both loved “the Book of books.”’ Just so, today’s reader will come away from these chapters with a renewed appreciation not only of Bunyan and Spurgeon, but of the truth and wisdom of the Scriptures.

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Few topics provoke more questions in the human heart than that of suffering. Paul Wolfe addresses this painful subject with both pastoral and personal experience. Here a struggling soul can find assurance that Christ is still near, still compassionate, and still safely shepherding the Christian through every dark valley. A clear and concise Q&A section addresses both practical and theological issues.

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Book Description

The Diary and Journal of David Brainerd is of much more than merely historical interest. The first internationally recognized biography ever to be published, it has had a profound impact on successive generations of Christians around the world.

The Diary covers the period from April 1742 to October 1747, and although written as a private and personal record, was published in abridged form by the great New England pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards in 1749.

Brainerd wrote the Journal, which covers the twelve months from June 1745 to June 1746, at the request of the Scottish Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, which was supporting his missionary work amongst the indigenous peoples of North America. As Sir Marcus Loane has noted in They Were Pilgrims, ‘the Diary and Journal were each written for a distinct purpose, and each had its separate character. The Diary is a remarkable record of the interior life of the soul, and its entries still throb with the tremendous earnestness of a man who whose heart was aflame for God. The Journal is an objective history of the missionary work of twelve months, and its details are an astonishing testimony to the grace of God in the lives of men.’

Jonathan Edwards’ own ‘Reflections and Observations’ on Brainerd’s life, included in this volume, are, according to Iain H. Murray in his Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography, ‘among the most important descriptive pages on the Christian life which Edwards ever wrote.’

Between 1742 and his death in 1747 David Brainerd took the gospel to the North American Indians of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. He willingly ran any risk and accepted any hardship to fulfil his calling as a missionary. The amount of work which he achieved in such unpromising and difficult circumstances now seems almost incredible. Moreover his total dedication to the cause of making Christ known inspired the finest of missionaries who followed in his footsteps.

Few books have done so much to promote prayer and missionary action as The Diary and Journal of David Brainerd.

Table of Contents Expand ↓

Endorsements

‘Brainerd’s life is a vivid, powerful testimony to the truth that God can and does use weak, sick, discouraged, beat-down, lonely, struggling saints, who cry to him day and night, to accomplish amazing things for his glory.’ JOHN PIPER

‘I was much humbled today by reading Brainerd. O, what a disparity betwixt me and him! He always constant; I as inconstant as the wind.’  WILLIAM CAREY

‘Oh! blessed be the memory of that beloved saint! No uninspired writer ever did me so much good.’  HENRY MARTYN

Reviews

• Review by Kevin Macleod
• Review by Al Baker

We asked people how reading Edwards had benefitted them; this is what they said …

Here’s What You Said About Jonathan Edwards

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»El fin principal del hombre es glorificar a Dios
y gozar de Él para siempre«

—Catecismo Menor de Westminster

A través de esta nueva edición de la Confesión de Fe de ‌Westminster, y su respectivo Catecismo Menor, queremos invitar al pueblo cristiano hispano a continuar profundizando en aquellas verdades doctrinales que han llevado a la Iglesia, a lo largo de la historia, a glorificar a Dios. Estos documentos enriquecerán nuestra confesión del Dios trino que nos escogió, redimió y continúa santificando para así, gozar de Él para siempre. Además, hemos incluido algunos Credos cristianos universales para entregar más recursos que nos lleven a crecer en la fe que creemos y confesamos.

»La Confesión de Westminster y sus Catecismos son, por lo tanto, el fruto maduro de todo el movimiento de formación de credos a lo largo de quince siglos de historia cristiana y, en particular, la Confesión y sus Catecismos son la corona de la mayor época de exposición confesional, la Reforma protestante. Ningún otro documento similar ha concentrado en ellos, y formulado con tanta precisión, tanto de la verdad contenida en la revelación cristiana«.

—Profesor John Murray (1898–1975)

»La verdad que expresa la Confesión tiene el poder de moldear tu pensamiento; su enseñanza ampliará y aclarará tu comprensión. Además, y lo mejor de todo, la sabiduría pastoral de la Confesión de Fe te ayudará a vivir la vida cristiana con la perspectiva magníficamente expresada en la respuesta a la primera pregunta del Catecismo Menor que la acompañaba: glorificar a Dios y gozar de él para siempre».

—Sinclair B. Ferguson

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This new book is a rare combination of devotional, memoir, and Bible study that brings the reader into a sense of relationship with the author and renewed connection to God’s word. Travelling through Terry Johnson’s conversion, call, and growth in Christian understanding and character, one reflects on the passages that have influenced his spiritual life. The non-Christian reader will find a winsome companion and instructor in foundational theological truths; the Christian will be challenged to consider what verses have guided his or her own path.

The truth of the gospel, the dangers of hypocrisy and legalism, freedom from anxiety, the urgency of evangelism – these are all helpful topics. But it becomes clear that Terry’s real passion is the beauty, the humanity and the holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is the heart of this warm and pastoral book.

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When discussing the ‘last things,’ what often comes to our minds is the book of Revelation and its striking visions – and often unhelpful speculation about their details. David McKay focuses instead on the Bible’s clear message about things to come: the Lord’s return, the certainty of judgment, the resurrection, and the reality of eternity. In doing so he returns to the real purpose of God’s revelation – providing comfort, warning, and strength to endure.

About the Author

David McKay is Professor of Systematic Theology, Ethics and Apologetics at the Reformed Theological College, Belfast, and Minister of Shaftesbury Square Reformed Presbyterian Church in Belfast. He is the author of An Ecclesiastical Republic (1997), The Bond of Love (2001) and A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Humanity (2021) and has contributed to a number of theological journals and books. He is married to Valerie.

