Books on the Puritans
When thinking ‘Puritan,’ we will limit ourselves to the period 1600-1688 (alas, no Ryle!). In addition to the evangelical party of the Church of England (‘the Puritans’ proper), we ought also to consider the works of Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. My goal here is to whet your appetite from each of three areas: the praying Puritan, the contented Puritan, and the frowning Puritan. Then I’ll suggest a Puritan companion. Perhaps you’ll want to read more from the Puritans to learn better how to live the pilgrim life in this hostile world, for the alien life wasn’t just the lot of the patriarchs of Genesis or the saints of the New Testament church – it will ever be the life of Christ’s people until he comes. No one has produced better reflections upon the pilgrim life than the Puritans.
1. A wonderful introduction to the Puritan at prayer is the collection edited by Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision.1 Meditate on a prayer each day upon first waking, and allow a great saint to lead you into God’s presence. Get the little leather edition, if you can.
2. The Puritans were pre-eminently preachers of the heart. And they could warm a right stony heart at that. Try this little gem: Thomas Watson, All Things for Good.2 He preached these messages on Romans 8:28 in 1663, the year after two thousand pulpits were vacated by order of the Crown.
3. The Puritans carried the rod to the pulpit as well. Prepare to be quite stunned upon reading Joseph Alleine, A Sure Guide to Heaven (sometimes entitled Alarm to the Unconverted).3 Am I really a Christian after all?
4. Lastly, what sort of companion do you want? Frequently chosen over the years have been John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress4 (you can’t go wrong if you get the story of your life from the pen of the tinker, for we are all pilgrims on our way to the heavenly city), William Guthrie’s The Christian’s Great Interest,5 Samuel Rutherford’s Letters,6 William Gurnall’s The Christian in Complete Armour,7 Henry Scudder’s The Christian’s Daily Walk, Thomas Brooks’s Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices,8 and John Owen’s The Glory of Christ9.
Most of these books have been reprinted by Banner of Truth.
Notes
The Valley of Vision
A Collection Of Puritan Prayers
price From: £5.44Description
When thinking ‘Puritan,’ we will limit ourselves to the period 1600-1688 (alas, no Ryle!). In addition to the evangelical party of the Church of England (‘the Puritans’ proper), we ought also to consider the works of Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. My goal here is to whet your appetite from each of three areas: the praying […]
price Original price was: £5.00.£4.00Current price is: £4.00.Description
When thinking ‘Puritan,’ we will limit ourselves to the period 1600-1688 (alas, no Ryle!). In addition to the evangelical party of the Church of England (‘the Puritans’ proper), we ought also to consider the works of Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. My goal here is to whet your appetite from each of three areas: the praying […]
price £18.50Description
When thinking ‘Puritan,’ we will limit ourselves to the period 1600-1688 (alas, no Ryle!). In addition to the evangelical party of the Church of England (‘the Puritans’ proper), we ought also to consider the works of Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. My goal here is to whet your appetite from each of three areas: the praying […]
price Original price was: £19.50.£15.60Current price is: £15.60.Description
When thinking ‘Puritan,’ we will limit ourselves to the period 1600-1688 (alas, no Ryle!). In addition to the evangelical party of the Church of England (‘the Puritans’ proper), we ought also to consider the works of Independents, Presbyterians, Baptists, etc. My goal here is to whet your appetite from each of three areas: the praying […]
Taken with permission from New Horizons, October 2010
Latest Articles
William Cunningham: Humble Controversialist 21 October 2024
The following short article appeared in Issue 690 of the Banner of Truth Magazine (March 2021). The first volume of William Cunningham’s works to be prepared for the press by his literary executors, James Buchanan and James Bannerman, was The Reformers and the Theology of the Reformation. It was published in 1862, a few months […]
Corporate Worship: 10 Benefits for Our Children 9 August 2024
Having your children with you in worship can be hard. It can be hard for the parents, for the children, and for the rest of the congregation. The squirming, the shuffling of papers, the loud whispers, and the louder cries, all can make it challenging to have our children with us in corporate worship. But […]