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Christians have long recognized the book of Psalms to be the great handbook of the spiritual life. Martin Luther thought of it as the Bible in miniature, and John Calvin prized it as ‘an anatomy of all parts of the soul.’

This mini-guide introduces the reader to this precious book. David Murray shows how the Psalms speak of Christ, whilst answering questions regarding the interpretation of some difficult passages. He explains how the Psalms ought to be used in worship, counselling, witnessing, and singing, so that believers might glorify and enjoy God each day.

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These thirty-eight meditations on Christ’s incarnation from the pen of C. H. Spurgeon are an ideal companion in the approach to the Christmas season. Indeed, they point believers just as emphatically toward the second advent of Christ, and so are a valuable guide at any time of year. Brief, powerful, and vivid, each ­devotional sparks renewed wonder at the grace of God in the incarnation of his Son.

Endorsements

‘Good Tidings of Great Joy takes us all by the hand to lead us to Christ. Here those who celebrate Christmas but privately realize they know too little about its significance will find a clear, straightforward, and attractive explanation of its real meaning. Here too, those who enjoy Christmas chiefly because they love Christ and want to know and love him better, will find encouragement and joy. And perhaps too some, who never celebrate “Christmas” and as a result are in danger of giving the incarnation far less attention than Scripture does, will find their affection for Christ rekindled or increased.’

-From the Foreword by Dr Sinclair Ferguson

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This warm and encouraging book of daily devotionals, along with Bible verses suitable to each topic, shows forth a pastor’s heart and a disciple’s love of Scripture. One senses, moving through the year, topics and verses that were especially treasured to Robert Macdonald, presented so winsomely that they soon become precious to the reader. Each day, the author presents fresh biblical insights, interwoven with wisdom from the Puritans, amusing and yet helpful anecdotes from his own nineteenth-century Scotland, and snippets from hymns and poems.

Perhaps the most compelling recommendation of Macdonald’s book remains the one written by one of his fellow ministers and friends Andrew Bonar:

‘My dear Robert, From Day to Day is a book of most pleasant and profitable reading. It is 365 meditations—as many as Samuel Rutherford’s Letters—as many as Enoch’s years of earthly pilgrimage and walking with God. There is a clearness and pointedness in your style of writing that at once attracts the reader, and, dipping his rod in the honey, he finds his eyes enlightened.’

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This product contains Volumes 1 to 3 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

Volume I

1. Memoir by the Rev. William Harris, D.D.   (vii)

2. A Practical Exposition of the Lord’s Prayer   (3)

1. Eighteen Sermons on the Second Chapter of the Sedcond Epistle to the Thessalonians

2. A Practical Exposition Upon the Fifty-Third Chapter of Isaiah

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Such pronouncements are not commonplace in many modern commentaries, but they summarise Manton’s attitude to his own work. Previously published by the Trust in the Geneva series, this commentary brings Manton’s expository gifts to bear on the Epistle of James as he seeks not only to inform, but also to form his hearers to be ‘doers of the word’.

Book Description

This product consists of Volume 4 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

The Set

Endorsements

‘I have come to know him so well that I could choose him out from among a thousand divines if he were again to put on his portly form, and display among modern men that countenance wherein was a ‘great mixture of majesty and meekness.’ His works occupy twenty-two volumes in the Victorian reprint: a mighty mountain of sound theology. They mostly consist of sermons; but what sermons! They are not so sparkling as those of Henry Smith, nor so profound as those of Owen, nor so rhetorical as those of Howe, or so pithy as those of Watson, nor so fascinating as those of Brooks; and yet they are second to none of these. For solid, sensible instruction forcibly delivered they cannot be surpassed. Manton is not brilliant, but he is always clear; he is not oratorical, but he is powerful; he is not striking, but he is deep. There is not a poor discourse in the whole collection: he is evenly good, constantly excellent. Ministers who do not know Manton need not wonder if they are themselves unknown.’ — CHARLES SPURGEON

‘If ever there was an English divine who must be classed as a Puritan, that man is Manton…his works, like [Bunyan’s] Pilgrim’s Progress, deserve the attention of all true Christians…As an expositor of Scripture I regard Manton with unmingled admiration. Here, at any rate, he is facile princeps [easily first] among the divines of the Puritan school…In days like these, I am thankful that the publishers of Manton’s Works have boldly come forward to offer real literary gold to the reading public.’ — J. C. RYLE

The post Volume 4: Commentary on James appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

As well as Manton’s Commentary on Jude, this volume contains Meat out of the Eater, Or, Hopes of Unity in and By Divided and Distracted Times, a sermon preached to the House of Commons on June 30, 1647; England’s Spiritual Languishing; with The Causes and Cure, preached to the House of Commons on June 28, 1648; How May we Cure Distractions in Holy Duties, a sermon on Matthew 15:7,8 (‘Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’); How Ought We to Improve Our Baptism?, a sermon on Acts 2:28 (‘Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins’); Man’s Impotency to Help Himself Out of His Misery, a sermon on Romans 5:6, (‘For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.’); The Scripture Sufficient Without Unwritten Traditions, a sermon on 2 Thessalonians 2:15 (‘Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle.’); finally, there is included an editorial note on Smectymnuus Redivivus, a work composed by five ministers to answer Bishop Hall’s argument for the divine right of episcopacy and for which Manton provided a preface.

Book Description

This product consists of Volume 5 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures. The entire twenty-two volumes are composed of sermons— the legacy of a lifetime devoted to the patient and systematic teaching and application of God’s word. Like his younger contemporary, John Flavel, Manton’s Works are characterised by great pastoral concern and a balanced wisdom. He was, said William Bates in his funeral sermon, ‘endowed with an extraordinary knowledge in the Scriptures’ and this enabled him to exercise a sustained ministry of verse-by-verse preaching without losing the interest of his congregation.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

1. A PRACTICAL COMMENTARY; OR, AN EXPOSITION WITH NOTES, ON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE:–

The Epistle Dedicatory (3)

To the Reader (6)

Exposition (9-376)

2. MEAT OUT OF THE EATER (377)

3. ENGLAND’S SPIRITUAL LANGUISHING (411)

4. SERMONS AT THE MORNING EXERCISE:–

How we may Cure Distractions in Holy Duties (441)

How Ought we to Improve our Baptism? (459)

Man’s Impotency to Help Himself out of his Misery (473)

The Scripture Sufficient without Unwritten Traditions (485)

EDITORIAL NOTE ON SMECTYMNUUS REDIVIVUS (501)

The Set

Endorsements

‘I have come to know him so well that I could choose him out from among a thousand divines if he were again to put on his portly form, and display among modern men that countenance wherein was a ‘great mixture of majesty and meekness.’ His works occupy twenty-two volumes in the Victorian reprint: a mighty mountain of sound theology. They mostly consist of sermons; but what sermons! They are not so sparkling as those of Henry Smith, nor so profound as those of Owen, nor so rhetorical as those of Howe, or so pithy as those of Watson, nor so fascinating as those of Brooks; and yet they are second to none of these. For solid, sensible instruction forcibly delivered they cannot be surpassed. Manton is not brilliant, but he is always clear; he is not oratorical, but he is powerful; he is not striking, but he is deep. There is not a poor discourse in the whole collection: he is evenly good, constantly excellent. Ministers who do not know Manton need not wonder if they are themselves unknown.’ — CHARLES SPURGEON

‘If ever there was an English divine who must be classed as a Puritan, that man is Manton…his works, like [Bunyan’s] Pilgrim’s Progress, deserve the attention of all true Christians…As an expositor of Scripture I regard Manton with unmingled admiration. Here, at any rate, he is facile princeps [easily first] among the divines of the Puritan school…In days like these, I am thankful that the publishers of Manton’s Works have boldly come forward to offer real literary gold to the reading public.’ — J. C. RYLE

The post Volume 5: Commentary on Jude & Various Sermons appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

This product contains Volumes 6–9 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

V6

Sermons on the 119th Psalm (495 pp)

V7

Sermons on the 119th Psalm, Cont. (492 pp)

The post Volumes 6–9: Sermons on Psalm 119 appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

This product contains Volumes 10–12 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

Volume 10 (490pp)

1. Several Sermons Upon Matthew 15 (3)

2. Sermons Upon John 17 (100)

Volume 11 (493pp)

1. Sermons Upon John 17, Cont. (3)

2. Sermons on Romans 6 (153)

3. Sermons on Romans 8 (383)

The post Volumes 10–12: Sermons I appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

This product contains Volumes 13–15 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

Volume 13 (492pp)

1. Sermons Upon 2 Corinthians 5 (3)

2. Sermons Upon Hebrews 11 (318)

Volume 14 (489pp)

1. Sermons Upon Hebrews 11, Cont. (3)

The post Volumes 13–15: Hebrews 11 and Various Sermons appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

This product contains Volumes 16-17 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). These volumes of Manton’s Works contain sermons on various passages from Scripture (see below for details). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

The post Volumes 16–17: Sermons II appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

This product contains Volumes 16-17 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677). These volumes of Manton’s Works contain sermons on various passages from Scripture (see below for details). Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

Volume 18 (495pp)

Sermons on Various Texts of Scripture

Volume 19 (496pp)

1. Sermons on Various Texts of Scripture (3)

2. Sermons Upon Ephesians 5:1-27 (169)

Volume 20 (512pp)

1. Sermons Upon Philippians 3:7–21 (3)

2. Sermons Upon 2 Thessalonians 1 (198)

3. Sermon Upon Matthew 22:14 (353)

4. Sermon Upon Mark 7:37 (364)

5. Sermon Upon 2 Corinthians 4:17 (371)

6. Sermons Upon 1 John 2:12–14 (380)

7. Sermons Upon 1 John 3 (438)

Volume 21 (488pp)

1. Sermons Upon 1 John 3, Cont. (3)

2. Sermons Upon Acts 2:37, 38 (237)

3. Sermons Upon 1 Peter 1:23 (299)

4. Sermons Upon Psalm 19:13 (337)

5. Sermons Upon Psalm 131 (406)

6. Sermons Upon Ezekiel 18:23 (463)

7. Sermon Upon Jeremiah 45:5

The post Volumes 18–21: Sermons III appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

This product is Volume 22 of The Works of Thomas Manton  (1620-1677), and contains sermons on several texts of Scripture, a sermon preached at Manton’s funeral, and the indices to the Works. Manton’s Works present us with an outstanding example of what was most characteristic in the ministry of the English Puritans: careful, solid, warm-hearted applicatory exposition of the Scriptures.

The set is a facsimile of the James Nisbet & Co. edition of 1870.

Table of Contents

1. Sermons on Several Texts of Scripture (3)
2. Funeral Sermon Preached Upon the Death of Dr Manton (123)
3. Index of Subjects (149)
4. Index of Texts (373)
5. Index of Principal Texts (455)

The post Volume 22: Sermons IV, including Funeral Sermon and Indices appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

Book Description

Many twenty-first-century Christians ‌still read the works and love the memory of the remarkable Scottish brotherhood that included Robert Murray M‘Cheyne and Andrew and Horatius Bonar. But the name of Alexander Moody Stuart (1809–98), whom they all esteemed so much, has been forgotten. Yet it took only one encounter with his preaching for M‘Cheyne to say, ‘I have found the man.’

Now, this new edition of Alexander Moody Stuart: A Memoir will throw light on a life and ministry which were profoundly influential—a ministry in which Moody Stuart was, variously, a pioneer rural missionary in an island fishing community; a capable church planter in a growing city; a clear and searching preacher; a much-loved pastor; a caring husband and father; and a committed advocate for overseas missionary endeavour.

Alexander Moody Stuart’s long life and ministry encompassed many of the defining events and debates in the Scottish church in the middle and later nineteenth century, including that which led to the formation of the Free Church of Scotland in 1843. But far from being defined by these important debates, his ministry was principally marked by contemporaries for its deep spirituality, earnestness, and originality.

This well-paced and engaging memoir, partly autobiographical and completed by its subject’s eldest son, covers the life, work, friendships, and challenges of one who was fully engaged with the people under his spiritual care, and who was also a willing defender of orthodox belief in an age of rapid change in approaches to Scripture. As Sinclair B. Ferguson notes in the Foreword, ‘like Andrew Bonar’s memoir of M‘Cheyne, there is a touch of heaven about these pages.’

It is hoped that the republication of this long-forgotten book will go some way to lift Alexander Moody Stuart out of relative obscurity—a man who, in his allotted time and circumstances, exercised a deep and penetrating ministry of the word, the character and aroma of which contain much to stimulate and inspire those engaged in that same spiritual work today.

This fresh edition includes numerous illustrations and an extensive appendix containing several of Moody Stuart’s sermons and addresses, and other documents of interest.

Commendations

‘Long forgotten and hard to obtain, Alexander Moody Stuart is a book for any Christian to enjoy, and every Christian will find it richly instructive, graciously challenging, and wonderfully inspiring. And for ministers of the gospel it is quite simply a ‘must have’. While it ranks among the finest Christian biographies of a past century, the effect of reading it will be a fresh desire to love Christ more and serve him better in the present century.’

—Sinclair B. Ferguson

‌‘There are few ministerial biographies that are better worth reading than Moody Stuart’s Life by his son.’

—Principal John Macleod (1872–1948)
in Scottish Theology

‌‘He has poetry in his soul, and beyond that, a heart like that of Rutherford, fired with love to the altogether Lovely One.’

—C. H. Spurgeon (1834–92)
Pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Baptist Church, London

‘I know not a greater master in spiritual analysis.’

—Dr John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan (1796–1870)

‌‘Few were honoured to wield an influence so profound and far-reaching.’

—Address from the Free Presbytery of Edinburgh upon
Moody Stuart’s ministerial diamond jubilee in 1897

‌‘… a man who was the first and earliest of a well-defined and very remarkable school of preaching; who was also its patriarch and survivor; and who, besides being the originator, was himself the most original man not only in that school but, according to my judgment, in the whole Scottish pulpit during the long span of his ministerial career.’

—Alexander Taylor Innes (1833–1912)
Lawyer, political and ecclesiastical adviser, and author

Table of Contents Expand ↓

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Book Description

J. C. Ryle described Daniel Rowland (1711–1790) as ‘one of the spiritual giants of the eighteenth century.’ Lady Huntingdon considered him to be ‘second only to Whitefield.’ Howel Harris wrote of him, ‘In his pulpit he is second to St Paul,’ while others acclaimed him as ‘the greatest preacher in Europe.’ Yet he has been one of the least known leaders of that age.

The loss of manuscripts shortly after his death, the Welsh language barrier, and the fact that all his closest friends were also preachers rather than authors, all contributed to leave only a shadowy impression of his greatness. However, after many years of work, Dr Eifion Evans succeeded in breaking through a multitude of difficulties to present for the first time a full-scale biography of Daniel Rowland.

J. C. Ryle writes of Daniel Rowland, ‘Never, perhaps, did any preacher exalt Christ more. . . . No British preacher of the eighteenth century kept together in one district such enormous congregations of souls for fifty years as Rowland did.’ And Dr D. M. Lloyd-Jones asks, ‘Has there been preaching which has had anything like the effect of his preaching since those days?’

At death, when reminded that he had been instrumental in the conversion of thousands to Christ, Rowland protested, ‘It is nothing. I die as a poor sinner depending fully and entirely on the merits of a crucified Saviour.’

This volume is a record of revivals, friendships with other leaders, persecutions and divisions, and the birth of a new age for Wales. Amidst it all, Dr Evans excels in showing what made Rowland the preacher and the humble Christian that he was. Dr Evans’ volume not only fills a major gap in church history, it is an inspiring testimony to New Testament Christianity.

The post Daniel Rowland appeared first on Banner of Truth UK.

There are two intended audiences for discourses on the Christian ministry: the pastor or elder who cares for the church, and his congregation who are called to willing and prayerful submission. In Gospel Ministry, a collection of nine sermons delivered in his fruitful later years, John Owen addresses both.

Whether expounding the role of the Holy Spirit in shaping the ministry, presenting the purposes of the church, savouring God’s care of his people, or warning against being ashamed of the gospel, Owen’s teaching is invaluable for any minister – or member – of the body of Christ.

This book is complemented by its companion volume, Gospel Life, which beautifully sets forth the foundational steps of faith in Christ, assurance, and humble walking with him.

N.B. The sermons in this volume have been selected from The Works of John Owen, Volume 9, and modernised.

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In Gospel Life, a posthumous compilation of thirteen sermons from the zenith of his preaching career, John Owen answers these questions with great compassion for the Christian who longs for growth and assurance. He draws on a wide range of Scripture to display the character of the Saviour, the acceptance of the Father, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Finally, Owen addresses the death and eternal hope of the believer, offering encouragement to all who love Christ.

A companion volume, Gospel Ministry, expounds the calling of Christian ministers, and exhorts congregations to loving and prayerful church life.

N.B. The sermons in this volume have been selected from The Works of John Owen, Volume 9, and modernised.

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Book Description

Most experienced Christians are familiar with the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians. Love, peace, patience, and so on are often considered both gracious marks of true Christian character and ideals to aim for. But what do they look like when lived to the fullest?

This book answers this question by studying the fullness of the Fruit of the Spirit in the life of Christ. In a warm and engaging style, Jonathan Cruse examines these godly attributes in the Lord’s example, comparing them with our own faltering efforts at holiness, and shows how only the power of God himself can truly conform us to Christ. The work is his, not ours – and this is good news for all those who yearn for greater sanctification.

About the Author

Jonathan Landry Cruse studied theology at Westminster Seminary California. He is an author, hymnwriter, and the pastor of Community Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Jonathan is husband to Kerri Ann and a father of three.

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This 10 Volume set includes the following titles by John Bunyan and Thomas Watson. Click on a title to learn more – but be sure to add the Puritan Paperbacks Set (Bunyan and Watson) to get the Christmas special.

The Jerusalem Sinner Saved
The Acceptable Sacrifice
Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ
The Fear of God
Prayer
All Loves Excelling
The Lord’s Supper
The Godly Man’s Picture
All Things For Good
The Doctrine of Repentance

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Book Description

‘Times of difficulty and of persecution have always been seasons in which God’s ministers shine with greatest lustre.’

These words from the memoir of Bridge contained in these collected Works of William Bridge serve to remind readers of the context in which William Bridge lived and worked.
Born in Cambridgeshire around 1600, Bridge entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1619, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1623 and a master’s degree in 1626, before serving as a fellow of the college.

He was ordained a priest in the Church of England in 1627, and served in Saffron Walden and Colchester in Essex, then becoming rector of St Peter Hungate in Norwich in 1632.
In 1636 he was forced to flee to Rotterdam in Holland because of Bishop Matthew Wren’s campaign against nonconformity. There he co-pastored a church with John Ward and then Jeremiah Burroughs.

Returning to England in 1641, the following year he was appointed a member of the Westminster Assembly, and proved himself a noted Independent. That same year he accepted a position as town preacher at Yarmouth, where he organized an Independent church, and formally became its pastor in the autumn of 1643. He laboured there until 1662, when he was ejected by the Act of Uniformity.

Bridge spent his last years at Yarmouth and Clapham, Surrey, where he died in March 1670.

William Bridge was an excellent preacher, able scholar, and prolific writer with a well-furnished library, but he was no ivory tower theologian. His parishioners viewed him as a charitable and candid pastor whose ministry helped many people.

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Este libro cuenta la historia de la Reforma inglesa. Penetra detrás de la fachada del cambio político y actas del Parlamento, y trae a la luz el movimiento interno del Espíritu de Dios en hombres de corazón humilde y fe heroica. Su autor cree que había una mano que guiaba el timón de la Reforma, y que esta guía divina se releva de manera más clara a través de un estudio detallado de la vida y motivos de aquellos que fueron señalados como líderes del movimiento y maestros de su teología.

Los cinco hombres elegidos para este propósito fueron los más significativos de aquellos que dieron sus vidas en la causa de la Reforma inglesa. Bilney y Tyndale representan el movimiento en el reinado de Enrique VIII; Ridley y Cranmer dominan el estudio en el reinado de Eduardo VI. La vida de Latimer une a Bilney con Cranmer y abarca todo el periodo desde los primeros días de la conversión en los Halls de Cambridge hasta los martirios triunfantes en los fuegos de Oxford. Los cuarenta años, desde el 1516 hasta el 1556, durante los cuales estos hombres encontraron y siguieron a Jesucristo fueron los años en los que la Reforma inglesa fue acunada y nutrida para la gloria de Dios.

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Book Description

During his earthly life Jesus had many critics and enemies who sought to discredit him and sometimes trap him in his own words. They said, for example, that he had threatened to destroy the temple, that he was a blasphemer and that he acted in league with the devil. On one occasion some religious leaders ‘grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners”’ (Luke 15:1). However, what they intended as an attack gives expression to gospel truth – Jesus did and does welcome sinners; as the apostle Paul wrote, ‘The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Tim. 1:15). The Gospel According to Christ’s Enemies looks at such attacks in Scripture and also considers contemporary attacks on Christianity which express truths that their speakers do not intend. The book leads us to the gospel according to Jesus Christ himself.

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Book Description

Christmas, and New Year, are excellent moments to pause and reflect—as scattered families regather for the national holiday, and as the calendar turns over again, with another year gone forever. J. C. Ryle urges us—in the midst of our feasting and festivities and family reunions—to make time to consider our spiritual state and our relationship with God. How is it with our souls? What do we make of Jesus Christ? What will be our future, when all our Christmases are past?

This little book contains five of Ryle’s most popular Christmas tracts, the spiritual wisdom of which is timeless. Ryle challenges us—while we enjoy the wonderful delights of mince pies and mistletoe and mulled wine and music and merriment—to make the most of every Christmas, to consider seriously the person of Jesus Christ and questions of eternal significance.

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Book Description

A pastor of forty years who has throughout his ministry found the Puritans to be a great source of spiritual encouragement, David MacKinnon presents here 366 extracts from the works of the Puritan pastor Richard Sibbes, which may be used each day of the year by readers as an aid to devotion.

Each extract has been carefully selected, and a suitable accompanying Scripture text provided at the start of each daily reading. Occasional antiquated words in the original have been updated, and overly long sentences have been shortened, but all with a view to retain Sibbes’ flow and meaning for present-day readers.

For those who have never encountered Sibbes before, this volume will serve as an excellent introduction. All will find in these daily readings spiritual refreshment for the soul, coming from one who in his day was known, appropriately, as the ‘heavenly doctor.’

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Theodore Beza’s course of activity was, in the words of the author, ‘long and brilliant.’ He presided over the Reformed church in the French-speaking countries of Europe for many years, and was its recognized counsellor and leader in times of peril. His friendship with John Calvin, and also with the French king, Henry IV, ensured that his influence in both church and state was not insignificant— indeed, Beza’s was a career rich in incidents and dramatic interest.

As Paul Wells notes in his Introduction to this new edition of Baird’s life of Beza, ‘some plants flourish in the shade of mighty trees.’ Theodore Beza was such a plant—a significant ‘Reformer in the wings’ who became a major actor in the development of the magisterial Reformation and the spread of the Reformed faith in France.

Beza stepped into the shoes of Calvin as the spokesman of French Protestants in the diaspora, and as the figurehead of a refugee church—a church faced with theological error, and opposition from the powers that be. Beza’s work remains a model of faithfulness under duress for believers worldwide in comparable situations today—it is for that reason that this new edition of his Life has been published.

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Book Description

The name of John Calvin (1509-64) is justly renowned in a number of contexts. The Reformation’s greatest systematic theologian, he was also a Christian strategist and transformer of society, as his enormous correspondence and his influence in Geneva bear witness. A prolific scholar, well-versed in the Latin of the academics, he also worked hard at communicating to ordinary men and women in his native French language.

Above all, Calvin was a pastor. Indeed, it has been said of him that he became a theologian in order to be a better pastor. Nowhere is that more clearly seen than in his sermons.

In 1549, the Compagnie des Étrangers, refugees who thought highly of his ministry, employed a professional scribe, Denis Raguenier, to record and translate Calvin’s sermons.

Thanks to the foresight of these sixteenth-century Christians we can still read the 159 sermons Calvin preached on the Book of Job on week-days in 1554-5. They abound in faithful and lively exposition, and remain one of the finest examples of evangelical preaching – faithful to the biblical text and thoughtfully applied to the individual and society.

In 1993 the Banner of Truth Trust reprinted a facsimile edition of Arthur Golding’s 1574 translation of Calvin’s sermons on Job. At that time the publisher expressed the hope that ‘Perhaps one day the massive work of retranslating Calvin from the original french into modern English will be done.’ That day has now well and truly come! Several new translations of Calvin’s sermons have recently been published (on Ephesians, Galatians, 2 Samuel 1-13, Acts 1-7, Gen. 1-20, The Beatitudes, Luke 1-2, etc.) and a new translation of Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (1541 ed.) has also recently been added to this impressive list of volumes. Now, thanks to Dr Rob Roy McGregor, all of Calvin’s 159 sermons on Job have been translated into modern, colourful, and vigorous English.

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Book Description

Samuel Miller (1769–1850), was a faithful pastor, who became a founding father and a professor of Princeton Theological Seminary. He had a deep commitment to the church and an abiding interest in seeing ministers trained ably for her service — an interest which led to him writing this book.

As Dr. Jonathan Master notes in his Foreword to this edition of Miller’s work, ‘public prayer is the priority on Paul’s mind when considering public worship.’ Despite this priority, today public prayer has in some churches a diminishing place in corporate worship.

Ministers especially need instruction in public prayer — Samuel Miller understood this need in his day, and so much of what he wrote remains pertinent to the practice of an edifying ministry in the present.

This volume is replete with insights into the vital place of public prayer in worship, and of sound advice as to how progress may be made in this aspect of pastoral ministry.

This edition includes a Foreword by Dr. Jonathan L. Master, President of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Taylors, South Carolina, USA.

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Book Description

Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus; and Mary Magdalene all feature prominently in the gospel narrative. But what can Christians learn from the faith displayed by these women?

In these moving and engaging chapters, Alexander Moody Stuart draws out their characters and helps readers learn from each one’s relationship to Jesus. Perhaps too often known only at the surface-level, these three women, brought into sharper focus by Moody Stuart’s reflective and often vivid portrayals, have much to teach us about the faithful Christian life.

Moody Stuart’s preaching and teaching were marked by a keen sensitivity to the human condition and its needs, combined with challenging practical application. This, linked with a deep tenderness and love, well-qualified him to write The Three Marys.

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Book Description

Translated from the French by Robert White

When Calvin says that he would not have spoken of election had Scripture not led the way, we need not doubt his word. If he defends the doctrine with vigour, it is because it runs as an unbroken thread through both Old and New Testaments. Like the doctrines of providence, atonement and the new birth, it is a doctrine of sovereign grace.

Calvin did not invent election: it is a doctrine which belongs to the universal church. Its importance for him lies in the fact that it anchors the work of redemption, not in our feeble powers of will, but in God’s inexplicable love for sinners, and it traces that work to a determination freely made in heaven before the world began.

The present volume offers a variety of sources, newly translated from the French, which throw fresh light on Calvin’s doctrine of election. In place of his more formal works such as the Institutes from which the doctrine is usually derived, texts have been selected which were intended for oral delivery to a largely non-specialist audience. The tensions inherent in the doctrine, such as God’s mercy versus his justice, are honestly acknowledged and answered. Throughout, appeal is made not to philosophical speculation but to God’s revealed word. To depart from Scripture, the Reformer holds, is to enter a labyrinth from which there is no way out.

There is no hint of bookishness in the texts presented here. This is theology for Everyman – clear, comprehensive and rich in practical application. And it leads, as all good theology should, to the praise of God’s glory.

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Book Description

Paul’s words in Galatians 6:14, ‘Far be it for me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ highlight how central and personally significant the cross of Christ is to Christians. Jesus himself saw the cross as his divinely appointed destiny. As he began to experience the unimaginable agony that lay before him, he said, ‘Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father, save me from this hour”? But for this purpose I have come to this hour’ (John 12:27).

In Words from the Cross Ian Hamilton places Jesus’ seven expiring words of grace and hope in their wider biblical context and explores their theological, pastoral, and evangelistic significance. The short chapters encourage us to reflect and meditate on the love of God which is ‘the fountainhead of the gospel’ (John Owen) and bring us to devote all we are to the Saviour who gave his all for us.

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Descripción del libro (Book Description)

En La Fe que Confesamos, Chad Van Dixhoorn ofrece una mirada fresca de un estamento clásico de la fe reformada. Este trabajo accesible, bíblico y reflexivo digiere años de estudio y enseñanza en secciones pequeñas. La Fe que Confesamos, al desafiar nuestros corazones y mentes, espera edificar e instruir tanto a audiencias generales como avanzadas, tal como los autores de la Confesión de Fe de Westminster seguramente esperaron que su magnum opus lo hiciera.

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Book Description

John Aaron provides here a fresh account of Thomas Charles’s life, presented against the backcloth of his day and age, and in the light of Charles’s extensive network of correspondents, both Welsh and English.

In Wales, the popular picture of Thomas Charles (1755–1814) had traditionally been of the man who gave a Bible to Mary Jones; who was the ‘Father of the Sunday School’; and who was behind the formation of the British and Foreign Bible Society. But in modern Wales this picture has almost completely faded. No biography of Charles has been published in English or Welsh since 1908—this is the first for over a hundred years.

This new biography covers many aspects of Charles’s life that deserve to be extensively known, including, among others, his long and frustrating courtship of Sally Jones; his early connections with evangelicals in the Church of England, including John Newton and Henry Thornton; the immense and rapid spread of his schools; the revivals which took place under his preaching; his editorial labours over the text of the Welsh Bible; and his leadership of the Calvinistic Methodist Connexion.

Thomas Charles’s writings revealed his spiritual maturity and wisdom. His balance of Christian doctrine, experience, and practice was remarkable. In this wide survey, John Aaron does not shrink from acknowledging both the strengths and weaknesses of his subject, and also seeks to engage with Charles’s scholarship and theology. Here is a book to inform, stir, and inspire.

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Book Description

George Smeaton (1814–1889) was for over thirty years Professor of New Testament Exegesis at New College, the Edinburgh seminary of the Free Church of Scotland.

This collection comprises various printed sermons, lectures, and other shorter writings covering the whole period of his ministry and professorial work.

The collection is wide-ranging in its content and in one respect or another reveals the characteristics of an exercised man, whether speaking, or writing, for ministers, divinity students, or the general reader.

His sermons ‘were full of Christian fervour, and were characterised alike by purity of diction and breadth of scholarship.’ Smeaton was ‘a scholarly devout soul,’ said one former student, ‘whose earnest prayers brought the heavens near.’

It is the hope of the publisher that these sermons and addresses will prove to be as edifying, challenging, and stimulating to this present generation as they were to Smeaton’s own.

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The North of Wales in the 1770s was one of the least Christian parts of Britain. The next three decades brought a transformation akin to that of the apostolic era and at the centre of the change was Thomas Charles, ‘the Lord’s gift to North Wales’.

Debarred from the pulpits of his own denomination, and dependent on his shop-keeper wife at Bala, Charles quietly became the leader of the people (‘Calvinistic Methodists’) whose God-anointed witness gathered thousands to the gospel. This astonishing advance involved Bible distribution, the use of circulating schools, preaching, and publishing. More than all these things, there was an outpouring of the Spirit of God and the most enduring lessons of the period have to do with the quality of spiritual life which was then recovered.

This volume, first published in 1838, shows us both what that life was in Thomas Charles’ own experience and how wisely he taught it to others.

Charles’ main characteristic, said Edward Morgan (his editor), was his large measure of love and humility. His life itself, ‘with heaven in his face’, as men said, was a sermon.

For insight into real, biblical Christianity this book will always be one of the classics of evangelical literature. John Elias’ verdict of many years ago remains true, ‘Whatever proceeds from Mr. Charles is excellent’. This was one of the last books in the hands of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones before his death and it led him to conclude that Thomas Charles ‘is definitely one of the most neglected of the spiritual leaders’.

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This is a pastoral, thoughtful, encouraging, challenging and, above all, radically God-centred book. The thirty brief but compelling chapters remind us that this world is not our home, that our destiny is ‘a city that has foundations whose designer and builder is God,’ and that we are called to live world-engaging, Christ-glorifying lives. It also highlights a most important aspect of the gospel’s message – the cosmic nature of Christ’s redemption, from its beginning in the wake of Adam’s tragic fall in humanity’s first home, the garden of Eden, to its consummation in the new heavens and new earth.

Here is a call to all Christians to live as pilgrims, pressing onwards and upwards to our eternal home.

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Podcasts

• Mark Johnston Discusses This World Is Not My Home with Theology on the Go

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According to J. C. Ryle, next to praying there is nothing so important in practical religion as Bible reading. God in his mercy has given us a book ‘which is able to make us wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus’ (2 Tim. 3:15). By reading the Bible we may learn what to believe, what to be, and what to do; how to live with comfort, and how to die in peace.

Can anything, therefore, be more important than being in possession of a Bible? However, to have a Bible is one thing, to read it is quite another. Happy is the one who not only has a Bible but who reads it, obeys it, and makes it the rule of one’s faith and practice!

In this little book Ryle clearly explains why we ought to value the Bible highly, to study it regularly, and to make ourselves thoroughly acquainted with its contents.

This book consists of material extracted from Ryle’s Practical Religion, which is also published by the Trust.

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Our Bibles consistently use the noun ‘Transfiguration’ with regard to Jesus but ‘Transformation’ with regard to the Christian – and yet it is one and the same verb, transliterated ‘metamorphosed,’ that is used in those places in the original text. Why is that so? Is there an important difference between them? And why does the noun ‘metamorphosis’ which is familiar to us never occur in the New Testament? And yet is there some connection between the Transfiguration of Jesus and the Transformation of the Christian?

Hywel R. Jones presents answers to these questions in this book. In the course of doing so he shows how the divine can penetrate the human without destroying it as in the Person of Christ, and how the human can become conformed to the divine without its ceasing to be human as in the case of the Christian. That kind of metamorphosis accords and exalts the Christian gospel over against the humanism of our culture, whether secularised or spiritualised.

There is a distinction between God and Man which will never be obliterated but preserved for ever – even in the glorified Christ in whom they are joined. But communion between the God-Man and his believing people will result in each Christian being fully conformed to the perfect humanity of Christ while retaining his or her own individuality. It will not result in a faceless absorption into the divine but face to face communion with the triune God for ever.

‘The transfiguration of Christ shows how the divine can penetrate the human without destroying it. The transformation of the believer shows how the human can become conformed to the divine without its ceasing to be human. This is the ultimate metamorphosis that is compatible with Christian truth.’ — HYWEL R. JONES

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The apostle Paul often taught young converts to the Christian faith that ‘we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God’ (Acts 14:22). For first-century Christians suffering for Christ was an inevitable accompaniment to a life of serious discipleship.

In many parts of the world little has changed since those early days. But in the West, Christians have long enjoyed a period of unusual rest from such troubles. However, there are ominous signs that change is on the way. Suffering ‘for righteousness’ sake’ may once again mark the lives of faithful Christians in the West.

In this exposition of Paul’s words, ‘For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus’ (Acts 21:13), John Flavel shows us how vital and excellent a thing it is to prepare ourselves for the onset of sufferings.

‘The cup of sufferings is a very bitter cup, and it is but needful that we provide somewhat to sweeten it…’ — JOHN FLAVEL

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More than anything else, Richard Sibbes (1577–1635) was a great preacher. He never lost sight of the fact that the best Christian counselling is done by the Holy Spirit through the patient and lively exposition of God’s word. Sibbes excelled as a comforter of the troubled and doubting. But he also possessed a rare gift of illuminating every passage of Scripture he handled by drawing out its significance for his hearers and readers.

These features of Sibbes’s ministry figure prominently in The Glorious Feast of the Gospel. Sibbes takes for his text Isaiah 25:6-9 in order to display ‘Christ’s gracious invitation and royal entertainment of believers.’ The subject-matter is a perfect blend of rich doctrine and practical application. Here is an ‘admirable feast indeed … Jesus Christ is the master of the feast, and the cheer and provision too.’

If you have lost the ‘spiritual relish of savoury practical truths,’ these sermons, if read prayerfully, will help you recover it.

‘Now, I will shew why Christ, with his benefits, prerogatives, graces, and comforts, is compared to a feast…’

— RICHARD SIBBES

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A man of good scholarship, sterling character, wide sympathies, and tremendous zeal, J. C. Ryle accounted it no light thing to be entrusted with the work of organizing and advancing the cause of God and truth in a diocese noted for its extensive industrial development and in a city of world fame. As a man of God he gave unfeigned allegiance to the plenary inspiration of Holy Scripture. Linked with this was his determination to strive for the maintenance of the Protestant character of the Church of England as by law established in the days of the sixteenth-century Reformation. Doctrine, experience, and practice based upon and shaped by the pure word of God were to him the essentials of the ongoing life of the Church.

In the Liverpool Diocese Ryle faced a formidable task. Called to it at the age of sixty-five, Ryle laboured in season and out of season with untiring pertinacity. To present-day readers he will chiefly be known through his expository and biographical writings. The Charges and Addresses here brought together show how he laboured to educate the clergy of his diocese in biblical principles and to impress upon them the vast importance if maintaining evangelical doctrine and practice in their varied ministries and contacts.

In England Ryle stands in the foremost rank of those who have held forth the word of life and fought the good fight of faith. He is one of the Lord’s standard-bearers of the late Victorian age. The ‘healthful spirit of God’s grace’ was upon him. Being dead he continues to speak to our backslidden generation.

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‘You are holding the last book of a true shepherd who knew what it is to be one of Christ’s sheep. It is a rich, biblical, theological, experiential, devotional meditation on the Twenty-third Psalm, combined with a testimony to God’s faithfulness by a godly pastor and professor who is now at home with his Good Shepherd, having long lived in the valley of the shadow of death.’ — LIGON DUNCAN, in the preface

Book Description

The Twenty-third Psalm is probably the best known of all the chapters of the Bible and among the most memorable words ever written in any language. It is so familiar that it would be easy to think that we can learn nothing more from it. But through exposition intermingled with prayers and personal testimony, David Calhoun reminds us that this psalm has great depth, and that lifelong meditation on its words will help Christians to understand just what it is to be a sheep under the care of the ‘good Shepherd.’

Each of the ten chapters in A Sheep Remembers contains a version of the Twenty-third Psalm or a hymn that is based on the psalm, followed by commentary on the verse that is being considered; writings from shepherds that help us to understand sheep and their ways; prayers, quotations and stories that illustrate the theme; and in the last place, the author’s own personal testimony.

This is a striking and profound little volume that will give much spiritual help to readers at all stages in the Christian life.

Review

• • Review by Ligon Duncan, featured on The Gospel Coalition

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Coming from a remote area of Judah, and from a farming background, Amos was called to a prophetic ministry to the nation of Israel. His prophetic message was a blend of mercy and judgment, as he challenged an erring nation to seek the Lord. In addition to strong condemnation of errant Israel, Amos also held out the ­promise of restored fortunes, and particularly of the continuing place and significance of the Davidic family.

Allan Harman’s commentary is a careful exposition of the text. While using the ESV translation, he gives particular attention to the Hebrew, discussing words that are most significant for the translation and ­interpretation of this eighth-century BC covenantal messenger. He also includes sections of application, that preachers will find particularly helpful.

The author has spent a lifetime in teaching the Old Testament, and brings his skills to another biblical book. This commentary complements his other commentaries on Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, Joel, and Daniel, all of which have been aimed at making plain the significance of the text, without unnecessary reference to other writers.

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